The Flyers head into Edmonton on Wednesday with a fresh win in hand and a much tougher test waiting at Rogers Place.
Philadelphia closed out the Vancouver stop of its Western Canada trip with a 3-1 win over the Canucks on Monday night, one of the team’s five victories this season. It wasn’t a runaway, but it got the Flyers back on track after a rough stretch. They’ve now gone 2-2-1 over their last five games.
The Oilers, meanwhile, keep rolling. Edmonton has won back-to-back games against the Rangers and Canucks and is 3-1-1 over its last five. At 13-3-3, they’ve been one of the league’s best teams all season under Mike Babcock.
Philadelphia’s projected lineup brings some familiar pieces and a few storylines worth watching. Up front, Michael Bunting stays on the top line with Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny after scoring in his first game back from five straight in the press box.
Tyson Foerster, Cole Knuble and Owen Tippett form the second line, while Porter Martone, Noah Cates and Matvei Michkov make up the third. Denver Barkey, Sean Couturier and Noel Acciari round out the forwards.
On defense, the pairings are Travis Sanheim with Jamie Drysdale, Cam York with Oliver Bonk, and Nick Seeler with David Jiricek. Dan Vladar is listed as the starter in goal, with Joseph Woll backing him up.
The power play units are set as well: Drysdale, Zegras, Barkey, Martone and Michkov on the first group, with Bonk, Dvorak, Foerster, Tippett and Konecny on the second.
Michkov’s role will be one of the biggest things to monitor. Wednesday is the first game since reports of his trade request surfaced, and it remains unclear what sparked the situation.
The bigger question now is simple: does his ice time rise, fall, or stay where it is? He clearly wants to play, so the Flyers have a decision to make.
Jiricek is another name to watch after returning to the lineup following an eight-game absence. He held his own against Vancouver, but Edmonton is a different animal. His offensive tools are obvious, but his defensive game is still developing, and if he’s in the lineup Wednesday, the Flyers will likely try to steer him away from McDavid and Draisaitl.
And those two are exactly why this matchup looks so steep. McDavid has been outrageous with 48 points in 19 games, including 11 goals and 37 assists. Draisaitl isn’t far behind with 36 points, built on 18 goals and 18 assists in 19 games.
Edmonton’s numbers tell the same story. The Oilers rank third in goals per game and seventh in fewest goals allowed per game, which makes this a difficult assignment for a Flyers team trying to build on Monday’s win.
In Other News...
Michkov And Seeler Just Put Flyers Chemistry Under A Harsh Spotlight
The Flyers bench turned into an uncomfortable scene on Nov. 9 against Vancouver, when Matvei Michkov and Nick Seeler got into a heated confrontation in the middle of the game. Michkov was visibly animated, yelling and gesturing at Seeler before tossing a water bottle, and teammates quickly moved in to separate the two as the tension spilled over in real time.
It was the kind of flashpoint that can linger well beyond one shift, especially for a team already dealing with questions about chemistry and role definition. Seeler had already gone public with criticism of individualistic play on the roster, so the confrontation only sharpened the spotlight on how the Flyers are trying to balance talent, accountability and cohesion when emotions are running high. [Read more 🡒]
Michkovs Bench Blowup Just Raised A Bigger Flyers Question
Matvei Michkovs frustration spilled over on the Flyers bench during the game against Vancouver, turning a routine reset into a tense sideline moment. The young forward and Nick Seeler got into a heated exchange after a shift, with teammates quickly stepping in to cool things down and keep the focus on the ice.
The scene carried extra weight because it came shortly after Seeler publicly spoke about the team needing a better collective mindset, a comment that already had some edge to it. Whether the bench blowup was directly connected to that message or just the heat of the moment, it put a spotlight on the Flyers internal temperature at a time when every detail around their locker room feels worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Prospect Is Making A Stronger Case In Sweden Than Expected
While plenty of NHL prospects spend their development years trying to force their way into bigger roles overseas, Jack Berglund has done it in Sweden by making his game hard to ignore. The Flyers forward prospect has settled into a strong run in the SHL, where his size, pace and growing confidence have helped him stand out in a league that is usually unforgiving to young players still learning the pro game.
Berglunds progress is part of a broader overseas update that has Philadelphia watching several interesting names across Europe, from Mikhail Gulyayevs offensive switch in Russia to Alexander Zharovskys scoring work in the KHL. For the Flyers, though, Berglund is the one whose stock seems to be rising faster than expected, and the next question is how much more he can show in Sweden before the organization starts thinking seriously about where he fits in North America. [Read more 🡒]