The Flyers’ power play hasn’t looked efficient by the raw goal totals. Last season, Philadelphia sat near the bottom of the league at 5v4 goals per hour, with only the Calgary Flames scoring fewer than the Flyers’ 5.31, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Twelve games into 2026-27, the number is actually even lower at 5.19. That’s the bad news.
The better news is that the underlying work still points in the right direction.
In 2025-26, the Flyers were generating quality looks from the most defended areas of the ice at a level that held up well across the league. Their 5v4 units finished sixth in Natural Stat Trick’s expected goals model, and the process hasn’t disappeared early this season. Through 12 games, Philadelphia ranks 10th in 5v4xGF/60.
The player sitting at the center of that hidden strength is Trevor Zegras, a skater who seems to inspire wildly different opinions depending on who you ask - the NHL’s most overrated playmaker, or its most underrated one.
What makes Zegras so dangerous is the blend of touch, awareness and looseness he brings once the Flyers gain entry. He stands out in transition, but on the top power-play unit, the key is what happens right after he carries the puck in. That’s where Philadelphia keeps finding openings.
Zegras’ last three PP goals from 2025-26 show the pattern clearly. As the primary puck carrier on PP1 in a Double Drop breakout, Zegras moves the puck just inside the offensive zone and then continues his route to the goal line. The penalty killers, already locked into their zone structure, let him slip through with enough room to finish from close range.
Those entry-to-goal line plays look flashy. They also give Philadelphia something real to build on. The foundation is there for a top power play - but first, there are three obstacles for both Zegras and the Flyers to get past.
In Other News...
Flyers May Finally Have The Stability In Net Fans Craved
For a team that has spent plenty of recent seasons trying to figure out the crease, the Flyers are finally seeing something sturdier from their goaltending. Dan Vladar and Joseph Woll have both given the club a more dependable look in net, and the combination has helped quiet at least some of the uncertainty that usually shadows Philadelphia when the conversation turns to the last line of defense.
Vladar has settled in after a rough opener, and Woll has been just as encouraging, giving the Flyers a tandem that looks capable of carrying real weight if the rest of the roster does its part. The longer-term piece matters too, because Vladar is signed for the long haul while Woll is under contract through next season, which gives Philadelphia a chance to stop treating net as a yearly problem and start treating it like an actual strength. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Trade Rumor Just Put Dylan Larkin Fans On Edge
When Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen are ready to come back, the Flyers could run into a roster squeeze on defense, and David Jiricek is the name most likely to get caught in it. The former top prospect still has not lived up to the billing that once followed him around the league, and Philadelphia may need to create room if it wants to get its blue line back to full strength without juggling the rest of the roster.
Jiricek's situation is the kind that often gets attention around the NHL, but not always for the right reasons. Even with his pedigree, the sense around the league is that a move like this would not necessarily spark a bidding war, especially after he has already been through a couple of organizations. For the Flyers, it is another reminder that injuries can force decisions quickly, even when the player at the center of them was once seen as a major piece. [Read more 🡒]
Cole Knuble Is Giving The Flyers A Tough Lineup Decision
Cole Knuble arrived in the Flyers lineup as a 22-year-old rookie with little time to settle in, and he has already made himself difficult to ignore. The 2023 fourth-round pick debuted on Oct. 19, saw meaningful ice in his first NHL game and looked comfortable enough that Philadelphia kept leaning on him from the start.
Rick Tocchet has been pleased with the way Knuble has carried himself, and that matters for a team still sorting out the edges of its forward group. A player who can step in, contribute right away and earn trust from the coaching staff changes the conversation fast, especially when the Flyers are trying to decide who belongs now and who may need more time before sticking for good. [Read more 🡒]