The Philadelphia Flyers returned to the playoffs this past season for the first time since 2020 and the team has no plans of going through another drought moving forward.
Defenceman Jamie Drysdale believes the postseason is now the standard for the Flyers as the team exits their rebuild and attempts to emerge among the league’s Stanley Cup contenders.
The Flyers eliminated the rival Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs in April before being swept by the eventual champion Carolina Hurricanes.
“It first just shows we can be a good team in the league and second of all, once you get that sniff, it’s a cliché, but I think it’s very true - it was my first time making the playoffs and I think that is going to be the standard now - and I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Drysdale told NHL.com this week.
“I think within the locker room, the confidence is there and the chemistry is there as well. Weirdly enough, you look at the lead-up to the playoffs last year, there were a lot of teams in the mix and I don’t think a lot of people had us as the front-runners.”
Drysdale posted eight goals and 32 points 78 games, adding two goals and four points in 10 playoff games.
The Flyers finished third in the Metropolitan Division, losing home ice to the Penguins in the first round on a tiebreaker as both teams posted 98 points. The Ottawa Senators, who claimed the final wild-card spot, had one more point than both the Flyers or Penguins.
Philadelphia’s return to the playoffs came with a 22-point jump in the standings in their first season under new head coach Rick Tocchet after playing under John Tortorella and Brad Shaw in 2024-25.
Tocchet’s arrival timed up with the addition of forward Trevor Zegras in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks. After posting just 18 goals over 88 games the previous two seasons, Zegras found his old form under Tocchet, posting a career-best 26 goals and 67 points in 81 games. He added two goals and six points in 10 playoff games.
The Flyers rewarded Zegras with a four-year, $36.5 million contract ($9.125 million AAV) last month and re-signed Drysdale on a four-year, $26 million deal ($6.5 million), but failed in their attempt to pull off the move of the summer in signing 21-year-old centre Leo Carlsson to a massive five-year, $90 million offer sheet.
The Ducks, who had previously sent Drysdale and Zegras to Philadelphia, matched the offer sheet which at the time held an NHL-record $18 million AAV, leaving the Flyers without a marquee addition this summer.
“I think everyone within our locker room and everyone that wasn’t in our locker room probably had the same reaction,” Drysdale said, reflecting on the offer sheet. “It was obviously a big splash and it shows our team, our management, everyone is looking to add and everyone is committed - guys in the locker room, guys up top, guys in management - that we are trying to make this work with our group and add where we can.
“I think the confidence is there and we showed last year we can be a team and make a splash.”
Aside from the failed attempt to land Carlsson, the Flyers have been largely quiet this off-season, adding goaltender Joseph Woll, blueliner Simon Benoit and forward Noel Acciari in some of their most notable changes. In addition to re-signing Drysdale and Zegras, general manager Daniel Briere signed Dan Vladar and Tyson Foerster to long-term extensions.
Briere said last month he would continue to explore making additions to his roster, but added he was “comfortable” as things stood.
“We’re trying to do some things, and there’s things that we’re constantly looking at and trying to improve,” Briere said, per NHL.com. “We worked hard to get this cap space. You remember three years ago how we were in really bad shape there. We worked hard, and what we want to make sure is that we can use it in a proper manner where it’s going to help the team moving forward.
“Yes, we’re looking to do different things. I’m not saying it’s going to work, but yeah, there’s different things we’re looking at that might eat up our salary cap.”
The Flyers will open their preseason on Sept. 21 against the Washington Capitals and kick off their regular season on Sept. 30 against the Penguins.
