In the 21st of a 32 part series leading up to the start of the 2025-26 National Hockey League regular season, we will look at the key off-season transactions made by all NHL organizations with an overall grade. Here are the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Flyers have added four notable players to their roster from other teams and promoted two players within their system who are expected to be with the team for opening night on October 9 against the Florida Panthers. Let’s take a look at the group of six.
Trevor Zegras
Zegras, a center from Bedford, New York, has played the last five seasons with the Anaheim Ducks. In 57 games in 2024-25, he had 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points. Zegras was traded in the offseason from the Ducks to the Flyers for forward Ryan Poehling of Lakeville, Minnesota, a second round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft (Ducks selected center Eric Nilson of Sweden), and a fourth round pick in 2026. Zegras is expected to be on the Flyers number two line alongside Alex Bump and Travis Konecny.
Christian Dvorak
Dvorak, a centre from Palos, Illinois, has signed a one-year contract worth $5.4 million. The Flyers are Dvorak’s second NHL franchise following five seasons with the Arizona Coyotes and four seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. In 82 games with the Habs a season ago, Dvorak had 12 goals and 21 assists for 33 points. Even though Dvorak is on the fourth line to begin the season, expect him to get steady shifts all year long. Teams simply don’t pay $5.4 million for a fourth line guy often.
Noah Juulsen
Juulsen, a defenseman from Surrey, British Columbia, signed a one year deal worth $900,000. Juulsen is joining his fourth NHL team after the Montreal Canadiens. Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks. He did not have a point in 35 games with the Canucks in 2024-25. Juulsen is expected to be on the Flyers’s third defensive pairing with Egor Zamula.
Dan Vladar
Vladar, a goaltender from Prague, Czech Republic, signed a two-year deal worth $6.7 million to backup Samuel Ersson. Last year in Calgary, he had a record of 12-11-2 with a goals against average of 2.80, save percentage of .898 and two shutouts.
Two players promoted within
Philadelphia will be hoping foward Nikita Grebenkin of Serov, Russia and left winger Alex Bump of Prior Lake, Minnesota can slide in and deliver productive top six minutes. Bump, a former Flyers pick, played the majority of the last two seasons at Western Michigan University. Grebenkin, shared his time in the American Hockey League with the Toronto Marlies and Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 2024-25.
Projected Offseason Grade
Flyers General Manager Daniel Briere looked to make a wholesale of player changes in the offseason after having the worst record in the East. But the biggest difference could be as coach, as the Flyers’s new bench boss is Rick Tocchet, has a lot of the fiery characteristics former head coach  John Tortorella had. Will the Flyers be better this season significantly? It is challenging to predict. Different could be better in Philly, so that is why the Flyers off season grade is a B.
