It’s the annoyingly persistent question that has plagued everyone involved with the Philadelphia Flyers since the rebuild officially took shape: what does success look like right now?
Is it winning, is it development, or is it both? For the Flyers, entering another year in transition, the answer is far more complicated than simply making the playoffs or not.
This is not the mid-2010s Flyers, perpetually stuck in no-man’s land, leaning on veterans for just enough wins to stay mediocre. Nor is it the mid-1970s team, where the only acceptable outcome was a parade down Broad Street. The Flyers of 2025-26 are something different—a work in progress, yet brimming with enough intrigue to make defining success more layered than it’s been in years.
So what does success actually look like this season? It depends on which lens you use.
The Playoff Argument: Proof of Concept
There’s a strong case that making the playoffs—or at least fighting to the final week—is the only acceptable definition of success. The organization has leaned hard into the “standard reset” under John Tortorella and now Rick Tocchet, emphasizing accountability, structure, and identity.
For that standard to mean something, it needs tangible results. Sneaking into the postseason wouldn’t just reward the work of players like who have carried heavy loads, but it would also accelerate the culture Tocchet is trying to cultivate. It’s one thing to grind through a season of hard practices and demanding video sessions; it’s another to see it pay off in meaningful April hockey.
Playoffs validate. They tell the players, the fans, and the front office: we’re not just building, we’re arriving.
But there’s a counterpoint.
The Development Argument: The Long Game
The Flyers have a plethora of young talent, and their focus since Danny Briere took over as General Manager has been to foster that young, existing talent. This season is about them as much as it is about the standings.
Because let’s be honest: the Flyers probably aren’t hoisting the Cup this year. Even a playoff berth might mean a quick exit against a team like Carolina, New York, or Toronto. But the development of these young players has a longer shelf life.
Siobhan Nolan (@SGNolan) on X
“The plan doesn’t change here…We see [Tocchet] as the long term solution for our head coaching solution…I think there’s nobody better than Rick to teach our young guys.”
—Danny Brière’s opening remarks
#LetsGoFlyers
If Matvei Michkov can continue growing and unleashing even more of his generational abilities, if Tyson Foerster continues to establish himself as a consistent top-six winger, if Cam York proves he can handle 22 minutes a night, if Bobby Brink stays consistent and finds a permanent NHL rhythm—those are building blocks that outlast a one-and-done postseason cameo (and will sustain the team for more postseason appearances down the line.)
The Hybrid Model: Competitive Progress
As it often does, the real answer lies somewhere in the middle. Success doesn’t have to be defined strictly by the standings or strictly by development—the two can (and should) coexist.
The Flyers don’t need to make the playoffs to call this season a success. But they do need to stay competitive deep into March and April. They do need to avoid the slide that can plague teams at the tail end of the season when fatigue, injuries, and overall burnout set in. And they do need to show that the next wave of young stars are progressing in step with the veterans who bridge the present to the future.
Think of it as a checklist:
- Stay in the race. If the Flyers can play meaningful games late, they’re signaling that their foundation is holding.
- See development in real time. Although it’s understandable to feel the toll of a full NHL season, players should be better in April than in October.
- Establish identity under Tocchet. This isn’t Tortorella’s grinding-at-all-costs team anymore. Tocchet has spoken about freeing up creativity without sacrificing structure. Success means players buy into that, and the results begin to show.
So, What’s the Answer?
If you ask the front office, they would likely say the answer is simple: success is progress, measurable and sustainable. It’s building habits that carry not just into next season, but the one after that. If you ask the fan in section 212, they’ll tell you it’s playoffs, no caveats.
The truth is in the compromise. The Flyers don’t need to be perfect this season, but they need to show a path. They need to prove that the dark years are over, that the foundation Tortorella laid has value, and that Tocchet’s touch can elevate it beyond mere respectability.
They’re genuinely more capable of a playoff run than they have been in years prior, and while the hope may be cautious, it’s not unrealistic.
Success isn’t one thing this year — it’s a tapestry. Because in the Flyers’ current situation, there is no single definition of what marks a “good” season. It’s about momentum—toward something bigger, brighter, and finally, after years of false starts, sustainable.