The Philadelphia Flyers have officially wrapped up the preseason, and while Saturday’s 5-1 loss to the Washington Capitals was not the ending they wanted, the bigger focus was on getting the team ready for the regular season.
With the Flyers opening the 2026-27 campaign against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sept. 30, the preseason finale provided one last opportunity for players to make an impression and for the organization to evaluate some of its remaining roster questions.
The Flyers had a mostly NHL lineup while the Washington Capitals had a mostly AHL lineup, immediately tilting the scales....or so it would seem.
The Flyers took a 1-0 lead early in the second frame when Jamie Drysdale found the back of the net, but Washington responded with three goals to end the 40 minutes of hockey. Washington added to their 3-1 lead with two more goals in the final frame.
Rick Tocchet was not interested in making excuses for the performance.“We had a bunch of chances, we don’t score,” Tocchet said. “I’m actually glad we lost 5-1. A little humbling, which is good for us. We’re not as good as we need to be.”
The biggest question surrounding the Flyers entering the preseason finale was the status of starting goaltender Dan Vladar.
Vladar suffered an upper-body injury earlier in the preseason and had been listed as day-to-day. With the regular season opener less than a week away, his availability was one of the biggest storylines surrounding the team. Flyers GM Danny Brière provided encouraging news during his media availability.
“Dan Vladar looks very promising,” Brière said. “He should be ready for game one. He probably could have played if we played a regular-season game tonight. We just want to play it safe.”
The Flyers also added Joseph Woll during the offseason to provide more stability behind Vladar, giving the team another option should Vladar need additional time. Woll recorded a shutout Thursday night.
Another major storyline throughout training camp and the preseason has been Matvei Michkov.
After an uneven sophomore season, the Flyers wanted to see a different version of Michkov entering camp. Brière said the organization has been encouraged by what it has seen so far.
“We’re pleased with the work he put in this summer,” Brière said, also pointing to the attitude Michkov brought into training camp. Brière said there are still encouraging signs that Michkov can return to the level the Flyers expected from him when he first arrived in Philadelphia.
David Jiricek was another player under the microscope during the preseason. The defenseman came into camp competing for an opportunity on the Flyers' opening-night blue line, and Brière confirmed Saturday that Jiricek will start the season on the NHL roster.
“It's going to be up to him to show us that he deserves the minutes and stay in the lineup,” Brière said.
Denver Barkey's status is another situation worth monitoring heading into opening night. The forward has been dealing with a lower-body injury and did not play Saturday. Brière said the 21 year old will miss some time but indicated that the absence should not be lengthy.
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