Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras headline the Flyers’ opening roster; Cam York to start season on IR

Training camp is officially over.

On Monday, the Flyers submitted the 23 players who would be hopping on the plane for the 2025-26 lid lifter against the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).

Although the names on the roster were expected for some time, there was a wrinkle on Monday morning with the news that defenseman Cam York would start the season on injured reserve because of a lower-body injury. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen also is out for a few more weeks as he continues to rehab after right triceps tendon surgery. The Finn is on the injured nonroster list along with defensemen Oliver Bonk and Ethan Samson; the latter two cannot be sent down to the American Hockey League while injured.

» READ MORE: Cam York’s status for opening night doubtful as the Flyers’ 23-man roster is set for the new season

Here’s an in-depth look at the 23 players who will start the season with the Orange and Black:

Sean Couturier, 32: What a difference a few months and a new head coach make. The captain is confident and poised for a big year after gaining the trust of Rick Tocchet. Last season, Couturier put up 45 points in 79 games, his best total since the COVID-19-shortened 2019-20 season — the last time the Flyers made the playoffs and when he won the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward. Tocchet has spoken openly about how much he has liked Couturier’s game. Can the finally healthy and rejuvenated center help the Flyers rediscover their winning ways?

Trevor Zegras, 24: One of the biggest question marks heading into the season is how Zegras will do back at center. After two seasons skating primarily on the wing, the New York native is happy to be back at his natural position — and playing alongside his new friend, Matvei Michkov, at least on the power play certainly helps. The two have stayed on the ice late after practices to play skill games, and while Zegras, a restricted free agent on July 1, said it’s not to develop chemistry, the Flyers certainly hope it will lead to that, along with a return to form for the uber-talented pivot.

» READ MORE: For Trevor Zegras, the trade to the Flyers is not just a refresh, it is also a homecoming of sorts

Noah Cates, 26: Cates’ story is one of perseverance. After an up-and-down first two seasons and being a healthy scratch for four of the first five games in 2024-25, Cates has become one of the team’s most reliable forwards. The fundamentally sound line he centers with Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink couldn’t even be broken up by Tocchet. The preseason goal the trio connected on against the Bruins in Boston was a friendly reminder of how connected they are and why they will start the year together on the second power-play unit.

Christian Dvorak, 29: The guy nicknamed Dvo joined the Flyers as a free agent on July 1, partially because of his relationship with Tocchet, his former bench boss in Arizona. Dvorak can play on the wing or at center, and Tocchet likes that he can move the versatile forward around while also having him take draws, kill penalties — remember that drop pass to Travis Sanheim for a shorthanded goal? — and contribute on the power play. Dvorak posted career highs in goals (18) and points (38) in 2019-20 under Tocchet and said in July that “I think I could take my game to another level.”

Jett Luchanko, 19: The biggest conundrum for the Flyers was what to do with Luchanko because the teen can only play in the NHL or juniors this season. Like last season, when he played four games, he can stay with the big club for a nine-game audition without his contract kicking in, but whether he stays beyond that remains the question. He is known for his speed, high hockey IQ, and passing ability. The Flyers have long wanted the teen to shoot more, but he had only three shots on goal in five preseason games. As an NHL scout noted, the teenager, listed at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, doesn’t look NHL strong yet and needs to play a harder, more confident game.

Rodrigo Ābols, 29: The feel-good story of training camp is Ābols, who can play wing or center. Originally drafted by the Vancouver Canucks (before Tocchet’s tenure), with a short stint in the Panthers farm system, he joined the Flyers last summer after an impressive career in Sweden. He finally made his NHL debut last season at 29, playing in 22 games and notching five points, and came into camp focused on sticking with the big club. Ābols played in six of the seven preseason games and notched two goals and three points. “Rod has had a great camp and earned [the right] to start on the roster for Game 1, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts in Game 1, either,” Flyers general manager Danny Brière said Monday.

