The Philadelphia Flyers will roll into Boston tonight carrying something that’s been missing for most of September—familiarity.
Injuries, auditions, and a crowded training camp have made the early preseason feel like a kaleidoscope of line combinations, but tonight the pieces click into something fans will recognize: Tyson Foerster alongside Noah Cates and Bobby Brink.
It’s been somewhat of a rarity this preseason to have head coach Rick Tocchet running a line that fans are used to seeing together, but the reunion of a trio that earned a reputation last year for its chemistry, detail, and overt effectiveness will be a welcome sight.
And, perhaps more importantly, it marks the long-awaited return of Foerster, who’s set to make his preseason debut after a long rehab process for an elbow injury sustained over the summer.
Foerster Returns, and a Line Reunites
For Tocchet, Foerster’s presence is as much about character as it is about talent.
“I think he works extremely hard on his rehab,” Tocchet said after Monday’s morning skate. “I give him a lot of credit. It doesn’t surprise me; he’s a character kid.”
Foerster’s injury-shortened summer meant a delayed start to camp action, but his inclusion tonight signals not only his progress but his importance.
The Flyers need his shooting threat, his intelligence on the wing, and his ability to complement two linemates who thrive on responsibility and detail.
Cates has always been the steadying center—a reliable two-way presence who gives his wingers freedom to push offensively while maintaining structure. Brink, meanwhile, is the playmaker, able to see seams others don’t and execute on them.
With Foerster back on the right side, it becomes a line built on trust and cohesion rather than trial-and-error.
Tocchet admitted he’s eager to see it for himself.
“[I’m] really excited. I heard a lot about that line last year, chemistry-wise,” he said. “You even notice—I know it’s a small sample size—just in the morning skate, you ask for something, they do it pretty-detailed. Coaches love guys like that.”
For the Flyers, who are still sorting through auditions and evaluations, this unit offers a glimpse of stability—and maybe a taste of what’s to come when the regular season arrives.
Vladar Gets the Net
On the back end, the Flyers will get a full-game look at goaltender Dan Vladar. The veteran netminder has shared the crease in earlier appearances, but tonight will be different.
Preseason is as much about workload as it is performance, and Vladar logging sixty minutes provides the staff a better sense of his timing, conditioning, and readiness to handle full NHL pressure.
His presence also changes the tone of the game: when a goalie is slotted to go the distance, the evaluation shifts from snapshots to something closer to the real thing. For Vladar, and for the skaters in front of him, that matters immensely.
Rodrigo Abols: The Preseason Ironman
No Flyer has logged more miles this preseason than Rodrigo Abols. Tonight in Boston will be his fifth game in nine days, an impressive workload for a player fighting to solidify his standing.
Tocchet explained the reasoning: “This summer, we have some preseason games and, you know, sometimes you have to pick two or three guys [that are] going to play. We’re trying to find guys to lock out some positions. Plus, he can play center, and that helps if somebody’s out, you know, you can put him in at center. When a guy can play dual, he usually gets the extra games…If you have two guys that are even, you usually go to the guy that plays dual.”
That versatility has given Abols the nod again and again, and while preseason minutes can be a grind, they also present opportunity. The more he’s seen, the clearer his case becomes. In a camp filled with uncertainty, his endurance and adaptability have made him a constant.
Camp Tightens
As Boston hosts Philadelphia, another reality of preseason hovers: time is running out for bubble players.
With AHL camps set to open soon, the Flyers will likely significantly streamline their roster in the coming days, cutting down from two competing groups to something resembling the team that will break camp.
For younger players, this is the final window to make a case. Every detail—on the forecheck, on the backcheck, on special teams—matters.
For veterans, it’s about rhythm and readiness.
For the staff, it’s about decisions that shape the roster not just for October, but potentially for months to come.