The Flyers came out of Tuesday’s matchup with the Minnesota Wild with plenty to like, but the final result still landed in the loss column. Philadelphia hung around with one of the NHL’s top teams, kept the pressure on throughout the night, and gave itself a real shot to steal the game before falling 4-2.
The frustrating part for the Flyers was how the game slipped away. Their players made it clear afterward that there were positives to take from the performance, but they also know that moral victories don’t count for much. Even with some bad luck directly tied to goals against, Philadelphia had chances to swing the outcome and couldn’t cash in.
That game wasn’t the only Flyers-related item worth watching on Tuesday. Winnipeg placed forward Brad Lambert on waivers, creating a possible opening for Philadelphia.
Lambert, a former first-round pick, is expected to draw serious attention if teams decide to make a claim. There was a time when the conversation around him centered on the Flyers possibly trading for him; now it’s about whether they should use a waiver claim instead.
The answer will come at 2:00 PM ET on Tuesday, when the waiver process is sorted out.
Around the league, trade chatter is starting to pick up. Chris Johnston’s latest trade board at The Athletic has the top three names as no surprise at all: Kucherov, Larkin, and Edvinsson. The Flyers aren’t on that list, but there are still names there that could matter to teams looking for help.
One of those names is Dylan Larkin, and his situation keeps getting more complicated. NHLTradeRumors.me reported that his well-known 3-team list had to be stretched to a selective 10 when a deal couldn’t get done.
Even then, the fit hasn’t been easy, since every team on Larkin’s list is either short on prospects or short on cap space. With no trade materializing, the Red Wings have now asked Larkin to open the door to these 6 teams.
Elsewhere, Boston’s James Hagens is making noise early in his NHL career. Selected one pick after the Flyers took Porter Martone in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Bruins prospect has jumped in and started producing at a level that has him looking like a Calder Trophy candidate. Jack Studley wrote that Hagens is already beating expectations.
Montreal, meanwhile, had a collapse it won’t forget anytime soon. The Canadiens were up four goals on the Winnipeg Jets, only to watch it all disappear in a 5-4 overtime loss. Marc Dumont broke down the historic meltdown after the Jets stormed all the way back.
And in international hockey news, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Russia can send a team to the 2027 World Junior Championships. That decision immediately drew pushback from six European nations, including reigning champion Sweden, which said it would not play if Russia is involved. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney then shut down the boycott talk, saying Russia will not compete at the 2027 World Junior Championships on Canadian soil.
In Other News...
Flyers Suddenly Have A Trevor Zegras Problem Before Brutal Road Trip
The Flyers had little time to dwell on a rough loss to Minnesota, where they were chasing the game almost from the opening faceoff after spotting the Wild a 3-0 lead. In the middle of that frustration, Trevor Zegras found himself at the center of the night for reasons the Flyers would rather avoid, adding another layer of noise to a team already trying to steady itself before a demanding stretch on the schedule.
Zegras was penalized for his conduct toward the officials and later took responsibility for it, which at least gave the Flyers a direct answer from one of their most important young players. Still, the timing is far from ideal with a five-game road trip looming, beginning against the Rangers, and the club now has to make sure one emotional moment does not spill into a bigger issue as the trip gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Roster Shuffle Just Created A New Question About Alex Bump
Bobby Brink is back in Philadelphia to face the Flyers, a neat little wrinkle for a player whose time with the organization still carries some emotional weight with the fan base. It is the kind of homecoming that tends to pull a little extra attention, especially around a team that has been juggling roster decisions and trying to keep its forward group in order.
One of the more interesting side notes from the latest shuffle is Alex Bump, who was sent to the Phantoms and could be back in the mix quickly. Rick Tocchet has already suggested the move may not be much more than a brief detour, which leaves the Flyers with another small but meaningful question about how they want to handle the young winger as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Keep Showing Progress Then One Problem Ruins Everything
The Flyers kept showing the kind of fight that has been missing at times this season, but the early hole they dug against Minnesota proved too deep to escape in a 4-2 loss at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Philadelphia slipped to 4-9-4, and even with the home crowd still engaged in the third period, the margin for error was already gone after the Wild jumped out in front and controlled the games early rhythm.
Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek helped set the tone for Minnesota, while Denver Barkey provided one of the brighter moments for Philadelphia with his first goal of the season on the power play. The Flyers did trim the deficit to one late, which at least kept the building alive for a final push, but the comeback never quite reached the point where it felt inevitable. [Read more 🡒]