The Philadelphia Flyers open their season Thursday night, and with the start of a new campaign comes the potential for players to spread their wings and take flight.
Last season, it was Matvei Michkov who set the world ablaze as a 19-year-old rookie. The year prior, though, it was veteran defenseman Sean Walker who surprised the hockey world with a stellar campaign as a previously under-the-radar blueliner.
Every year sees a new crop of players break out, regardless of age. And this year, there are three Flyers who appear primed for a sizable boost in production.
Bobby Brink
Out of the Flyers’ group of young forwards, Brink seems to be something of a red-headed stepchild — at least in the eyes of some portions of the fan base. He doesn’t have the skill of Michkov, he doesn’t have the speed of Jett Luchanko, he doesn’t have the shot of Tyson Foerster, and he doesn’t have the two-way prowess of Noah Cates. He’s small, has an unusual skating stride, and doesn’t offer the star potential some of the Flyers’ other young forwards possess.
But despite all of this, there’s no question that he’s just a flat-out good hockey player.
Brink was one of the Flyers’ most effective 5-on-5 point producers last season. He averaged 2.17 points per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time, trailing only Michkov for the team lead in that category. He set career highs in goals (12), assists (29), and points (41), and, against all odds, managed to somewhat earn the respect of former Flyers bench boss John Tortorella as the season progressed.
Brink could be on track to take yet another step forward this season. He has been reunited with Foerster and Cates as his linemates, and that trio appears on track to once again be perhaps the Flyers’ most efficient forward line. He’ll also continue seeing time on the second power-play unit, and assuming the power play takes even an incremental step toward competence, Brink could be the beneficiary of a few extra points here and there.
Don’t be surprised if Brink flirts with 50-point territory this season.
Jamie Drysdale
Now entering his second full season with the Flyers, Drysdale is still looking to find his footing on the back end. Like Brink, Drysdale is undersized and doesn’t offer much in the scope of physicality, but does possess offensive skill that could translate into an uptick in point production.
Drysdale made encouraging strides last season. He didn’t light up the scoreboard — he only managed 20 points in 70 games — but he visibly gained confidence while working under former Flyers associate coach Brad Shaw. Of course, Shaw has since joined the New Jersey Devils, but taking his place on Rick Tocchet’s coaching staff is Todd Reirden, who has had success coaching a team’s defensemen in the past. He did win a Stanley Cup while taking on this role with the Washington Capitals, after all.
Drysdale is expected to quarterback the Flyers’ top power-play unit, which will feature the likes of Michkov and Trevor Zegras. Working with two of the most skilled forwards in the game could do wonders for Drysdale’s efficiency on the man advantage, and so long as he continues to progress at 5-on-5, he could(!) be on track for a career year.
Tyson Foerster
The Flyers’ first-round pick from 2020 has already cemented himself as one of the club’s top goal scorers, and entering his third full season as an NHLer, he may be primed for a considerable leap.
Foerster, 23, is coming off a good-but-not-great 2024-25 campaign. On one hand, he set career bests in goals (25), assists (18), and points (43), but also struggled with consistency and at times was invisible on the ice. That all changed at the end of the season, though — right around the time the Flyers moved on from Tortorella.
Weird!
In the Flyers’ last 12 outings of the season, Foerster tallied 13 points and led the team with nine goals, including his first-career hat trick. He was also one of the Flyers’ top play-drivers at 5-on-5 during that 12-game stretch, posting a healthy 50.78 Corsi For percentage along with an outstanding 64.71 Goals For percentage.
Foerster’s offseason elbow surgery appears to be a non-issue. Despite being limited to just two games this preseason, he looked spry while skating alongside Cates and Brink, picking up a pair of primary assists in the process.
Foerster is in an optimal position to take another step forward this season. If he makes the most of it, he could encroach on that elusive 30-goal mark.
Statistics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and NHL.com.