Save for perhaps the Montreal Canadiens, there has arguably been no hotter team in the NHL since the Olympic break than the Philadelphia Flyers. Sitting in third in the Metropolitan Division as of Tuesday morning, the Flyers have put themselves in a position where their destiny is entirely in their own hands, not having to scoreboard watch other teams.
The addition of 2025 sixth-overall pick Porter Martone and the (surprise) return from injury of Tyson Foerster over the last three and four games has given the forwards a major jolt, with depth down the entire top-12 group that the team has not seen since well before GM Danny Briere took over for Chuck Fletcher.
The Flyers’ strength is on the wing; 2023 first-round pick Matvei Michkov currently skating on the third line is indicative of this. But with all this talent on the wing there are still (legitimate) question marks down the middle – as has been the case for several years now.
Head coach Rick Tocchet was reluctant to move Trevor Zegras to center at the start of the season but has been exploring it since the Olympics. There is no doubt that there was – and still is – a learning curve for the former Anaheim Ducks forward at center, as Zegras went from a near point per game player early in the season to now having 62 points in 77 games. That being said, he has regained his near point-per-game form over the last nine contests, tallying one goal and seven assists in that span.
Zegras, now playing as the de facto No. 1 pivot, is currently skating between Foerster and Owen Tippett. The former is a top-three defensive forward on the Flyers and possesses a lot of helpful characteristics; as Tocchet did earlier in the season with Christian Dvorak, perhaps Zegras can operate in a “hybrid” system with Foerster down the middle and share defensive responsibilities.
As for Dvorak, he had arguably his best game of the season on Sunday versus the Boston Bruins. Speaking with a team source, Dvorak was described as the “best player on the ice” for the Flyers. Dvorak has played the lion’s share of the season with Travis Konecny, who is now on the left wing with Martone skating on the right. It is just four games, but Dvorak has two goals and three assists over that span.
The 30-year-old Dvorak, who signed a five-year extension with the Flyers three months back, has well surpassed his season-best point total (already at 49) and is one goal shy of tying his career high in goals of 18.
Noah Cates has been one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL for some time now; his offense has always been the thing well behind the eight ball. His 17 goals and 43 points thus far this season are already career bests, and he has found decent chemistry with Michkov and, most recently, rookie Alex Bump on the team’s third line, giving Tocchet a lot of options down up and down the lineup.
The playoffs are not a guarantee, and what happens in the playoffs will tell us a lot, but is there a possibility that the Flyers don’t need to acquire an impact pivot this summer?
Speaking with a Flyers’ source, that question will be explored after the season after the dust has settled on whether the team gets in the postseason and how the aforementioned top pivots perform. But for the first time in some time, the Flyers’ outlook down the middle isn’t so bleak.
The optimistic outlook goes beyond the main roster too, as the Flyers’ are attempting to get 2024 second-round pick Jack Berglund over from Sweden to play some AHL games, according to sources. Berglund, who turns 20 in three days, is believed to have another year on his contract in the SHL. He captained Sweden to a gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championship this past January and recorded 10 points in seven games during the tournament.
Additionally, it does sound like the Flyers are one of the teams interested in Dinamo Minsk centerman Vitali Pinchuk. The 24-year-old has 31 goals and 66 points in 65 games this season in the KHL.
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