The Philadelphia Flyers are staying home on Saturday night looking to rediscover their rhythm after a flat result against Winnipeg—not a collapse by any means, but a game that left something to be desired in presence and production. 

Head coach Rick Tocchet called it "a dud" after morning skate, a fair assessment of a night where neither team dictated play for long stretches. Against the Minnesota Wild, the Flyers will have an immediate opportunity to correct course, tighten execution, and reassert the kind of identity Tocchet wants them to carry nightly.

Quick Hits

• Dan Vladar gets the start in net.
• Nic Deslauriers and Rodrigo Abols draw into the lineup in place of Nikita Grebenkin and Jett Luchanko.
• Egor Zamula will replace Adam Ginning.

Vladar Back in Net

Dan Vladar will get the start in goal, continuing what looks increasingly like a true 50/50 goaltending rotation between him and Sam Ersson.

Vladar’s early-season form has given Tocchet every reason to maintain that balance—he’s been composed, technically sound, and confident under pressure.

Through two starts, Vladar has looked sharp and self-assured, flashing strong lateral movement and solid rebound control. He’s also shown the kind of steadying presence the Flyers have needed while they continue to refine their structure.

Against Florida, he turned in a statement performance; Saturday offers another test, this time against a Minnesota lineup that tends to generate chaos near the crease.

Adjustments Up Front

Nic Deslauriers and Rodrigo Abols re-enter the lineup, replacing Jett Luchanko and Nikita Grebenkin.

The changes don’t signal panic or significant message of any sort, but reflect Tocchet’s preference for balance—a bit more physical edge and experience against a Wild team that thrives in board battles and net-front scrums.

Deslauriers brings the predictable energy and grit that can shift momentum in home games, while Abols, still carving out his identity at the NHL level, has shown flashes of awareness and responsible two-way play. Both should help stabilize the Flyers’ bottom six after a few uneven sequences against Winnipeg.

Defensive Shakeups

On the back end, Egor Zamula draws in for Adam Ginning, adding a little more puck movement and offensive vision to the blue line.

Ginning had been serviceable—physical, structured, and safe—but it's entirely possible that they could be wanting to showcase Zamula (who has been the subject of trade rumors recently), or simply could be wanting to rest Ginning and give the defense a different structure against the Wild.

York Returns to the Powerplay

Cam York will return to power-play duties after sitting out those minutes against Winnipeg—a decision that made sense given it was his first game back from injured reserve.

Tocchet explained that managing his workload was a matter of maintaining long-term sustainability.

“If you look at it, you’ve got [Jamie] Drysdale, York, and then [Travis] Sanheim," the head coach explained. "Sanny’s been playing a lot, so you’ve got to save some minutes. Any of those three guys, we want to get them reps…It’s more situational—who’s been on the ice a lot coming up on that powerplay? With the penalty kill, powerplay, five on five against a team’s best players, that’s heavy minutes. So sometimes we’re going to need three guys that are capable of running the top of the powerplay.”

York’s reintroduction adds another creative dimension to a power play that’s shown gradual signs of cohesion. His ability to walk the line, change shooting angles, and distribute confidently will help maintain puck movement against Minnesota’s penalty killers, who tend to collapse aggressively in front of the crease.

A Team Still Defining Its Identity

Tocchet’s postgame reflections after Winnipeg spoke less about systems and more about mindset.

“[Last game] was kind of a dud from a game perspective," he said. "It’s not like Winnipeg did anything, we didn’t do anything, so that part, for me, is more arriving on time with your identity, which we didn’t. So that’s gonna be a work in progress.”

It’s a fair point—the Flyers have played with clear structure and resilience in most of their early games, but there have been occasional lapses in pace and engagement. The challenge now is consistency: playing the same brand of hockey regardless of opponent, arena, or circumstance.

Minnesota will test that commitment. They’re a heavy, straightforward team that thrives on counterpunches and chaos. If the Flyers are tentative on retrievals or slow in transition, the Wild will exploit it. But if Philadelphia can assert their puck-control game early, the Wild’s defense — which has shown cracks this season — can be exposed.

Michkov’s Confidence Building

Matvei Michkov’s first goal of the season, scored against Winnipeg, was a meaningful step for the 20-year-old. It wasn’t flashy, but it didn’t need to be. It was about timing, positioning, and touch— the kind of goal that reinforces instincts and restores rhythm.

Tocchet acknowledged how small moments like that can shift the mental balance for young players.

“Any high-level guys—I hate to say it, but even, like, a cheap assist loosens guys up," he said. "Somebody doesn’t score for three, four games…people start talking. But even just that assist loosens you up.”

Michkov’s underlying play has been solid through the first few games — creative on entries, patient with the puck, and steadily improving defensively. Now that the first one is behind him, his game could start to open up in more visible ways.

The Task Ahead

Saturday night is less about redemption and more about refinement. The Flyers aren’t searching for answers so much as alignment—tightening execution, managing details, and reestablishing the identity Tocchet keeps referencing.

With Vladar steadying the crease, York rejoining the power play, and lineup tweaks adding fresh energy, the Flyers have the right ingredients. What they need now is a sharper edge—not dramatic overcorrection, just intent and rhythm from puck drop.

Against a well-coached, grinding Minnesota team, that will be enough of a test. But it’s also exactly the kind of challenge Tocchet wants his group to embrace early in the season: not just reacting to opponents, but defining themselves through consistency, control, and tempo.

Projected Lines

Philadelphia Flyers

Forwards:

Travis Konecny - Sean Couturier - Matvei Michkov

Tyson Foerster - Noah Cates - Bobby Brink

Trevor Zegras - Christian Dvorak - Owen Tippett

Nic Deslauriers - Rodrigo Abols - Garnet Hathaway

Defense:

Cam York - Travis Sanheim

Nick Seeler - Jamie Drysdale

Egor Zamula - Noah Juulsen

Goalies:

Dan Vladar

Sam Ersson

Minnesota Wild

Forwards:

Kirill Kaprizov - Marco Rossi - Matt Boldy

Marcus Johansson - Joel Eriksson Ek - Vladimir Tarasenko

Marcus Foligno - Ryan Hartman - Yakov Trenin

Liam Ohgren - Danila Yurov - Vinnie Hinostroza

Defense:

Jonas Brodin - Brock Faber

Jacob Middleton - Jared Spurgeon 

Zeev Buium - Zach Bogosian

Goalies:

Jesper Wallstedt 

Filip Gustavsson