The Canadian Thanksgiving was last month, but this week marks the annual Thanksgiving in the U.S. A day marked with family (some of whom you don’t care for), turkey (leftovers of which you don’t care for), and plenty of NFL football (many of the teams you don’t care for). So on this holiday for reflection and appreciation, let’s see what each Flyer player has to be thankful for this season thus far. Some have a bit more to be grateful for than others, but everyone should be looking at the glass as half full this time of year. We’ll start with the goalies and work our way out. Note: John Tortorella’s absence won’t be mentioned for every single player. Just some of them.
Dan Vladar – A fresh start
Vladar came to Philadelphia with a bit more money, a little bit more term (two years), and with many thinking he was going to play a backup or supporting role. Well, everyone so far was quite wrong. Vladar has been a revelation, starting in roughly two-thirds of the games and performing remarkably well. His save percentage has been over .900 and he’s come up huge in a lot of games. Vladar has arrived with the goal of making Ersson’s life difficult. He’s been one of the cornerstones to this 2025-26 season.
Sam Ersson – Dan Vladar
We’re not sure how he’s doing it. Nor do we know where he’s hiding the smoke and mirrors. But Sam Ersson has one regulation loss this year with a save percentage that is still well below .900. The dichotomy between this poor save percentage and being one of the best goaltenders of all-time in the shootouts is incredible to fathom. Yet here we are. Ersson should be thankful that Vladar has taken some of the pressure off Ersson this season for now. And also be grateful that the Flyers coaching staff and his teammates put him on equal footing with his fellow netminder.
flyers win. pic.twitter.com/mh7ZUnith0
— Absolutely Hammered (@ah_pod) October 29, 2025
Noah Juulsen – Getting into the lineup
Juulsen should be thankful he’s not Dennis Gilbert. And that Rasmus Ristolainen is still a few weeks away. He’s what you’d expect from a borderline third-pairing blueliner. With Egor Zamula’s great effort against New Jersey, Juulsen might end up in the stands a bit more moving forward.
Nick Seeler – No longer blocking 90 shots a game (it seems)
Although paired with Jamie Drysdale most of the season, Nick Seeler was put down into a third-pairing role with Juulsen and Zamula. Seeler isn’t on the trading block by any stretch. But in the meantime he should be grateful that he doesn’t wake up looking like a puck pinata with the emphasis on shot blocking put somewhat on the backburner.
Emil Andrae – A fair shot
Andrae put in the work after being yo-yoed a bit between Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley to start this year. Citing that he was pissed by the demotion, the small but crafty defenseman has been eye-catching in the past few games. He’s been able to avoid getting hemmed in his own zone, and has made some sly passes that led to goals. Andrae is going to make life difficult for the Flyers management and coaches if he continues playing well. He’s grateful for the opportunity he got and deserved, and seems to be making the most of it.
Egor Zamula – A fantastic 60 minutes
Zamula was out of the lineup for weeks, was plopped into the New Jersey game and had a game to remember, being a +5 in terms of plus/minus while also having a ridiculous share of expected goals. Zamula, like Andrae, needs to play well to keep his name in the conversation regarding the top six blueliners. The return of Rasmus Ristolainen will cloud the picture a bit. For now he should be grateful, like Andrae, for another chance.
Jamie Drysdale – Ziggy
Trevor Zegras. Trevor Zegras. And Trevor Zegras. No addition in personnel has altered one player’s level more than Zegras coming to Philadelphia and making Jamie Drysdale take off. Drysdale has been a big plus this season, looking far more confident in his own end then probably at any time last season.
Roughly a quarter of the way in Drysdale has roughly one-third of the playing time five-on-five that he did all of last season. The defenseman, since being paired with Emil Andrae, has seen his game take another step forward. It will be interesting to see how he fares the rest of the way, but for now Zegras looks to be the panacea for all of Drysdale’s woes.
The Flyers finally got rewarded after controlling the play and it’s Jamie Drysdale to tie the game up at 2-2.
