Did the Flyers Do Enough to Get Back to the Playoffs in 2026-27? – The Hockey Writers – Philadelphia Flyers

After making the playoffs for the first time since 2019-20, the Philadelphia Flyers had a headline-grabbing—yet ultimately tame—offseason. Their record-setting offer sheet attempt at Leo Carlsson was matched by the Anaheim Ducks, so the Orange and Black will have a similar-looking roster in 2026-27.

But is a similar roster to what they had in 2025-26 good enough to return to the postseason?

Flyers’ Goaltending Upgrade Should Be Felt

One move the Flyers made this summer should have an impact: their acquisition of Joseph Woll from the Toronto Maple Leafs. He will replace Samuel Ersson as the team’s backup, and he’s poised to get a high volume of starts to ease Dan Vladař’s workload.

Ersson only started 29 games for the Orange and Black last season, but his impact was pretty detrimental. He allowed 97 goals on 81.7 expected goals, according to HockeyViz’s model.

Compare that to Woll, who had his worst season in the NHL yet vastly outperformed Ersson. The 28-year-old allowed 124 goals on 122.3 expected goals.

Vladař would have to take a dramatic step in the wrong direction for the Flyers’ goaltending to regress. So, they’re in a good spot as far as their play between the pipes goes.

Is Martone Ready to Lead the Offense?

This is where things get more interesting. After his freshman season at Michigan State University, Porter Martone made an immediate impact with the Flyers. It was in a small sample, but he showed encouraging signs as a play-driver. In 2026-27, he’ll likely be leaned on as a core member of the team.

Given his status as a prospect and how he approaches the game, Martone is capable of leading the Flyers’ forward corps. If he can, it’d make everyone else’s job easier, subsequently raising the team’s ceiling. If not, Philadelphia may have trouble returning to the playoffs.

Can Michkov Take the Next Step?

There was a big fuss made about how Matvei Michkov was handled last season. In retrospect, both sides had some good points. There is certainly room for improvement, especially at 5-on-5, but he is far too young and gifted to be seen as anything less than a budding star at this point.

Michkov has already flashed finishing ability and playmaking upside at the NHL level. The next step for him is being more consistent at 5-on-5. He’s a smart player who knows how to generate scoring chances, but he hasn’t had a star-level impact just yet.

Growth from Michkov, regardless of deployment, would be a big help to the Flyers. Young players breaking out can have a huge effect on team success—just ask the Buffalo Sabres.

The Flyers’ Depth Defenseman Problem

Despite various rumors throughout the offseason, there is one area the Flyers haven’t addressed: defensive depth. With Emil Andrae and Noah Juulsen out of the picture, their options for a bottom-pairing defenseman alongside Nick Seeler are unproven. Simon Benoit, Oliver Bonk, and David Jiříček are the contenders.

HockeyViz rated Benoit as one of the worst defensemen in the league last season (far from the only model to be that low on him), and there’s a reason Jiříček has already been traded twice. Bonk hasn’t had the same struggles, but he has two games of NHL experience under his belt.

Depth on the blue line is particularly important for the Flyers because Rasmus Ristolainen has missed 44% of all possible regular-season games for the team since 2023-24. If he misses time again, two of those players have to suit up. It’s fair to be concerned about such a scenario.

Can the Flyers Make the Playoffs in a Deep Eastern Conference?

If Martone and Michkov don’t take steps, it’s hard to see the Flyers making the playoffs in such a deep conference. After all, they were only the eighth-best team in the Eastern Conference last season, and plenty of clubs behind them made improvements during the summer.

So, to answer the question, the Flyers should have approximately coinflip odds to return to the dance. The more important thing, though, is that their young players and prospects see growth.