Inside look at Philadelphia Flyers

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the Philadelphia Flyers.

Reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs and winning a series for the first time since 2020 was a solid accomplishment for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Now they are hungry for more.

"We're not satisfied with how last year went," forward Tyson Foerster said. "We got a taste, and now hopefully within the next year, next couple years, we're right back in it, and going further and deeper."

The Flyers finished the season with an 18-7-1 record after the break for the 2026 Winter Olympics, to finish third in the Metropolitan Division. They defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in the first round before being swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champions Carolina Hurricanes in the second round. 

"Making it into the playoffs, and then winning the first round and getting into the second round, I think it's a good stepping stone for us," defenseman Jamie Drysdale said. "I don't think anyone's content. You can't be at all."

Foerster and Drysdale are two of 12 players returning this season who made their playoff debuts last spring. General manager Daniel Briere wants to see what his players learned from those experiences, which is one reason the core of last season's team is returning. 

"It's pretty telling that we believe in those guys," Briere said. "A lot of guys stepped up last year, and they deserve to get the first look. Obviously now, it's just reality, expectation is increasing. That's all part of it. How we react will be key."

Expectations will run highest for two players in particular, forwards Porter Martone and Matvei Michkov.

Martone made his NHL debut March 31, three days after finishing his freshman season at Michigan State. He made an instant impact with 10 points (four goals, six assists) and 32 shots on goal in nine games. The 19-year-old then became the first teenager in NHL history to score the game-winning goal in his first two playoff games, and had five points (two goals, three assists) and a team-best 23 shots on goal in 10 postseason games.

Although he is looking like a lock for the NHL roster, he returned to take part in development camp in July.

"I got a jump start last year when I got to come in at the end of the season, but there's still a team to make and a job to earn," Martone said. "My mindset this offseason is to come earn a job on this team, and just be an important part of this team (this) year."

That level of maturity combined with his skill is what has the Flyers excited.

"It's a guy that gets it," Briere said.  "It's a guy that's committed to not skipping steps. He showed that just by going to college last year, rounding out his complete game. To me, it's a guy that has a plan in place and he wants to push it as far as he can and he knows what needs to be done." 

Briere believes Michkov has that same level of commitment.

It was an up-and-down 2025-26 season for the 21-year-old. He led the Flyers with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in the 26 games after the Olympic break, but his overall totals of 20 goals and 51 points were down from the 26 goals and 63 points he had as a rookie in 2024-25.

His strong finish to the regular season didn't carry into the playoffs. He had one assist in eight games and was scratched for the series-clinching win in Game 6 against the Penguins, and the season-ending loss in Game 4 against the Hurricanes.

Questions about Michkov's fitness and relationship with coach Rick Tocchet became talking points.

But Briere is confident Michkov has taken the right approach to his offseason training and will arrive at training camp with something to prove.

"He's a very ultra-competitive kid," Briere said. "You saw last season, during the break he didn't rest. He went back to training even harder and he had a big say for us coming down the stretch, making the playoffs. ... We expect him to be even better coming into Year 3. There are ups and downs, right?"

An improved Michkov would be a significant boost for the Flyers, as should a fully healthy season for Foerster, who scored 10 goals in his first 21 games, nearly a 40-goal pace for 82 games, but surgery for a right arm injury sustained Dec. 1 kept him out four months. He returned with four points (one goal, three assists) in eight games, including the game-deciding shootout goal against the Hurricanes on April 13 that clinched the Flyers' first playoff spot since the 2019-20 season.

And there's also hoped-for growth from Martone and other younger players expected to step into bigger roles, including forwards Denver Barkey, 21, and Alex Bump, 22, and defensemen Oliver Bonk, 21, and David Jiricek, 22.

"I think we're in a great spot," forward Trevor Zegras said. "I think that was kind of just the beginning last year. ... To win a round, I think that was great for what we're trying to build, and hopefully we pick up where we left off."