Travis Konecny, 28: The winger finished last season once again leading the Flyers in scoring with 76 points, but just three of his 24 goals came in the final 35 games. Like many of his teammates, consistency will be key for the alternate captain as he aims to produce from start to finish — and he’s had a good start with three goals in the preseason, including one on the power play. Konecny is focused on having a big year with the Flyers, with the possibility of representing Canada at the Olympics on the horizon. “I’m just trying to be the best player I can here in Philly, and if that gets you on that roster, then that’s that humongous bonus,” he said.

» READ MORE: The Flyers’ gifted Matvei Michkov overcame pressure as a rookie. Now he’s out to avoid the sophomore slump.

Matvei Michkov, 20: Arriving earlier than expected last season, Michkov came as advertised and dazzled fans on a nightly basis. He led the Flyers and all NHL rookies with 26 goals and finished tied for second with San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini in points, three behind Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson. Michkov still wasn’t thrilled with his season and said at the end, “I could have scored more, not happy with my result.” Brière said at the end of the season that Michkov came to him with a detailed plan, adding, “If he accomplishes half of the things he has on his list to do, we’re in really good shape.”

Bobby Brink, 24: “We were patient with Bobby Brink; it’s starting to pay off,” Brière told The Inquirer in September. Indeed. Brink has become one-third of the team’s most reliable line and posted a career-best 41 points in 79 games last season. It was the most games he’s played in a season in the NHL since he made his debut at the end of 2021-22, and the diminutive forward has started playing a big, confident game.

Garnet Hathaway, 33: One of the keys to rebuilding a strong culture, Hathaway is a gritty, in-your-face forward who wears his heart on his sleeve. A relentless forechecker, Hathaway is one of the NHL’s top antagonists and was tied for eighth in the league with 30 drawn penalties last season. He did miss a lot of time in 2024-25 after being on the receiving end of a dirty hit, but he still posted 21 points in 67 games. One of the team’s top penalty killers, he finished ninth in the NHL with 257 hits and was one of five players on the Flyers who finished the 2024-25 season with a positive plus-minus (plus-5).

» READ MORE: Flyers Charities and Garnet Hathaway announce new beer, Engine 19 IPA, with Dogfish Head Brewery

Tyson Foerster, 23: There was a question as to whether the winger would start the season on the ice, but after recovering from an elbow infection, Foerster is good to go, and the Flyers hope he can build on an impressive first two full seasons. Across those seasons, the winger ranks eighth among NHL forwards in Evolving Hockey’s even-strength defensive goals above replacement metric (8.6). And, despite yet another slow start, the Ontario native ended on a high note with nine goals in his last nine games, including his first career hat trick on April 9 against the New York Rangers. He finished the season with 25 goals and 43 points in 81 games.

Owen Tippett, 26: The fastest skater on the team, Tippett needs to have a big year. After posting two straight seasons with at least 27 goals, he dropped to 20 last year while chipping in 23 assists. How Tippett does under the systems Tocchet uses — he doesn’t want his guys to be robotic — will be interesting. At 6-1, 210 pounds, can he finally be the dynamic power forward he was built to be?

Nic Deslauriers, 34: It will be interesting to see how Tocchet, himself known to drop the gloves, utilizes Deslauriers. Deslauriers isn’t afraid to go to the net and, when he gets the puck, he protects it well — probably because no one wants to upset him — while also throwing the body around with big, heavy hits.

Nikita Grebenkin, 22: The chatter around press boxes during the preseason focused on how Brière committed highway robbery in the trade that sent Scott Laughton to the Toronto Maple Leafs, because not only did he get a first-round pick in 2027, but he snagged Grebenkin. Scouts raved about the Russian who not only has a big personality but plays a big game. It’s been years since the Flyers have had a net-front presence guy — was Wayne Simmonds the last true one? — and Grebenkin is not afraid to get to the dirty areas. “[The] team wants [me] to play inside, and I understand this,” he said.

Travis Sanheim, 29: What a year 2024-25 was for the Manitoban. The top-pair defenseman finished 12th in the NHL in time on ice — averaging 24 minutes, 30 seconds — and collected 30 points in 82 games on the way to winning his third Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers’ top blueliner. He also was a key member on defense for the gold-medal-winning Canadians at the 4 Nations Face-Off. A versatile defenseman who can play both sides of the puck and both sides of the ice, whether on the left or right, Sanheim should have a big year. Is a stop in Italy also on the horizon?

