The Flyers’ latest trip through Thursday night ended the way too many of these have lately: with another collapse and another loss that stings. Philadelphia looked sharp in the second period against the New York Rangers, but the finish unraveled in the third, turning a strong middle frame into a brutal setback as the 2026-27 season continues to spiral.
That game also fed right into a bigger conversation around one of the Flyers’ most intriguing young players. Matvei Michkov’s ice time has become a talking point again, and this time the noise came from Michkov himself.
After the loss in New York, he liked an Instagram post criticizing his ice time, or lack thereof. The frustration is obvious, and the issue has now spilled beyond the bench and into the public eye.
Before the puck dropped, there was another Flyers angle worth watching: how a different team handled a young player who wasn’t quite ready. The Winnipeg Jets put Brad Lambert on waivers, a move that carried risk because he has appealing tools even if he couldn’t fully stick in the NHL.
That situation has some obvious parallels for Philadelphia and David Jiricek, who also brings desirable skills but may not be fully NHL-ready yet. The question for the Flyers is whether they can take something from the way Winnipeg handled Lambert.
Around the rest of the league, the trade chatter keeps getting louder. Evgeni Malkin is the biggest name in the mix right now.
He re-signed in Pittsburgh for one more year, but Darren Dreger reported that if the Penguins keep struggling, Malkin may have to submit a trade list by the New Year. Dreger also raised the possibility of Minnesota, with Bill Guerin interested if the price is right.
Detroit remains a major part of the rumor mill, too. The latest update on Dylan Larkin suggests a resolution could come by American Thanksgiving, or at least with the Red Wings softening their stance.
The Red Wings also have another name drawing attention: Simon Edvinsson. He still does not have an NHL contract, and even with Detroit wanting to keep him, his name continues to come up in trade talks.
He is still skating in the US while the Red Wings keep taking calls, and the sense is that the asking price will not be low. If that’s the market, it would likely push the Flyers out of the conversation.
There’s also an early look at the 2027 Calder Trophy race. Sportsnet released its first Calder Trophy watch, and while Flyers forward Porter Martone was not included, the player taken one pick after him is leading the pack.
In Other News...
Flyers Are Letting A Bigger Matvei Michkov Tension Build
Matvei Michkov has become one of the Flyers most important young players in short order, and the early part of this season has only sharpened that reality. He has looked better conditioned and more dangerous, and his goal total has put him at the front of Philadelphias scoring race, which is exactly the kind of progress the rebuild needs from its most gifted prospect.
Still, the usage has not matched the production, and that gap is starting to feel like a real storyline around the team. Michkovs ice time has lagged behind several other Flyers forwards, and the frustration around that role has been hard to ignore, especially after a social media post tied to his camp drew attention following the loss to the Rangers. For a player the Flyers are counting on to help define their next phase, how the coaching staff handles his minutes may matter almost as much as the goals themselves. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Prospect Jack Berglund Is Forcing His Way Into A Bigger Conversation
Jack Berglunds start to the 2026-27 SHL season has given the Flyers something worth paying attention to overseas. The prospect has settled into a bigger role with Frjestad and turned that opportunity into production, building on the momentum he created with a breakout showing at the 2026 World Junior Championship and a late-season look with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The scoring pace is impossible to ignore, even if the finishing touch is running hotter than it probably will all year. What matters for Philadelphia is the broader trend: Berglund is playing more, producing more and looking increasingly comfortable on a top SHL team, which is exactly the kind of development that can push a prospect from the background into a much bigger conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Slump Is Turning Into A Bigger Problem Inside The Room
The Flyers rough start to the 2026-27 season has done more than dent the standings. It has pushed the conversation inside the room into public view, with captain Sean Couturier and defenseman Nick Seeler both taking aim at the teams competitiveness and mentality as the losses piled up. Head coach Rick Tocchet backed up the criticism, saying the group needs more effort and physicality, which only underscored how far the team has drifted from the standard it wants to set.
What has made the slump feel heavier is the sense that the locker room itself is under strain. Coverage around the team has described the atmosphere as fragile, with leadership and culture now part of the daily discussion rather than a background issue. For a Flyers team already trying to climb out of a difficult opening stretch, the bigger question is no longer just how to play better, but how to keep the room together while it tries to do it. [Read more 🡒]