Photo: Rob Windfelder | Flyers Nitty Gritty
I’ll be honest. I was very excited for Philadelphia Flyers hockey this season. They surprised us all by making the playoffs last season after the horrible first half of the season they had, and the future was looking bright. With how the 2026-27 season has started, boy, have I been frustrated. This may be my first article this season, but trust me, I’ve been watching and taking my mental notes.
It truly has looked like the Flyers have taken a step back this season. Flyers general manager Daniel Briere expected this to happen, as he talked about it right as free agency was opening up back in July. “We took a big step forward last year, and there’s a chance, a good chance, that we take a little bit of a step back this year. We’re ready for that. But I’m excited where this young group of guys are going.”
In this piece, I’m going to talk about what’s been going wrong with this Flyers team. You may be sitting there reading this saying, “Meghan, everything is going wrong for this team.” You’re not wrong, but I do think there are a few bright spots with the team that will be talked about as well. Let’s get started.
Where the Flyers stand right now
As previously stated, the 2026-27 season has gotten off to a very frustrating start. Through 18 games, the Flyers hold a record of 4-10-4, which accumulates to 12 total points. This puts them in the basement (8th) in the Metropolitan Division.
The Flyers have scored 39 goals this season but have allowed 60. If you ask anyone, this is nothing but a recipe for disaster. A -21 goal differential is also worth pointing out. While the Flyers have been scoring (just not enough), they’ve been giving up far too many.
It looked as though things were turning around a bit for the team after a 0-6-3 start through nine games. In the last 10 games, they’ve gone 4-5-1. That’s nothing to jump up and down about, but it’s at least a small positive.
Where are the goals at?!
The Flyers have struggled to score goals so far this season. You can’t win games if you don’t outscore your opponent (obviously). Outside of forward Matvei Michkov, it truly doesn’t feel like anyone is scoring goals consistently. When players like Noel Acciari and Simon Benoit are scoring goals to even the game up or take the lead, you know the team is struggling.
The team right now ranks near the bottom of the league with 2.17 goals per game. The players that the Flyers should be depending on for scoring just aren’t doing so. Tyson Foerster has struggled heavily so far, Sean Couturier is off to a very slow start, Trevor Zegras is collecting his assists but not scoring like we know he can, etc.
To bring some stats into play, Michkov has 13 points through 18 games so far. As I said, he’s the only one really providing offense recently. However, he currently holds on to a -11 plus-minus rating. He’s always finding himself on the ice when the opponent scores. While there are plenty of games left to play, we can only hope that stat goes down.
Zegras has four goals and 10 assists on the season. While 14 points through 18 games is solid, we, as fans, would like to see him start scoring more. He currently is the team’s leader in points, and hopefully, the numbers will continue to increase as the season goes on.
The Power play remains a problem
Oh joy, another article where I bring up the power play being a problem. Now, let me be honest. The power play has not looked this decent, look-wise, in a long time. Both units are definitely getting their fair share of scoring chances on the man advantage, but not a whole lot of goals are being scored.
As of right now, the Flyers rank 27th in power-play percentage at 16.4%. In 55 power-play opportunities, they have only managed to score nine goals. Five of these nine goals have been scored by Michkov, for those who keep count. See what I mean about consistency?
The Flyers made quite a few changes to the coaching staff after the 2024-25 season. Aside from the hiring of Rick Tocchet, they brought in new assistant coaches such as Jay Varady, Todd Reirden, Jaroslav Svejkovsky, and Dylan Crawford.
Svejkovsky is now in control of the power play, and it still continues to be very inconsistent. We knew the power play was going to be an area of concern coming into the season, and it still doesn’t look all that great. Both units have the talent to get the power play going and are getting great looks. It just hasn’t happened…yet.
Injuries aren’t helping
The injury bug has definitely hit the Flyers this season. To be exact, 10 players went out with injuries in the first couple of months. A majority of them are back playing with the Flyers or Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and forward Nikita Grebenkin still remain out. Ristolainen, according to reports, has made the five-game road trip but unsure if he’s going to play. Grebenkin, on the other hand, will be out until at least mid-February.
Losing your top players to injuries can definitely deflate the team. The speed of Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny and the shot of Tyson Foerster, in my opinion, were missed most. These players don’t look like they’re truly 100%, but we can only hope things turn around soon.
Has goaltending been a problem?
I’ve stated this point as a question because I have a feeling this topic will be controversial.
Dan Vladar remains the number one goaltender for the Flyers this season and will be for the foreseeable future. He signed a five-year ($5.5M AAV) contract extension when free agency opened up on July 1. Through nine games played/started, Vladar holds a 3-4-2 record, 3.21 GAA (goals against average), and an .883 save percentage.
The Flyers completed a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 16, 2026, that would send defenseman Emil Andrae, goaltender Samuel Ersson, and a 3rd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in exchange for goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit.
Woll, through nine games played/started, holds a 1-6-2 record, 3.12 GAA, and a .899 save percentage. As Ersson’s replacement, I think he’s definitely a big upgrade.
Here’s where the controversial part comes into play. How big of a role has goaltending played in the Flyers’ struggles? The soft goals always hurt, but both goalies have made their fair share of huge saves. Goaltending is a part of the game of hockey that can win or lose you games. While the Flyers may not be winning many games these days, in my opinion, goaltending isn’t the biggest problem.
Your thoughts
What are your thoughts on the season so far, Flyers fans? Do you agree/disagree with my points in this piece? Are there other aspects that you think are playing a role in the Flyers struggles? Let me know. Go Flyers!
Flyers Next Game
Flyers next game is Sunday, Nov. 8, in Calgary against the Flames.
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