The Philadelphia Flyers opened their preseason schedule on Long Island with flashes of excitement, some inevitable hiccups, and an 11-round shootout that reminded everyone that September hockey has a rhythm all its own.
Now, as the team heads north to Montreal for its second preseason game, the storylines shift. A new set of faces gets its chance to impress, and the evaluation process deepens.
If the first game was about experimenting with high-profile combinations—like the Michkov-Zegras-Grebenkin trio—this one will be about opportunity: the kind that comes when the lineup turns over almost entirely and the spotlight falls on players who are just starting to write their Flyers chapters.
Preseason Debuts for Jett Luchanko and Alex Bump
For two of the Flyers’ most intriguing young forwards, Jett Luchanko and Alex Bump, tonight marks their first taste of preseason NHL action. Both have impressed in camp for different reasons, and now they’ll get a chance to translate that work into a live game against a Canadiens team whose own youth movement mirrors Philadelphia’s in many ways.
For Bump, the adjustment to this level has been smoother than he expected.
“Honestly, it’s not as fast as I thought it was going to be,” he admitted. “I was a little shaky the first day, didn’t really know what to expect, but it hasn’t been too much of a change. I’m just trying to get comfortable, make some more plays.”
The Flyers have been clear in their instructions: don’t overthink it. “Play my game. Don’t try and do too much,” Bump said. “Obviously, it’s a little bit of a jump from college to the pros so…stay poised.”
His ability to find offense in tight spaces and his confidence with the puck should make him a fascinating watch, especially as he continues to build on the strong impression he made at development camp and rookie camp.
For Luchanko, it’s more about reaffirmation. Last year’s first-round pick lost some valuable on-ice time over the summer dealing with injuries, but he insists he’s fully healthy now.
“Feeling 100%,” he said. “I was training [at the Flyers facilities], which is always good because I work with the best here. I was really able to work out a lot still; [the injuries] just kind of affected being on the ice a little bit.”
If there’s a theme in his approach to camp, it’s patience.
“It’s a lot of the same as last year. Just come to the rink every day and work hard no matter what,” Luchanko explained. “It’s never gonna be easy to make a team like this, so just kind of take it day by day...I’ve been trying to work on things like my shot, but, overall, just trying to improve everything, so hopefully I’m a little bit better at everything.”
Rodrigo Abols Gets Another Look
While the lineup in Montreal will be brand-new compared to the group that faced the Islanders, Rodrigo Abols is the exception. He’ll suit up for a second straight game, and that alone says something about the organization’s interest in giving him a serious look.
“I love big guys that can skate like that,” Tocchet said of the 6-foot-4 Latvian forward. “You know, can he fit a role? I want to see how he can play two, three games in a row. The hardest part, I find, for when guys come up from the minors is that they give you a good game and then they fall off. But how do they get consistency? I think it’s a good, important game for him—to see if he can be consistent for us. You never know. So I just wanted to see what was going on.”
That word—consistency—will define whether Abols can turn heads enough to push for a roster spot, or at the very least, secure himself as a go-to call-up. He’ll be joined by other fringe players and AHL hopefuls like Helge Grans and Emil Andrae, both defensemen who want to establish themselves firmly on Tocchet’s radar.
If camp has been about opportunity, these are the types of nights where seizing it matters most.
Throw It at the Wall and See What Sticks
Preseason hockey is experimentation at its purest. Tocchet made it clear that different lineups will cycle through these first few games, and with nearly the entire roster swapped out from Saturday’s opener, Monday night in Montreal will be another exercise in trial and error.
It worked well enough against the Islanders. Yes, there were sloppy moments, but there was also creativity, pace, and signs of chemistry. And for a first crack at Tocchet’s systems, it was a step in the right direction. Against the Canadiens, the focus shifts to how this different group of players can adapt to the same expectations.
Mistakes are expected; chemistry is a work in progress. But Tocchet is aware that it’s going to be messy at first and is prepared to work through the bumps in the road as a team.
It’s gonna take some time," he acknowledged at the beginning of camp. "They’re gonna have to get used to some of the stuff that we’re gonna do, but they should always be working on it. They shouldn’t have to have it demanded out of them.”
The Canadiens will present a different kind of test, one that leans more on handling speed and pressure in a hostile environment. But the point of these games isn’t perfection—it’s discovery. Who looks comfortable? Who elevates their linemates? Who falls flat? Who makes it impossible not to be noticed?
That’s what preseason is really about. And with fresh faces like Luchanko and Bump making their debuts, Abols looking to prove staying power, and another round of experimental lineups, the Flyers’ second preseason game offers no shortage of questions. Montreal, for one night, will be where a few of them start to find answers.