Philadelphia Flyers News

Ristolainen's 2024-25 season was cut short due to a ruptured right triceps tendon and could bleed into this year as the defenseman is expected to miss the first 1-2 months of the season recovering. The 30-year-old is entering his 13th NHL season and has not completed a full 82-game season since 2015-16. Before his injury last season, he had four goals, 19 points and 100 SOG across 63 games played.

Foerster has participated in the first couple of days of training camp in a non-contact sweater, but anticipates ramping up before the start of the regular season on October 9th. Foerster is coming off of a career-high in goals (25), assists (18), and points (43).

York will get a massive payday increase as we enter the 2025-26 season after signing a five-year contract worth $5.15 million AAV ($25.75M total) to remain with Philadelphia. The 24-year-old is coming off a two-year, $3.2 million contract ($1.6M AAV) and earned his contract with a four-goal, 17-point season across 66 games played in 2024-25. York is expected to take on a big role as one of Philadelphia's top defenders this season.

Pederson is an undrafted 27-year-old forward who last played in the NHL in a 16-game stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2022-23 season. He spent the entirety of the 2024-25 season in the AHL, scoring 12 points (5G/ 7A) in 18 games with the Bakersfield Condors.

Philadelphia continued to add to its defensive depth on Tuesday after signing Dennis Gilbert to a one-year, $875,000 contract. The 28-year-old defenseman appeared in 29 games combined between Buffalo and Ottawa last season, picking up six assists, 50 PIMs and a -3 plus/minus. He is expected to compete for Philadelphia's final defensive spot in training camp ahead of the upcoming season.

After five seasons in Calgary, Dan Vladar will head to Philadelphia to share a crease with Samuel Ersson after signing a two-year deal worth $3.35M AAV ($6.7M total). The 27-year-old Czech netminder appeared in a career high 30 games in 2024-25, posting a 12-11-6 record alongside his .898 SV% and 2.80 GAA.

The first big domino of the 2025 free agency has dropped after Philadelphia signed Christian Dvorak to a one-year, $5.4 million contract. The 29-year-old center will join his third NHL franchise in 10 seasons after putting up 12 goals, 33 points and 16 PIMs in 82 games with Montreal in 2024-25. He is expected to center either Philadelphia's second or third line in the upcoming season.

Philadelphia added to their defensive depth right away to start the 2025 free agency after adding 28-year-old Noah Juulsen to a one-year, $900,000 contract. Juulsen appeared in 35 games with Vancouver in 2024-25, but failed to pick up a point alongside his 21 PIMs and -12 plus/minus. He will likely be Philadelphia's sixth defenseman heading into the 2025-26 season.

Philadelphia added yet another flashy forward on Monday after they acquired Trevor Zegras from Anaheim for Ryan Poehling, a 2025 2nd-round pick (45th overall), and a 2026 4th-round pick. The 24-year-old forward is in the final year of a three-year, $17,230,000 contract and will cost Philadelphia $5.75 million AAV in 2025-26. Zegras will be looking for a reset after averaging over 60 points in his first two full seasons in Anaheim, followed by only 18 goals and 47 points in his previous 88 games played across the last two years.

After setting a career high in goals (16), PIMs (14) and SOG (110) in 2024-25, Noah Cates has earned himself a four-year, $16 million contract extension ($4,000,000 AAV). The 26-year-old American left-winger has spent his entire four-year career with the Flyers after being drafted in the 5th round of the 2017 NHL Draft. He had 16 goals and 37 points in 78 games played in 2024-25.

Grans only appeared in six games for the Philadelphia Flyers in his rookie season in 2024-25, picking up an assist and two PIMs and has earned himself a two-year, two-way contract worth $787,000 AAV. The 23-year-old defenseman was Los Angeles's 2020 2nd round pick (35th overall) and spent the majority of 2024-25 putting up eight goals and 23 points in 66 games played with Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Foerster was the 23rd overall pick of the Flyers in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and has 83 points (48G / 35A) in 166 career games with the team. The 23-year-old Foerster played a career-high 81 games last season and scored a career-high 43 points (25G / 18A).

Eklind made his professional North American debut this season, tallying 22 points (5G / 17A) in 64 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL). The undrafted 26-year-old has yet to play an NHL game.

Abols made his NHL debut this season, scoring five points (2G / 3A) in 22 games with the Flyers. The 29-year-old spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, tallying 32 points (15G /17A) in 47 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Ristolainen's final game of the season was March 11th, missing the final month due to an upper-body injury. He ended the 2024-25 regular season with four goals, 19 points and a +3 plus/minus in 63 games played. His recovery timeline likely sets his target return date for late October.

Officially eliminated from the playoffs, the Flames will turn to Vladar between the pipes in their season-finale on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings. Vladar played well in his most recent outing, saving 28 of 30 shots (.933 SV%) in a 3-2 shootout win over the Colorado Avalanche on March 31st. The 27-year-old Czech goalie has a 2.86 GAA and .895 SV% in 29 games this season (11-11-6). The Flames enter Thursday's contest as +149 road underdogs against the Kings.

Dorwart made his NHL debut earlier this month, scoring zero points in five games, but will be a healthy scratch in Philadelphia's season finale on Thursday. Dorwart is an undrafted 22-year-old out of Michigan State University that scored 31 points (13G / 18A) in 35 games with the club in 2024-25.

Kaplan was a third-round pick, 69th overall, of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old forward spent the previous three seasons playing collegiate hockey for Boston University (H-East) and scored 18 points (10G / 8A) through 38 games in 2024-25.