Philadelphia Flyers Summer Press Conference Takeaways – The Hockey Writers – Philadelphia Flyers

August is usually a quiet month in the hockey world, so the next time we hear from a Philadelphia Flyers player, there’s a good chance it will be when rookie camp opens on Sept. 11, or, at the latest, when training camp begins six days later.

Since exit interviews following the team’s second-round elimination to the Carolina Hurricanes in May, the Flyers have added three NHL players. Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit arrived in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Noel Acciari was signed in free agency after his season ended when the Flyers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1.

They also re-signed four of their own players to new contracts. Dan Vladař and Tyson Foerster inked long-term deals that begin in 2027-28, while restricted free agents Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale signed four-year deals days before their scheduled arbitration hearings. After each of those deals, the players met with the media to discuss the news. With the team’s business this summer likely done, here’s a recap of their roughly hour of combined availability.

The Newcomers

The Flyers got the ball rolling on what turned out to be a very exciting offseason across the NHL when they traded Emil Andrae, Sam Ersson, and the 85th pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to Toronto. The main hook was acquiring Woll, who turned in strong performances in his first two seasons as an NHL regular and was still decent last season as the Maple Leafs fell off across the board. He’s a significant upgrade over Ersson to complement Vladař in the crease.

“I was messing with some hockey cards and I got the phone call. I think my initial reaction right when I got the call, as I imagine most people, is a lot of emotion,” said Woll on June 24. “Spent a long time in Toronto so I was pretty sad to hear the news right when it happened.

“Benny called me and I think really helped, for me, see how unbelievable an opportunity this was for me. It was almost like from that initial reaction onward, there’s been almost a surplus of excitement on my part. I’m really pumped for this opportunity joining a team like the Flyers that’s a proven team but also have a great way to go.”

Woll will be number two on Philadelphia’s depth chart, just like he was for most of his time in Toronto, first behind Ilya Samsonov and then former Flyer Anthony Stolarz. He’ll push for playing time as best he can, but understands what his new teammate means in the City of Brotherly Love.

“Vladdy was nice enough to shoot me a message right when it happened. I haven’t had the opportunity to meet him yet, but from what I hear, he’s an unbelievable dude, so I’m just pumped to have a great goalie partner.

“For next year, I have my own goals that I’ve set and that really doesn’t change with the change of location for me. I think my process is the same and I’m gonna come compete the same way I was planning regardless of where I’m at. One thing I really want to stress is I want to be ready and prepared every night to help this team the best way I can, whether that’s in the net or supporting Vladdy, supporting the boys as best I can.”

Benoit is more of a replacement for Noah Juulsen than Andrae in terms of play style and role. He’s a physical defender who was well-liked during three seasons in Toronto after spending as many seasons to start his career with the Anaheim Ducks. If you’re analytically inclined, this move is not up your alley. The hope is that Benoit can be an effective seventh defenseman while Oliver Bonk or David Jiříček establish themselves as an NHL regular alongside Nick Seeler. But Benoit wants to make the most of his new home.

“I take pride in playing defensively, being hard to play against. That’s my job,” said Benoit on June 24. “And obviously, playing some PK, blocking some shots, helping my goalie see the puck from shots all the way up at the blue line. So it’s a pretty simple game.

“It’s not an easy job to do because you have to sacrifice your body every night, but I’m willing to do it, and after talking with the coaching staff in the gym, the way that they’re seeing the team going forward, I felt that I was fitting right in.”

The lone free agent expected to make the team is Acciari, who signed for two years at $2.8 million per season on July 1. The Flyers’ fourth line drastically improved after acquiring Luke Glendening in March, in large part due to his ability to win faceoffs as a right-handed forward, something the Flyers didn’t have. Acciari can do that, and he’s also a more well-rounded player, combining physicality with two double-digit goal totals in his last three campaigns.

“Choosing Philly was an easy decision. Just kinda seeing how their momentum was after the break. It’s a young team; to be able to do what they did was pretty special to watch and play against,” said Acciari on July 7. “I just wanted to be a part of that. Saw how close they were, heard great things about the locker room and how close they are.

“I have some really good experience with some really good leaders that I’ve played with. Starting back in Boston with Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and then being able to play in Pittsburgh with Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin, guys that have done, know what it takes to win, know what goes in day in and day out, what needs to be done.”

None of the three has ever played for the Flyers before, but they have connections to Philly. Benoit played with Zegras and Drysdale in Anaheim, and Acciari with Owen Tippett (Florida Panthers) and Vladař (Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League). Woll is, of course, coming over with Benoit and said he has several friends from the Philadelphia area.

