Coming into the 2025-26 season, there are a variety of expectations for the Philadelphia Flyers. Some are feeling extremely optimistic about the tweaks that general manager Danny Briere made to this roster and believe the Flyers are making the playoffs, while some think that we are going to be looking up draft lottery odds for multiple months to finish this season.
No matter the expectations, though, almost everyone looks to some sign of individual players developing into talents that can stick around when this team actually tries to be good. But there are some players that need to prove that they are actually worth the investment and really only have this season to do so.
While other players like Matvei Michkov and Tyson Foerster, would be treated with a little bit more grace if they took a step back this season, there are current Flyers that, if they faltered and had a terrible campaign, could have their job at risk.
With all that being said, let’s look at the first three players that come to mind when thinking about Flyers who really need to make it work this year.
Trevor Zegras
It’s the obvious one. No matter what team he was eventually traded to from the Anaheim Ducks, Trevor Zegras would have a whole lot of pressure on him to do something. While the Flyers did not give up a whole lot to acquire the 24-year-old forward and even if he completely sucked, the sunk cost would not be seen in too negative of a light — it would be a missed opportunity for the player himself.
The pendulum of results feels the most drastic when it comes to Zegras. If he suddenly re-finds his former level and then accounts for all the natural development he has gone through in the years since then, and suddenly we’re talking about one of the most naturally skilled forwards in the NHL putting it all together and scoring upwards of a point per game while not looking absolutely dreadful defensively (we’re dreaming a little bit here). Then, with Zegras’s contract expiring at the end of next season and a summer of restricted free agency ahead of him, we’re talking about a long-term commitment to this player and him being able to cash in even further than he already has. Zegras would no doubt become one of the foundational pieces of this team, if that were to happen.
Swinging the other way, there is certainly a world where what Zegras has been in Anaheim the last couple of years — an oft-injured player that might average half a point per game at his best — is just him now. Those first two years were NHL defenses just not able to figure him out quite yet, or every single defenseman was still exhausted from COVID and Zegras took advantage of that, or something.
If that type of season happens and the Flyers suddenly have an even more expensive and less useful Morgan Frost on their hands — this is not even mentioning the possibility of Zegras not being able to play center — then it’s really up to the Flyers to maybe try him out for another year, sign him to an incredibly short-term deal. Or, honestly, just wipe their hands clean and don’t send him a qualifying offer to clear even more cap space to have more cash to play with in the summer.
While it might be a slim possibility, it is still there for Zegras. That is how significant the upcoming season is for him and for the Flyers’ future outlook down the middle.
Jamie Drysdale
While we can’t imagine the Flyers would ever, ever just throw Jamie Drysdale away even if he took a significant step back this season, it would certainly raise the possibility of his job being at risk, though. When it comes to someone like Zegras, the Flyers wouldn’t be as committed because of what they paid for him and if he stinks it up so bad that it’s affecting a whole chunk of the roster, then they can rightfully say, “Yeah, no thanks. See ya.”
Drysdale’s situation would be a little bit trickier. Sure, let’s be positive for a moment, there is a world where the young blueliner takes a massive step forward and suddenly he’s looking like someone that can break the mold and be this agile force at the back, distributing pucks perfectly to create easy-as-pie breakouts for the forwards ahead of him and patrolling the blue line well enough to not be a disaster defensively. There is that world where he uses his tools expertly and makes the Flyers a better team when he is on the ice. That should earn him a nice payday (since he is up for another contract this summer) and some long-term commitment — just like the scenario we described with Zegras above.
But, if the Flyers see no progress from Drysdale and he ultimately is someone that is a mediocre power-play quarterback who makes defensive mistakes and doesn’t really drive play in any meaningful way. They have to ask the question whether or not they want to commit to him.
We all know they don’t want a small blue line. And with Cam York — albeit he’s not technically small but he plays smaller — already locked up for five years, there is probably one, single spot left for a defenseman that doesn’t run people over or is as rangy and agile as Travis Sanheim on this roster. Right now, it’s for Drysdale but if he is completely ineffective at making this team better, then why would he be taking up this roster spot? Especially with other right-handed defenseman prospects like Oliver Bonk and Helge Grans just one step away from the NHL, and then Carter Amico possibly turning pro in a couple years.
Drysdale needs to show progress this season or else the team and many fans will probably start thinking about what this team looks like without him on it.
Sam Ersson
Yeahhhhhhh. You want to root for the guy, but it really seems like the Flyers are giving Sam Ersson this year to really figure his stuff out.
There was always an excuse for Ersson’s downright-awful play at the NHL level. When he was good, it was when he was in a tandem with the Flyers former long-time starter. When that dude was no longer playing hockey, Ersson was left all alone and his performance completely bottomed out.
Then, last season, during his first full year as the for-sure No. 1 netminder for this team, he completely stunk. His .883 save percentage was only beaten out by Alexandar Georgiev (who still doesn’t have a job) when it comes to the worst among any NHL goaltenders who appeared in 30 or more games last season. He completely stunk. All-time bad goaltending numbers on that team last year and he only wasn’t scrutinized more because the other two guys in the crease were even worse.
So, maybe he’s just not someone who can carry the position all by himself. And maybe John Tortorella’s system didn’t do him any favors. Those are all the excuses we can muster thinking about Ersson’s 2024-25 season.
Now, those excuses are gone. The Flyers signed Dan Vladar, who while not the best goalie ever but has shown to be better than any of the other Philadelphia netminders, and have changed the coach. Rick Tocchet is not going anywhere so if Ersson can’t jibe with his system well, it’s no excuse. And now with someone to lean on a little bit more, the “isn’t a starter” excuse is certainly quieter with Vladar’s presence and ability.
It’s all up to him, now. And he is another player on this list who needs a new contract this summer. While even at worst possible scenarios, the Flyers keeping Zegras and Drysdale around feel like possibilities; if Ersson is even close to having another dreadful season and finishes the year with the same basic stats as last, then there is a very strong likelihood that the Flyers will just let him walk and not send a qualifying offer his way. Why keep a goalie around like that? You can’t put him in the AHL because he probably thinks he’s above that, but he won’t even be able to show that he’s a decent backup NHL goalie. Just start fresh and see if any other team wants to take on the risk.
But, the interesting thing about Ersson compared to the other two players on this list is if everything goes well. Maybe for some reason Ersson is able to be comfortable under Vladar in the depth chart and in the 40ish games he plays, because of Tocchet’s new system as well, puts up a .910 save percentage (or something around there). While that would be great, that isn’t a reason to commit long-term to Ersson. He’s just another goalie who might be something but also might have just been lucky for a season before turning back into what he really is.
Because of the volatility of the goaltending position, even someone who can play half of a season’s games decently well, isn’t locked up for several years. This might just bring the Flyers back to being neutral on Ersson’s future with this team, compared to worried but hopeful, like it is currently.