Jamie Drysdale, 23: Like York, Drysdale also looked fleet of foot in the preseason, with the skating speed and agility that made him the No. 6 overall pick in 2020. The hope is the defenseman will have a big year after his first healthy offseason with the Flyers and his return to the point on the first power-play unit. He had 20 points last season, including seven on the power play, in 70 games. Can he double that this season?

Nick Seeler, 32: It’ll be interesting to see how the Minnesotan does in Tocchet’s box-and-one system that doesn’t focus on shot-blocking — and no, don’t ever expect the rugged blueliner who was third in the NHL last season with 200 blocks, to change his ways. With York out, his pairing could be up in the air; he was playing with Drysdale — his partner last season for almost 600 minutes at five-on-five — for most of the preseason. No matter where he goes, this tough, rugged defensive defenseman who can bang and drop the gloves also is sneakily skilled at the other end of the ice.

Adam Ginning, 25: While many expected Emil Andrae or Helge Grans to make the move up to the NHL, it was Ginning who cracked the lineup. The Swede had an awful camp last year and learned his lessons, telling The Inquirer recently that he “tried to do maybe a little bit too much.” This year, he kept it simple and will surely get more than the one NHL game he played last year, and probably more than the 11 he has played across his career.

Egor Zamula, 25: Entering training camp, the thought was that the Russian would be the fifth defenseman with Ristolainen out. He’s still in the top six, but that is hanging on by a thread after a less-than-stellar preseason in which his pace-of-play struggles led to turnovers. According to Brière, “He’s going to be in a battle to stay in the lineup, probably for most of the year, unless he steps up his game and plays the way he’s capable of.”

Noah Juulsen, 28: A known commodity to Tocchet from their days in Vancouver, Juulsen is a rugged, bottom-pairing right-shot defenseman. He played in just 35 games last season because of hernia surgery in February and said he had been off the ice for eight months before training camp. The journeyman started off slowly in training camp but has played better each game.

Dennis Gilbert, 28: Signed to a deal on July 1, Gilbert was brought in to be a role player, and after being waived on Saturday, he cleared and will stick around with York out. Another journeyman, the Buffalo native played just 29 games last season between his hometown Sabres and Ottawa Senators, but he is a banger and dished out 63 hits.

Sam Ersson, 25: Can Ersson blossom as the No. 1 this season? A guy who likes to be pushed, he has a solid partner now who will do just that. The soon-to-be 26-year-old (his birthday is Oct. 20) is about to start his third full season with the Flyers after playing in one of the eight worst environments for a goalie in 2024-25. Tocchet’s system is supposed to provide a better environment, and time will tell if that helps the Swede find his groove.

» READ MORE: New Flyers goalie Dan Vladař says he’s coming to compete. His underlying numbers are intriguing.

Dan Vladař, 28: After serving as a backup in Boston and Calgary, the Czechia native came to Philly to try and snag a No. 1 spot. It’ll be a duel all season long between Vladař and Ersson as they work together but also compete for the net. Like his partner, the questions for Vladař are the same: Can he shoulder a bigger load? And can he put up better numbers consistently?

Rasmus Ristolainen, 30: The defenseman will not count on the roster as he will start the season on injured reserve after undergoing surgery on his ruptured right triceps tendon on March 26. However, once he returns, the Finn is expected to slot into the lineup and be a key, physical contributor.

Cam York, 24: There’s a lightness to York on the ice these days, after a roller-coaster three years under John Tortorella. In the preseason, the Californian was seen spinning away from defenders, smartly moving up with the play, and, yes, back on the power play. He looked like the guy who was drafted 14th overall and captained the U.S. to gold at the 2021 World Juniors. Although he’ll start on IR, this season is expected to be a big one for York, who signed a five-year extension in July.

» READ MORE: Cam York excited about Flyers’ future after signing extension: ‘I wanted to stay and be a part of what’s going on here’