NHL hockey is back on Tuesday, and the league is wasting no time getting right into the real thing. The 2026-27 regular season opens with a five-game slate, while the Flyers have to wait one more day for their own season to begin.
By Monday at 5:00 PM ET, every team had to lock in its 23-man roster, so the picture across the league is set. For the Flyers, that means the opening night group is finalized, and there’s at least one notable absence.
AHL veteran Garrett Wilson is part of the 23-man roster, while Denver Barkey has been placed on IR and will miss opening night. Philly Hockey Now also noted that the Flyers’ training camp has wrapped, leaving the club with its opening-night roster in place.
There’s also no shortage of conversation around what comes next for Philadelphia. The Flyers are coming off a season that snapped their drought, so playoff talk is no longer the kind of bold, out-there prediction it once was. Still, there are other questions worth digging into, and Philly Hockey Now laid out a set of bold predictions for the season ahead.
One of the lighter moments from camp also stood out. Trevor Zegras was hit with a bizarre penalty for his jersey tuck during the team’s third preseason game, and the Flyers responded in kind during warmups on Saturday by coming out with their jerseys tucked as a show of support for their teammate.
Elsewhere around the league, the trade market delivered a jolt. TSN reported that the Columbus Blue Jackets sent Kirill Marchenko to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a six-player deal that also sends former Flyer Emil Andrae to Columbus. Marchenko then signed a six-year, $75 million contract with his new team.
There were also captaincy changes in a couple of places. The San Jose Sharks named Macklin Celebrini their next captain, a move that fits the young star’s rise in the league. In Boston, the Bruins turned to David Pastrnak, who became the 28th captain in franchise history.
And in Pittsburgh, the roster is already set ahead of the Flyers’ season opener on Wednesday. Pittsburgh Hockey Now has the full rundown on who made the Penguins’ group and what it could mean for the matchup with Philadelphia.
In Other News...
Red Wings Fans Should Watch This Dylan Larkin Trade Twist
The Flyers went into the summer trying to make a real splash, but the biggest swing came up empty when Anaheim matched the offer sheet for Leo Carlsson. Philadelphia still addressed parts of the roster with Joseph Woll, Noel Acciari and prospect Porter Martone, yet those additions feel more like steady maintenance than the kind of move that changes the conversation around the team. In that kind of market, it makes sense that the Flyers have kept looking for ways to land a bigger-name center to reshape the lineup.
One of the names that has surfaced in that search is Dylan Larkin, and the fit is easy enough to understand from Philadelphias side. The club has explored trade possibilities involving players of that caliber, including discussions around packages built to get something done, but nothing has progressed to the finish line. For now, the Flyers are still waiting for the sort of deal that would bring more impact than depth, and Larkin remains one of the more interesting possibilities hanging out there. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Opening Night Puts Tocchets Biggest Trust Test Front And Center
The Flyers have settled on their opening night roster, and the bigger story is how the lineup is being organized around development as much as immediate results. Philadelphia has spent the buildup sorting out roles and responsibilities based on where each player is in his career arc, with young pieces being eased into bigger jobs while the veterans are expected to keep the group steady. It is the kind of reset that says as much about the coaches priorities as it does about the roster itself.
Matvei Michkov and David Jiricek sit near the center of that plan, even if their assignments are being handled with care. Michkov is part of the young core the Flyers want to keep moving forward, while Jiricek enters the season with the usual questions that come with a player still trying to earn full confidence at the NHL level. Around them, Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier are being leaned on for leadership and stability, and how well that balance holds could go a long way toward telling the Flyers how much trust they can build this fall. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Get A Huge Opening Night Boost In Net
The Flyers will get a notable boost in goal to open the season, with Dan Vladar back on the ice after a right arm injury slowed him in the preseason. He has been practicing for several days and was recently cleared to speak with the media, a good sign that his recovery has stayed on track as Philadelphia gets ready for its opener against Pittsburgh.
Vladars return matters not just because of the position he plays, but because the Flyers have spoken throughout camp about his steadiness, leadership and impact in the room. Travis Sanheim also pointed to the teams overall health and the way the defensive pairings are coming together, leaving the Flyers feeling more settled than they might have been a few weeks ago. The only remaining question is how quickly that comfort translates once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]