The Philadelphia Flyers are in the middle of a tailspin, and it's not the kind of turbulence you can shrug off. After a promising start to the season that had them sitting third in the Eastern Conference at the Christmas break, the Flyers have stumbled hard-going 0-5-1 over their last six games. That slide has them tumbling to 12th in the East, and now the question hanging over the team is simple but daunting: can they stop the bleeding in time to salvage their playoff hopes?
Can the Flyers Turn This Around?
Let’s not sugarcoat it-the Flyers are in a tough spot. This recent stretch hasn’t just been a cold streak; it’s been a full-on nosedive.
And things don’t get any easier from here. Their next three games are all on the road, with stops in Vegas, Utah, and Colorado.
On paper, Utah might look like the softest landing, but they’ve been red hot lately, going 7-2-1 in their last 10. There are no freebies in that lineup.
If the Flyers manage to scrape out one win and drop the other two in regulation, they’d fall to a 23-19-8 record. That puts them on pace for about 88-89 points-likely a few strides short of a playoff spot in a crowded Eastern Conference race.
So, what does that mean? It means they can’t just get back to .500 hockey-they need to get hot, and fast.
Here’s the thing: the Flyers haven’t strung together more than three wins in a row all season. But there was a stretch earlier-between October 13 and November 29-when they picked up 30 points in 22 games.
That’s the version of the Flyers they need to rediscover. If they can replicate that pace, they’d be back in the playoff conversation.
Let’s say they do drop two of their next three-if they then go on a tear and hit 84 points in 72 games, they’d be pacing toward 95-96 points. That’s bubble territory, but it might be enough.
Even so, that kind of run would require near-perfect hockey down the stretch. And that’s assuming they don’t hit another rough patch, which, let’s be honest, is far from guaranteed. The margin for error is razor thin.
Right now, the math isn’t doing the Flyers any favors. They can climb out of this slump-but they’ll need to play like one of the league’s best teams just to squeak into the postseason. That’s a tall order for a group that’s struggling to find traction.
What Do the Models Say?
If you’re looking for optimism, the predictive models aren’t exactly handing it out. According to Hockey Stats, Philadelphia has just a 15% chance of making the playoffs. The betting markets are slightly more generous at 27%, but either way, it paints a bleak picture.
That same model projects the Flyers to finish with 86 points-good for the 10th-worst record in the league. That’s the kind of spot where you’re just outside the playoff bubble but still in range for a decent draft selection. Think along the lines of where the Islanders were slotted last year before they jumped to No. 1 in the lottery.
But there’s also downside risk. Without Dan Vladař between the pipes, the Flyers have looked vulnerable.
This is a team that doesn’t score a ton, so when the goaltending falters, things can unravel quickly. Flyers fans have seen this movie before-especially during the John Tortorella era.
If Vladař returns from his short-term injury and isn’t quite himself, the team could slide even further.
As of now, they’re just two points out of 26th place in the league. That’s how tight things are. A couple more stumbles, and suddenly the Flyers could be looking at a very different kind of endgame-one that involves draft boards, not playoff brackets.
Looking Ahead to the 2026 NHL Draft
Yes, it’s early. There’s still a lot of hockey left, and the Flyers could finish anywhere from picking first overall to somewhere in the 20s. But if the team does end up on the outside looking in come playoff time, the 2026 draft becomes a key storyline.
This year’s class is shaping up to be heavy on wingers and defensemen-not exactly ideal for a Flyers team that could really use help down the middle. The top centers in the class-Tynan Lawrence, Viggo Björck, and Caleb Malhotra-all have upside, but none are considered surefire top-five picks. Still, both Lawrence and Björck have shown flashes of 1C potential, and if the Flyers are picking in that range, they’d be worth a long look.
On the blue line, this draft is loaded. Chase Reid and Keaton Verhoeff are both drawing early buzz as future No. 1 defensemen. And there’s a strong second tier too, with names like Alberts Šmits, Ryan Lin, Xavier Villeneuve, and Carson Carels all projecting as top-pairing talents.
Center remains the more pressing need for Philly, but if the board falls a certain way, going defense wouldn’t be a bad move-just a potentially controversial one, given the roster’s current shape.
Final Thoughts
The Flyers are standing at a crossroads. They’ve got time to right the ship, but the clock is ticking-and the margin for error is slim to none. Whether they claw their way back into the playoff picture or slip further into the draft lottery conversation, the next few weeks will be telling.
For now, the focus has to be on stopping the slide. Because if they don’t, this season could go from promising to painful in a hurry.