The Flyers close out the preseason tonight with one last shot at the Capitals, and this time they’ll get a more favorable look than they did in the opener of this exhibition stretch. Philadelphia dropped that first meeting, but Thursday’s win gave the group a little momentum heading into the finale. With Washington again leaning toward a lighter lineup, the Flyers have a real chance to finish the preseason on a stronger note.
The biggest takeaway from the projected lineup is that the Flyers are likely to roll out a group that looks a lot closer to what opening night could bring for the skaters, even if the exact combinations won’t be confirmed until warmups. Philadelphia held another limited morning skate, so the final configuration remains a bit of a mystery, but the rough shape is there:
Tyson Foerster - Trevor Zegras - Porter Martone
Travis Konecny - Christian Dvorak - Matvei Michkov
Alex Bump - Noah Cates - Carl Grundstrom
Nikita Grebenkin - Sean Couturier - Noel Acciari
Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York - Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler - David Jiricek
Aleksei Kolosov
The Capitals are in a similar spot to what they were on Thursday, sending out more of a B-squad after most of their top players skated last night. Washington has not yet released a detailed lineup for the game, but this is the group they’re bringing for their exhibition finale against Philadelphia.
One of the more interesting individual stories to follow is Matvei Michkov. He was one of the clear bright spots in Thursday’s win over the Bruins, not just because he scored early, but because the whole performance looked sharp from start to finish.
The signs have been encouraging in practice, too: he appears quicker, more confident with the puck, and more capable of driving his game to another level. The bigger question now is whether he can keep that up once the games start piling up.
There’s also a goalie wrinkle worth watching. Aleksei Kolosov is expected to play the full game, giving the Flyers another look at him against NHL competition.
The backup situation is less clear. The Flyers can’t have Woll do it, and Vladar, even though he was out for the very optional morning skate, is not an option to fill that role either.
So there’s still a little mystery left for game time.
Before puck drop, the Flyers also made another round of cuts, sending four prospects down to the AHL. That’s understandable, even if it stings a bit.
David Jiricek, though, made it through that round and now looks firmly set to begin the season with the big club, which makes this a pretty important year for him. On the prospect front, Max Westergard is also making noise, as he’s off to a strong start to his season in the SHL.
Beyond the individual names, this game is really about the Flyers taking another step in the process. They’ve had a limited runway so far to work on system changes, build chemistry in different spots, and keep sharpening the power play. Tonight is another chance to see whether the structure is starting to come together a little more cleanly before the team heads back into a few days of practice next week.
In Other News...
Flyers Have One Big Christian Dvorak Decision Still To Make
Christian Dvorak gave the Flyers exactly what they needed last season, settling in as the top-line center for much of the year and turning in the kind of all-around production that made him look like a fit for a bigger role. His first year in Philadelphia ended with a career season across the board, and the team responded by committing to him long term as it starts sorting out what the center depth chart is supposed to look like next.
The bigger question now is how the Flyers want to arrange the middle of the ice around him. Dvorak is in place, but the club still has to decide which combinations give it the best balance, and whether his most natural usage is still at the top of the lineup or in a different setup as camp and the season approach. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Are Finally About To Learn What David Jiricek Really Is
The Flyers are at the point where camp decisions start turning into actual lineup reality, and David Jiricek is already part of it. General manager Daniel Briere confirmed the defense prospect has made Philadelphias opening night roster, a notable step for a player the organization wants to evaluate in a meaningful role rather than stash on the sidelines. With injuries affecting some of the competition around him, the Flyers still have two roster cuts to make before Mondays deadline.
For Jiricek, the first glimpse of that evaluation looks fairly defined. He is expected to begin on the third defensive pairing and handle the second-unit power-play quarterback duties, giving the Flyers a chance to see how his skill set translates when the games count. It is a useful landing spot for a player whose next stretch should tell Philadelphia a lot about where he fits, and the clubs final moves over the next few days should only sharpen the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Opener Confidence May Hinge On Dan Vladar
The Flyers got a little more clarity on Dan Vladar as the regular season draws closer, with the goaltender taking part in a skate while continuing to recover from an upper-body injury. Rick Tocchet said Vladar is progressing daily and described him as day to day, a sign the team has at least some optimism around the crease as opening night approaches.
Philadelphia still has a wait-and-see feel to it with a few pieces of the roster, and Vladars status is one of the bigger ones given how much the Flyers want stability in goal to start the season. Forward Denver Barkey is also day to day with a lower-body injury and could be in the mix as well, but for now the focus is on whether Vladar can keep trending the right way in time for the opener. [Read more 🡒]