The 2025-26 Philadelphia Flyers season may be months away, but there’s already a level of anticipation building for some of the potential that the roster will be loaded with. The influx of prospects mixed with the late-season rise of a few of their young in-house players provides a perfect landscape for some breakout season in 2025-26. So which players are worth keeping an early eye on?
Number 5: Alex Bump
After winning a national championship at Western Michigan University, forward Alex Bump, the Flyers’ fifth round pick in 2022, signed with the Phantoms to join their playoff hunt. He has posted three goals and five points in four games, already elevating himself to their top forward. He has lived up to every bit of the hype in his short stint at the professional level, so if he clinches a spot on the Flyers’ roster out of the gate and keeps this level of play up he’ll be a hero to the offensively anemic main roster.
Number 4: Emil Andrae
23-year-old Emil Andrae found out first hand this season how difficult it can be to work your way up the respect ladder of John Tortorella. He was constantly looked over for NHL opportunities early in the season and demoted at the first chance they could. But his play at the AHL level has been undeniable for two-and-a-half years now. He more than likely has a main roster spot locked down during camp, and if the new coach gets the most out of Andrae’s smooth skating, offensive mindset, they may finally have the power play quarterback they’ve been in desperate need of.
Number 3: Bobby Brink
The undersized Bobby Brink has felt like the plucky underdog in the Tortorella era, but despite it all, he has still managed to defy the odds during his first full NHL campaign. He posted 12 goals and 41 points in 79 games, both were new career highs, and was one-third of the Flyers’ only worthwhile line all season long with Tyson Foerster and Noah Cates. He may never be a point-per-game guy in the NHL, but he hasn’t shown any signs of topping out yet either.
Number 2: Tyson Foerster
Foerster posted nine goals in nine games after John Tortorella was fired, bringing him up to 25 goals and 43 points in 81 games this season, which were both new personal bests. The previous coaching regime raved about Foerster’s two-way game and thus pigeonholed him as a defensive-minded player, but Foerster possesses the raw skill to be a high-end offensive contributor. He may not be the smoothest skater of all time, but there’s still more to Foerster to unlock at the NHL level, and a new coach may be just what the doctor ordered to achieve it.
Number 1: Matvei Michkov
It kinda feels like cheating adding a player like Michkov, but he was a rookie in a new country and didn’t speak the language on an awful team with a head coach that was out to sabotage him and he still posted 63 points and a team-leading 26 goals in 80 games. Just imagine how good he could be during his sophomore year with a better coach, slightly improved powerplay and better team around him? The possibilities are endless. He could indeed breakout and surpass his already high bar.
Honorable mentions
Nikita Grebenkin
Personality wise, the Flyers have themselves a gem in 22-year-old forward Nikita Grebenkin, who they acquired in the Scott Laughton trade back at the deadline. But he sure seems to have a bit of promise on the ice too. He’s posted eight points in 13 games with the Phantoms so far, especially standing out on the power play. Grebenkin may not be a tippy top player at the NHL level, but a depth power play specialist who happens to be a quote machine is a plenty fine role to fill.
Denver Barkey
It’s not known whether or not Barkey will start in the NHL or AHL next season, but the London Knights’ captain is an enticing addition at the professional level. He is on the smaller side, which could extend his learning curve, but he’s been a scoring machine in the OHL and will probably provide better value than the third round pick the Flyers used on him in 2023.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: Getty Images
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