The first day of Flyers training camp brought the usual mix of fresh faces, familiar names, and a few early hints about who looked ready to pop.
Philadelphia opened camp Thursday morning in Voorhees, New Jersey, starting at 8:45 a.m. ET with Group C - the collection largely made up of players projected to head back to juniors or end up in the AHL.
Nikita Grebenkin was the only NHL player in that group, but he did not skate because he is still working through an injury he suffered last season. Devin Kaplan was another name worth watching from that group, since he may have a shot at the NHL roster.
Zayde Wisdom was the only other player in Group C who was already on the camp roster; everyone else was added that morning.
Group A followed on the main sheet at 10:30 a.m. ET, and it included several players making their Flyers camp debut.
Zach Aston-Reese, Jack Studnicka, and Simon Benoit all took the ice for the first time, with Benoit standing out as the one most expected to make the roster. Noah Powell, Cole Knuble, Brek Liske, Oliver Bonk, Maksim Sokolovskii, and Ty Murchison were also in that group after turning heads in rookie camp.
Group B hit the ice at noon, giving the first look at Noel Acciari and Joseph Woll, both of whom are expected to make the roster. Danila Kilmovich and Nolan Foote also skated as Flyers for the first time. Riley Thompson, Jacob Gaucher, and Jett Luchanko were among the players who could be battling for a spot, and Thompson’s call-up from rookie camp came after he drew attention there on Thursday.
As for the on-ice work itself, Day 1 was not built for fireworks. The first session leaned heavily on rush drills, with one group focused on forwards and another on defensemen. There was plenty of net-front traffic too, with forwards screening goalies and trying to get sticks on pucks.
Still, a few moments stood out. Noah Powell uncorked a shot that clanged off the crossbar and shot straight up to the rafters, reaching its peak near the blueline.
Rasmus Ristolainen hammered a point shot past Dan Vladar, and Matvei Michkov buried a sharp snipe into the upper far-side corner on the left side. Michkov, in particular, looked noticeably different from the player who finished the 2025-26 season.
He appeared quicker and more energized on Thursday, a sign that his offseason work may have shown up right away.
After a brief break, the Flyers moved into 5-on-5 rush drills with possession allowed if it was maintained. No goals came from that segment, but Cole Knuble’s work along the boards was eye-catching. For a smaller player, he was scrappy and effective in the corners and on the wall.
Trevor Zegras was the clear standout in Group A, especially during the 2-on-2 small-area drill. He looked fast, his hands were clean, and his shot still carried the same punch it did before the season ended. Jack Studnicka also had a solid first session, though he looked more like a depth option as things wore on.
Group B’s skate was a little harder to fully track because media availability from Group A overlapped with the start of that session. By the time that wrapped up, the group had already switched sheets and finished half the rush drills. I only caught one 5-on-5 rotation, which was enough to see the lines but not much else.
The best work in Group B came in the 2-on-2 small-area drill. Jett Luchanko was especially impressive, putting together one strong sequence where he held off Nolan Foote while keeping the puck, circled the zone along the walls and behind the net, and finished with a backhand into the far high corner past Carson Bjarnason. On his next turn, he also worked David Jiricek off the puck along the wall.
Travis Konecny looked strong in that drill too and seemed to pick up right where he left off. But the top player in Group B was Tyson Foerster. His shot looked heavy, he seemed faster, and his skating was smooth throughout.
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