Philadelphia Flyers News & Rumors: Calder Trophy, Make-or-Break Seasons, & More – The Hockey Writers – Philadelphia Flyers

NHL hockey is almost back, with the 2026-27 campaign beginning on Sept. 29. In this edition of Philadelphia Flyers News & Rumors, we look at Porter Martone‘s Calder Trophy candidacy, two young players facing big, arguably make-or-break seasons, and more.

Martone Is an Early Calder Trophy Favorite

The Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top rookie, has been around for almost a century. Yet, the Flyers have never won one. Shayne Gostisbehere came close in 2015-16, and Matvei Michkov was a contender throughout 2024-25, but no dice.

Martone has a chance to change that. He enters the 2026-27 season as the favorite to bring home the award (from ‘Ranking the NHL’s top 20 Calder Trophy candidates for the 2026-27 season,’ The Athletic, Sept. 1, 2026).

Martone controls his own destiny, but there should be fierce competition. Toronto Maple Leafs winger Gavin McKenna is slated to play in the team’s stacked top six, potentially alongside John Tavares and William Nylander. The Flyers don’t have that kind of supporting talent, so the 2026 first-overall pick could come out on top.

Other contenders include Ivar Stenberg of the San Jose Sharks, who went second overall in the 2026 class, Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov of the Chicago Blackhawks, and somewhat of a sleeper, Konsta Helenius of the Buffalo Sabres.

The plus side for Martone is that he A) has the most NHL experience, albeit only 19 games, and B) was a productive play-driver in that time. He recorded 15 points, 55 shots, and a plus-7 rating between the regular season and the playoffs. Over a full 84-game campaign, that’d certainly have him in the Calder Trophy mix.

Jiříček and Luchanko Facing Big Seasons

They’re only 22 and 20 years old, respectively, but David Jiříček and Jett Luchanko have big—potentially make-or-break—seasons ahead. That’s especially true for the former, who has played parts of four seasons in the NHL but hasn’t been able to stick.

Starting with Jiříček, the Flyers took a chance on him at the trade deadline. They swapped forward Bobby Brink for the 22-year-old defender’s services, and he spent all but one game in the American Hockey League (AHL). If he hits, Jiříček could be somewhere along the lines of a No. 5 two-way defenseman with power-play usage.

Next is Luchanko, and while he has more time to prove himself, the Flyers haven’t been vindicated for making him the most shocking selection of the 2024 NHL Draft. He was considered by some to be a second-round talent, yet the Orange and Black moved back from 12^th to 13^th overall to take him. Zeev Buium, who just received a $75 million extension, was on the board at 12, and Helenius was there at 13. It was a massive decision.

Luchanko hasn’t broken out in the way the Flyers might have thought he would. In the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) last season, he recorded just nine goals in 48 games, although he did have 41 assists. Still, that’s concerning production for a draft-plus-two forward. The 20-year-old has something to prove with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 2026-27.

An ideal season for Luchanko would be one where he shows out in Lehigh Valley and is a full-time NHLer by 2027-28. He could be a two-way middle-six center if all goes well.

Is Vladař Due for Regression?

In a recent article for The Hockey Writers, Alex Chauvancy highlighted goaltender Dan Vladař as a regression candidate for this season. The reasoning was fair, citing the netminder’s “fine enough” tenure with the Calgary Flames as a backup. Nobody expected the 29-year-old to effectively will the Flyers to the playoffs in 2025-26.

According to Natural Stat Trick, Vladař had a .906 save percentage and 13.8 goals saved above expected. He signed a five-year, $5.5 million cap-hit extension in the summer that will begin in 2027-28, so the Flyers are betting that his performance was closer to legit than a fluke.

The good news for the Flyers is that, while regression from Vladař should probably be expected, they made a substantial upgrade at the backup position. Samuel Ersson was dealt to the Maple Leafs along with some young assets, and in return, the Orange and Black received Joseph Woll. The change should be night and day.

The Flyers didn’t alter their roster much from the 2025-26 season, except for minor upgrades. Will that be enough to return to the playoffs? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section!