Goal: Drysdale (2) pic.twitter.com/ZSy6ImwvUM
— Andrew Coté (@acote_88) November 8, 2025
Travis Sanheim – A slight reprieve
When John Tortorella unleashed Travis Sanheim post-Ivan Provorov, the blueliner was eating minutes all over the place. Sometimes 28 minutes to 30 minutes wasn’t unusual. However, with the rise in play of Cam York and Drysdale, it seems like Sanheim might not need to be the workhorse he was required to be in recent years. He will still earn his minutes and play more than his share against the opposition’s best.
Knowing that those minutes might be shaved a bit over the long run should only make him more durable both short-term and long-term. His usage is down roughly two minutes per game in November versus October, a result of York being back in the fold.
TRAVIS SANHEIM WINS THE GAME IN OVERTIME!!#FLYERS pic.twitter.com/PtMrhRcHjG
— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) November 21, 2025
Cam York – Hasta la vista, Tortsy!
No Torts. York has thrived after Tortorella was shown the door. York already has nearly four times the ice time on the power play than he did all of last year under Tortorella (an astoundingly low 9:36). And he has over half of last year’s point production (17) in the first 17 games this year (10). No rocket science needed. York very good since Tortorella firing.
Rasmus Ristolainen – His job is still there
Nobody has really won the spot for the sixth defenseman, although Andrae might be making a case. Ristolainen should know he’s probably returning to the lineup at some point after some injury-riddled seasons.
Travis Konecny – Less spotlight glare
Konecny has had probably one of the quietest 17 points in the first 20 games. He’s been producing, but it’s not taking the team on his shoulders like he may have needed to do in previous years. That burden has been picked up by somebody else, yet Konecny is doing his job. The winger probably appreciates the fact he’s been separated from Matvei Michkov as his other winger and is currently on a line with Tyson Foerster and Noah Cates. It’s been a small sample but the results are speaking for themselves.
Sean Couturier – No mind games
It was revealing when Couturier said he had more conversations with Tocchet over the summer than his entire time (ordeal?) with former head coach John Tortorella. He has a fresh start, a coach that has opened the lines of communication, and a winger in Matvei Michkov that is finally starting to get going in recent games. Couturier is thankful he will never have to endure the mind games Tortorella played often. It was bad enough recovering from back surgeries and the rehab that came with it. Couturier had another hurdle he’s now looking at in his rearview mirror.
Nic Deslauriers – Fighting for a spot
Deslauriers was expected to be out of the lineup far more than in it. After 20 games, he was in half of them. He hasn’t produced anything offensively and the energy line with him, Rodrigo Abols, and Garnet Hathaway has looked a little better of late. Deslauriers perhaps shouldn’t be dressed as much as he is. As it stands now he could be in the lineup roughly 40 times, which is rather damning to some other players on the bubble for the fourth line.
Owen Tippett – Given time to find consistency
Tippett, once again, is streaky. He spent the first month of the year primarily scoring with just one helper. In November, he has six helpers but just one goal to his name. With the way other forwards have picked up the slack, Tippett is still learning Rick Tocchet’s system. If he can start putting the puck in on a consistent level then all will be well. For now, Tippett is lucky that he’s not really in the spotlight for his hot and cold production. For a player with that cap hit, he should be around 60 to 65 points this season. He’ll have to pick up the pace to achieve that target.
Bobby Brink – Chance to shine with The Mad Russian
As well as he played with Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster, Brink might end up with the plum role of being the recipient of a lot of great passes by Matvei Michkov. The line looks good and will take a little longer to gel, but Brink seems ready for the challenge of getting pucks on his stick maybe one other player on the team could deliver as accurately. It’s a great situation for Brink as this is a contract year for him before he becomes a restricted free agent. The Flyers control his rights, but a bump in pay might be in the offing if he, Couturier, and Michkov can produce.
#Devils 1 @ #Flyers 5 [P2–8:18]:
Goal: Bobby Brink (6)
38' Deep Wrister
Assists: S.Couturier (11)#NJDevils #LetsGoFlyers #NHLpic.twitter.com/Ii8ogFR6hZ
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalsVideo) November 23, 2025
Matvei Michkov – Shaking the rust off
A few things Michkov should be thankful for. Michkov is with a coach who isn’t quite the taskmaster Tortorella is. But who is? Unless the Flyers rehire Mike Keenan, Michkov should have a slightly easier time moving forward with his Tocchet. Also, Michkov is almost rust-free following the rather lethargic first few weeks that saw the ice time dwindle and the defensive zone coverage not great.
