The Flyers’ training camp group got a lot bigger in a hurry.
What was set to be a 46-man roster for Thursday morning has grown to 57, with Philadelphia adding 11 players who all took part in some part of Rookie Camp earlier this week. The group includes seven forwards, two defensemen and two goaltenders, giving the club a much fuller camp look as the preseason gets underway.
The forwards added are Brady Berard, Alex Ciernik, Matthew Gard, Owen McLaughlin, Ilya Pautov, Nathan Quinn and K.J. Sauer.
On defense, Brek Liske and Luke Vlooswyk are in camp for at least a few days before likely heading back to the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League. In goal, Martin Psohlavec and Marek Sklenicka - both selected by the Flyers in the 2026 NHL Draft - will also get the early portion of the abbreviated 13-day camp.
No one is penciling any of these players into the lineup for the regular-season opener against Pittsburgh on Sept. 30, but the extra invite still matters. Most of them stood out enough in rookie camp to earn a look, and now they get a chance to skate in NHL drills and scrimmages alongside veterans and pros. For a young player, that kind of exposure can be its own kind of push.
It’s also a logical group for Philadelphia to bring in if the goal is evaluation. Alex Ciernik and Ilya Pautov are both smaller wingers whose futures with the Phantoms next season aren’t exactly set in stone. Pautov could still go to the QMJHL after arriving from Russia last summer, while Ciernik’s role remains unclear.
Matthew Gard and Nathan Quinn fit a different lane. Both are young centers headed back to the CHL - Gard to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds and Quinn to the QMJHL’s Quebec Ramparts - while also being committed to NCAA programs for the 2027-28 season. Their paths are longer, but camp gives them a first-hand look at the standard they’re chasing.
The numbers also help the Flyers manage the early days of camp. With the additions, the roster now includes six goaltenders, 18 defensemen and 33 forwards, enough to split into nearly three full practice groups. That should make the first few days easier to run, especially with the first exhibition game coming Monday night against the Capitals.
The team has not said when the first round of cuts will come, but with the camp only running 13 days, the margin for players on the bubble is tiny. For most of these 11, the path back to junior hockey, college or Europe is already the likely one. Still, spending a few days with the Flyers is a worthwhile bonus, and in a camp this short, every rep counts.
In Other News...
Matvei Michkov Already Looks Like A Different Flyer At Camp
Matvei Michkov opened Flyers camp by doing more than just showing up in shape. He spoke to the media in English for the first time, and the early impressions around him were all about a player who looks more comfortable, more polished and more at ease in his second training-camp run with the team. Michkov also posted a friendly photo with coach Rick Tocchet on social media, another small but telling sign that the relationship between the two is off to a positive start.
The on-ice takeaway was just as encouraging. Michkov said he feels good after trimming down and getting quicker, while Tocchet pointed to visible changes in the way the winger moved during practice. For a Flyers team that needs its young talent to keep trending up, camp is already offering a glimpse of a player who may be arriving with a different look and a different level of confidence. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Are Sending A Familiar Rebuild Message Again
Training camp has opened for the Flyers, and the message coming out of South Philadelphia sounds a lot like the one from a year ago. The club is still leaning into the idea of building slowly and methodically, with most of the same core returning and a few fresh faces mixed in, including Joseph Woll, Porter Martone, Matvei Michkov and Noel Acciari.
There is also a small detail drawing some attention around the teams newest branding. A recent banner does not feature Michkov, which may or may not mean anything, but it is the kind of thing that tends to get noticed when a team is still trying to define what this version of the rebuild looks like. For now, the Flyers are presenting the same patient blueprint and asking everyone to keep waiting for the next step. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Waiting On Their Next Big Swing For One Reason
Philadelphias summer push for a young center ended the way most offer-sheet gambles do, with the original team digging in and keeping its player. The move sent a clear signal around the league, though, because once Anaheim matched on Leo Carlsson, a wave of other clubs moved quickly to lock up their own rising stars on long-term money.
For the Flyers, the bigger takeaway is not just that the swing missed, but that it sharpened Danny Brires view of when to take the next one. He has stressed a patient approach to major additions, with an eye on the right fit rather than the next available name, while the organization keeps building around its own core and protecting its flexibility for when the market opens up again. [Read more 🡒]