(Photo: Jerome Miron, Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c2c206ee-8e50-4b45-9140-234c64de98c6.jpeg] (Photo: Jerome Miron, Imagn Images) The Philadelphia Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers] have received a number of small boosts in the last few days and weeks, but none bigger than the latest Tyson Foerster injury update. On Thursday, Bill Meltzer reported on HockeyHotStove that Flyers GM Danny Briere [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/revisiting-gm-danny-briere-s-first-flyers-trade-2-years-later] believes Foerster, 23, "should be ready" for the upcoming 2025-26 season. “Everything looks good right now,” Briere told Meltzer via text [https://hockeyhotstove.com/quick-hits-flyers-encouraged-by-foerster-progress/]. “Should be ready for the season.” So, why is this a big deal? In a nutshell, this is one less roster spot the Flyers have to fill with already limited salary cap space. At the time of this writing, the Flyers have $370k in cap space with a full 23-player roster, leaving them little wiggle room to call up an injury replacement for Foerster or another player if necessary. With Foerster now seemingly on track to play on opening night, the Flyers should have plenty of cap space to tune the roster to their liking. Goalie Ivan Fedotov [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/flyers-expected-to-send-ivan-fedotov-to-the-ahl-in-2025-26] is likely to be assigned to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms sometime before the start of the season, while one of Noah Juulsen or Dennis Gilbert - two veteran defensemen recently added in free agency - will join him there. Removing Fedotov and one of the newcomers will create roughly $2 million in cap space for the Flyers, which subsequently allows them to go with a standard 13-forward, seven-defensemen, two-goalie NHL roster in addition to having the requisite cap space to recall an injury replacement if and when needed. Ryan Johansen Outcome Affirms Flyers' Cap Situation for 2025-26 [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/8dfc16dc-c528-4b25-b2e7-708b4291147a.webp] Ryan Johansen Outcome Affirms Flyers' Cap Situation for 2025-26 With the arbitration in the Ryan Johansen grievance against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> all but officially siding with the team in proceedings, the Flyers have received clarity on their salary cap situation for the 2025-26 season. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/9XBJyAulAD0K3uFDYTcI] With Foerster now back in the fold, the Flyers boast a left wing depth of him, Owen Tippett, Nick Deslauriers, and, presumably, college star Alex Bump [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/flyers-roster-battles-become-clearer-with-porter-martone-taking-ncaa-route]. Opportunity still exists for players like Nikita Grebenkin [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/flyers-nikita-grebenkin-lauds-professional-aleksei-kolosov], Anthony Richard, and Rodrigo Abols, but those opportunities will be far and few between unless Bump ultimately flatters to deceive by the end of training camp and the NHL preseason. With the Foerster and Ryan Johansen [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/report-ryan-johansen-flyers-saga-ends-with-philadelphia-victory] situations seemingly all handled and cleared up, the last question for the Flyers will be regarding the status of Rasmus Ristolainen [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/report-flyers-rejected-big-maple-leafs-trade-for-rasmus-ristolainen]. The Finnish defenseman suffered a season-ending triceps injury for the second year in a row and is not expected to partake in training camp, though he, like Foerster, could feasibly be ready for opening night. Until then, though, the Flyers are cruising along in the dog days of the offseason.