With a line that sees him currently with Couturier and Brink, look for Michkov to start piling some multi-point games together as the Flyers head into a rather draining and daunting jaunt before the Christmas break. He hasn’t been awesome this year, but he’s been healthy. Given the rash of injuries around the league, it’s another blessing.
Garnet Hathaway – Beer
With no points in his first 20 games, Garnet Hathaway should be thankful he can drown his sorrows in his own Engine 19 India Pale Ale beer.
Christian Dvorak – Doing it all
Dvorak has made a good impression so far, being a jack-of-all-trades up and down the lineup while also doing some of the grunt work on a line with Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett. The forward is providing a few benefits for Philadelphia in the meantime and down the road. A strong season from Dvorak could — depending on the team’s record and their playoff possibility — result in a good return before the trade deadline.
Nikita Grebenkin – Sticking with the big club
Grebenkin has been in the lineup a handful of times. He’s had his good games and games that left something to be desired. Like Zamula’s game against New Jersey, Grebenkin is going to have to have a great, head-turning effort in his next appearance in order to make life harder for Philadelphia’s coaching staff to take him out. The Russian forward also has three more points than Hathaway, meaning he has three points this season.
Tyson Foerster – Avoiding IR (or LTIR)
After avoiding serious injury blocking a shot against the Leafs, Foerster has been getting back to his high level of play. Tied with Konecny in goals with seven, Foerster ended up scoring twice in 17 seconds, one of the fastest two-goal bursts in franchise history. But not the fastest. Foerster has his health which is a big plus after a trying 2025 with his elbow and the recent injury. And with Cates and Konecny now his linemates, it could end up being a bright remainder of the season. If he goes on a tear would consideration for Team Canada’s Olympic roster be completely out of the question? Maybe not.
TYSON FOERSTER!!!!! 2 GOALS IN 9 SECONDS!!!!!!! 3-1!!!#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/mft6iUwNgX
— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) November 23, 2025
Noah Cates – A new line brings new potential
While seeing Brink, Foerster, and Cates broken up, it might be an opportunity for Cates to possibly become more of an offensive threat with Travis Konecny on his wing. The center remains one of the more consistent forwards this season although he’s not atop the team point totals. And at this pace, he could end up with his highest point totals in his career, somewhere between 50 to 55 points. It’s not quite the jump in production that Sean Couturier had in his back-to-back 76-point seasons. But increasing your offensive output by 25 per cent isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s sad to see the strong, hard-working line split up. It seems that it could be for the best, particularly if the victories begin to pile up sooner than later.
Rodrigo Abols – A place to call home
Outside of the rink, Abols has enjoy his first 16 weeks not in the minors and with his family no longer living in a hotel room. It might not be a huge factor in his time with Philadelphia, but by being the reliable fourth-line center probably ensures that he is going to be here the rest of the season. Abols is responsible for the lone goal he, Deslauriers, and Hathaway have garnered this season. And that was recently. Head coach Rick Tocchet praised the line for playing more as a unit and not being a defensive liability. The center earned his place with a fine training camp, avoiding the cuts each time they were made. He’s not reaping the money some of his fellow Flyers are, but compared to where he’s been, this is a step up for the forward and his loved ones.
Trevor Zegras – Danny Briere (and Pat Verbeek)
Trevor Zegras should thank Pat Verbeek every day. Both Pat Verbeek and Danny Briere. Well, more Danny Briere. Briere wanted Zegras, parted with Ryan Poehling as part of a package to get him, and is finding out the gold he has struck with the trade. Zegras has been terrific, leading the team in points, resurrecting the power play to some respectability, and increasing his shootout success percentage with each passing attempt.
To think he remains a restricted free agent after this season is shockingly good. The Flyers should be able to back up the truck and give Zegras what he and the Flyers agree on. He has arguably been the Flyers most valuable player this season (Vladar is close). Zegras should be thankful he got out of Anaheim and landed with a team that is only to happy to have him. There has been no bigger win-win situation in the National Hockey League this year.
Trevor Zegras is UNBELIEVABLE in the shootout. First official SO goal as a Flyer.#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/e43WUxcy9z
— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) October 25, 2025