Flyers’ Opening Night Roster Released with Quality Defenseman Starting on IR, Begin Season Thursday in Florida
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Trevor Zegras #46 of the Philadelphia Flyers talks to Christian Dvorak #22, Matvei Michkov #39, Adam Ginning #13 and Jamie Drysdale #9 against the Boston Bruins during the preseason game at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on September 27, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Bruins defeated the Flyers 4-3. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Flyers get their season going in just one day, and with that comes the release of the 2025-26 roster, which consists of surprises, questions, and much more for the upcoming NHL season.
Whether a young forward no one saw coming, or questions regarding a defenseman who was sent down to the AHL Phantoms, general manager Daniel Briere and the rest of the staff think highly of the squad they have put together for the last six months, as their journey to a successful season starts with the defending back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers.
Here is the roster:
Forwards (14): Bobby Brink, Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier, Jett Luchanko, Rodrigo Abols, Garnet Hathaway, Christian Dvorak, Noah Cates, Nikita Grebenkin, Matvei Michkov, Nicolas Deslauriers, Trevor Zegras, Tyson Foerster, and Owen Tippett.
Defenseman (7): Egor Zamula, Travis Sanheim, Jamie Drysdale, Adam Ginning, Nick Seeler, Noah Juulsen, and Dennis Gilbert.
Goaltenders (2): Samuel Ersson and Daniel Vladar.
There are a lot of names on this list that have surprised the fans of Philadelphia. Luchanko, for example, has made this year’s roster on opening night for a second straight season. Last year, he was called up to the roster as the youngest Flyer in franchise history for nine games, in which he would be evaluated after those nine games for either a roster spot for the long run or if his Juniors team in the Guelph Storm of the CHL. This experiment will take place again this year, as Briere has seen enough hustle and improvement to give it another try.
Regarding hustle, another Flyer who was not guaranteed a roster spot is Grebenkin, who was picked up during the Scott Laughton trade at last year’s deadline. By no means was Grebenkin supposed to lock a roster spot, but after his preseason and training camp performance, he has already become liked by the fans and, more importantly, the Flyers front office. The 210-pound left-handed shooter has paved his way on the Flyers roster at age 22.
Though older than Grebenkin, Abols is another left-handed forward who has fought hard enough to earn that special spot on the roster. Abols has a story that makes that roster spot precious, as he played his rookie season with the Flyers last year at 29 years of age. In 22 games, Abols scored five points with two goals for the Flyers. Though that line is not elite on its own, he had a phenomenal preseason, posting two goals. With all of these questions regarding Abols, if he was good enough for an NHL roster, or if he was too old to get a chance, Abols stayed through and will be on this season’s roster to start the year.
With all of these great roster moves for the forward group, there have been a few questions about the defensive core. Specifically, why did the Flyers decide to send Andrea down to the Phantoms instead of a guy like Zamula or Ginning? Or the fact that Juulsen and Gilbert made the roster over Emil.
The answer we get mostly regards the players’ sizes, as Andrea is only 5’9″, 189 lbs, compared to the 6’2+” the Flyers have looked for during this new era they’ve got going. This means that the defenseman who has made the roster with question must use their size and strength this season, or last season will most likely be repeated for this unit.
With all of these concerns regarding the roster moves leading to the release, Flyers left defenseman Cam York‘s name was not to be seen, as he will start this hockey season on injured reserve after suffering a lower-body injury.
The 24-year-old last season had 17 points in 66 games, following a 30-point season (10 goals, 20 assists) in 2023-24. Though York is still young, he has been a valuable piece to the rebuild, as he is entering his sixth season with the Flyers already.
As of now, there is no guarantee of when York will return to action, but the Flyers will hope to have a player like York back as soon as they can.
With the rest of the Flyers roster, they are expected to fulfill weaknesses and disappointments from the years prior. For example, Couturier, who will be back for his third season after injury, is expected to bring back his exceptional defensive performance as a center. Not only that, but Couturier will also look to protect his players under Rick Tocchet‘s command, as he will remain the Flyers’ captain.
With that being said, other heavyweights such as Deslauriers, Hathaway, and Sanheim could very possibly be relied on to bring the hit or drop the gloves more than they did last season.
There will be players like Tippett and Zegras to bounce back from last year, regardless of where they played. After scoring 28 goals in 2023-24, Tippett responded with a 20-goal season following his excellence. The Flyers hope to bring him back to that level, as with his speed, they will thrive if he gets his game under control.
On the other hand, the Flyers, while hoping to get Zegras back to his potential, also look to keep him healthy, as in his time with the Ducks, he fell victim to injuries in his knee.
Even though Ersson has not looked very sharp in the preseason, Vladar, who was signed in the off-season after being with the Calgary Flames, has looked above his expectations, leaving the Flyers with a choice to make down the road. Though Ersson looks to be the starter right now, that look can change in a matter of time.
And lastly, players such as Konecny, Michkov, Foerster, and Cates will be asked to continue on their outstanding seasons from last year. With Konecny reaching a career high in points, Foerster a career high in goals, Michkov finishing fourth in the Calder race, and Cates signing a huge off-season extension, the Flyers have big goals for this group and more.
With all of the talk and expectations, if the Flyers are in a position to tank or in a position to fit in the mix. The journey begins Thursday night in Sunrise, Florida, as they take on the Panthers at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Luke Raidy
Luke has covering the the Flyers and Phillies for Philly Sports Reports since 2025. He is a junior at North Penn and being a huge Philly sports fan has brought so many experiences, such as going to the NLDS, NLCS, and even the World Series in 2022. He has also met former superstars in the city of Philadelphia, such as Wayne Simmonds from the Flyers. Though being a student-athlete, Luke enjoys his time where he is writing and reporting on Philadelphia sports.
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