The Returners

Vladař’s extension was one of the worst-kept secrets in hockey. His five-year, $5.5 million average annual value (AAV) deal, signed on July 1, shows how much more trust he’s earned since inking a two-year, $3.75 million AAV in Philadelphia exactly 365 days prior.

“I really enjoyed my time in Philly, my first year,” Vladař said on July 2. “For me, it was basically no hesitation, no thinking on it for one second that when we start talking, I was really excited about it.

“I for sure don’t take it for granted. Since day one, I really felt like I became a part of the family here and my goal is to stay here for as long as I can and to have as much success as I can. Nothing’s gonna change for me heading into the next season; I’m still gonna try to be the same goalie and obviously the same person and really enjoy my time in Philly.”

But the other re-signing that day came more out of the blue. Foerster still had one more year left on his deal, but unlike Vladař, he was set to be a restricted free agent when it expired. However, he felt comfortable enough not only to sign as early as possible but to do so for a while. Foerster is now under contract through 2035; no other Flyer is signed past 2033.

“They asked me if I would look to extend this year and it was a no-brainer for me. I don’t play hockey for the money; it’s all fun, and I’m just happy to be here, hopefully for the next nine years,” said Foerster on July 6, who added he plans to work on his skating and hands this offseason as he prepares for what will hopefully be his third full NHL season after injuries limited him to 29 games last season.

Unlike Vladař and Foerster, general manager Daniel Brière needed to re-sign Zegras and Drysdale for them to take the ice for their Sept. 30 season opener. The two-time teammates signed two days apart for the same term, with Zegras replacing Travis Konecny as the team’s highest-paid forward and Drysdale eclipsing Travis Sanheim for that title among defensemen.

“Contract year summer, getting it done is an interesting thing,” said Drysdale on July 20, who, like Zegras, had a difficult time negotiating his first contract when he was still a Duck. “But honestly, went kinda smooth for the most part. Definitely relieved, excited. It’s the place I want to play for for as long as I can.”

“I think there’s a lot of little things that I can work on. Head fake, looking off, things like that, little bit more deceptiveness, and obviously, the main kicker is just shooting more. Been pretty continuously working on my shot over the last year and throughout this summer. So it’s something I’m gonna come in confident with and use it as a weapon.”

Improving his shot is something Rick Tocchet talked about at the end of the playoffs. Drysdale’s eight goals were a career-high last season, five of which came after Feb. 1. He added two more in 10 playoff games, scoring Philadelphia’s first goal in each of its two series.

“It was kind of in and around that ballpark from the start, to be honest with you,” Drysdale said when asked about the four-year term. “I think it was something both sides were comfortable with. Philly’s a place I love to play in; it’s no secret there. I’m happy with four years. Would want to continue that after the fact, obviously.”

“I think we went back and forth on a couple of different ideas for term,” Zegras said on July 21, a somewhat different characterization of talks than Drysdale. “I think four years just kinda seemed like a good sweet spot for what both sides wanted to get out of it. I’m very excited that that’s what we could do.”

Zegras improved in many areas last season, especially his defensive work down the middle. One thing that still needs work if he’s going to stick at center full time is faceoffs. Among players with at least 300 draws taken in 2025-26, Zegras was dead last at 34.1%, with only Jack Hughes and Calum Ritchie also below 39%. That remains a work in progress entering his second season in Philly, projecting as the team’s top first-line center.

“I think some of it starts in the gym, getting bigger and stronger,” Zegras said. “But I think a lot of it was reps, and repetition, taking a ton of faceoffs, even against your own guys in practice or after practice, and just picking up on little things that maybe guys against you do.”

Who’s Got Next?

There are a few players whose media availability in the fall (and more importantly, their work on the ice) will be interesting to watch in training camp. As mentioned earlier, Bonk and Jiříček both have a chance to seize regular playing time. Jiříček is no longer waiver-exempt, but Bonk did jump him to earn the nod to play in Game 4 of the Carolina series, so the battle is legitimately tough to handicap.

Like those two, Alex Bump and Denver Barkey have never made the Flyers out of training camp (in fairness to Jiříček, this will be his first fall with the Flyers). But both impressed down the stretch and are close to roster locks this fall, with the big question being their role. Barkey played it coy when asked in May whether he’s preparing to play center or wing going forward, which should be one of the bigger stories when the team returns to the ice in September.