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On Wednesday afternoon, the Philadelphia Flyers officially announced their 2026 Training Camp roster and preseason schedule. The camp will run from September 17 to 28 at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, New Jersey.
The Flyers have a 46-player roster includes 26 forwards, 16 defensemen and four goaltenders. Those players will be divided into three teams for practice days, with on-ice and off-ice sessions.
Coming off a season in which they were able to earn a playoff berth and a first round victory, there’s anticipation for a relatively young roster’s next step
However, beyond the Leo Carlsson offer sheet, general manager Daniel Briere did not make massive changes to his roster this summer. So can the team as currently constructed can make another run for the postseason?
The first step to finding out what the Flyers have begins when training camp begins.
Players To Watch
There are a number of interesting stories to look at during training camp. Notably, Briere decided to stick with his own roster and didn’t offer player tryout contracts (PTO’s) to any available free agents. Considering that the Flyers are strong at wing and have depth on defense, they’d might’ve considered a center. But it’s well established how thin that market is, so it made little sense to waste a camp spot on one.
With that, here’s some players I’ll be focused on at during camp.
Forwards
Jett Luchanko– By all accounts, the Flyers 2024 first round pick (13th overall) should be a full participant in this year’s training camp. He had a chronic lower-body/groin and core muscle problem that sapped him of the power and speed that made him their top pick. After missing ice portions of back-to-back development camps in 2025 and 2026, he had a corrective procedure in June. In the meantime, the Flyers will take a healthy Luchanko first and go from there.
Nikita Grebenkin– The Russian wing had a strong preseason and earned his way onto the Flyers roster last fall. His grittiness and willingness to engage in the danger areas. However a late season upper body injury took him out of playoff action and his recovery took throughout the summer. He re-upped on a two year contract. Can he can crack the roster again with a lot of competition?
Noah Acciari-He was part of a Penguins fourth line that gave the Flyers some fits during their first round series. So when Briere saw the chance to upgrade his own unit, he didn’t hesitate to bring him on board. Acciari give the Flyers some line-up flexibility, so he could see time at center or wing.
Denver Barkey- In the Flyers never-ending search for centers, Barkey might seem an unlikely candidate. The obvious draw-back is his acute lack of size (5 foot 10, 171lbs) for the position, but he competes relentlessly. The preseason is the time for experimentation, though not as much as in the past with only four games. That said, he’s earned a look there after a competitive performance in the playoffs.
Devin Kaplan- It’s feeling like it’s now or never time for Kaplan, as he is on the last year of his three year entry level contract. He suffered an upper body injury playing for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in late February that sidelined him for the rest of the season. However, he participated in Flyers development camp and seemed back to full strength. While it seems more likely that he’ll start the season in Lehigh, a strong preseason could put him on the team’s radar.
Cole Knuble- After a solid final season at Notre Dame, Knuble will likely start with the Phantoms. But a strong rookie camp performance and the team’s need for serviceable center options could help him. Likewise, Knuble’s equal comfort in playing center or wing aids his cause. Versatility is always a plus.
Defensemen
David Jiricek-The hulking Czech defenseman was the Flyers main addition at the trade deadline last year, acquired for winger Bobby Brink. After spending time with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, he played for the big club in their season finale. He possesses good straight line speed and a strong shot, but he has to improve on his defensive reads. Expect he’ll be battling Nick Seeler and Simon Benoit in a rotating competition on the third pairing.
Maksim Sokolovskii- I don’t expect the towering (six foot seven, 234 lb) Russian defenseman to crack the Flyers roster this camp. But how he fares against higher levels of competition will be something to watch.
Oliver Bonk– The 2023 first round pick ended his up and down season on a high note. He played in the regular season- and the postseason finales and showed why the Flyers have every reason to be happy with his development. He’ll likely feature on the Phantoms top pairing, but if Jamie Drysdale or Cam York are injured, it wouldn’t be surprising if he earns a call-up.
Spencer Gill– The 2024 second round pick has had rotten injury luck, especially he was limited to 16 regular season games with an upper body injury. However, he looked strong for Blainville-Broisband Armada in the QMJHL playoffs, finishing with three goals and 10 points in 17 games. As he enters his first professional season, we’ll see if the two-way game he flashed in juniors comes to fruition over time.
Goaltenders: Flyers and Phantoms
Dan Vladar and Joseph Woll– Barring injury, they are a lock for the Flyers NHL tandem. The only question: Will they be starter (Vladar) and backup (Woll)? Or will it become more of a 1A and 1B arrangement?
Carson Bjarnason- It wasn’t the best of rookie campaigns for Bjarnason. More accurately, he got off to an encouraging start Thereafter, he hit the wall and struggled considerably the rest of the season. He finished with a 3.43 goals against average and an .877 save percentage. Goalies typically take time in their development and the Flyers will be patient with the 2023 second round pick. With the Flyers goaltending locked up for at least the next two seasons with Vladar and Woll, the 6 foot 3 Bjarnason can hone his craft for the Phantoms.
Aleksei Kolosov– The Flyers surprised some observers when Kolosov signed a new contract after his entry-level deal expired. He made some progress last season, but has been inconsistent in the AHL. At the NHL level, it’s been a real struggle. He faces a make-or-break camp and season if Kolosov is to have a pro career in North America. Right now, there’s minimal outside interest in the Belarusian netminder.
Flyers Schedule Flow
The Flyers open camp with two on-ice practice days on Thursday and Friday, followed by a team scrimmage on Saturday, September 19.
After an off-day, they will travel to Hershey, Pennsylvania on Monday, September 21 for their first preseason game against the Washington Capitals. On Tuesday, they will ship up to Boston to take on the Bruins at TD Garden. Both games are 7pm starts.
Each game will see the rostered group travel, while the remaining camp will continue in Voorhees with practice sessions on the Flyers and Phantoms’ rinks.
After another practice day in Voorhees, they’ll host the Bruins on Thursday September 24 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena (7pm). Following a day off on Friday, they’ll play their final preseason game on Saturday, September 26 against the Capitals at home (5pm start time).
Training Camp will wrap up on Sunday, September 27, with the schedule to be announced. Three days later, the Flyers drop the puck on the 2026-27 regular season at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins (7:30pm start).
Off The Post Radio-Atlantic Division Review
Off The Post Radio wraps up our divisional review series with the ever-competitive Atlantic Division.
Michael Augello, Russ Cohen, & I also examined the Anaheim Ducks decision to waive winger Chris Kreider, as another consequence of their salary cap crunch caused by their matching of the Leo Carlsson offer sheet
On the weekend podcast, we’ll welcome The Athletic’s Julian McKenzie and take a deep dive on the Ottawa Senators, who are adapting to life without former captain Brady Tkachuk.
Join us at 10 am EST Sunday!
Win This Autographed Travis Konecny Photo
Hockey Hot Stove will hold another fan giveaway drawing on September 10. The prize, courtesy of Carl’s Cards and Collectibles: an autographed Travis Konecny photo.
TK signed it for Carl’s during his rookie year. In the photo, he proudly holds up his first NHL goal puck. Legendary Flyers publicist Zack Hill took the photo on Oct. 25, 2016.
Dan Vladar did a recent in-store autograph signing appearance at Carl’s. Carl’s provided one free autograph ticket for HHS to give away. The winner was Kevin Burgess.
Up next: Tyson Foerster. The Flyers winger will come to Carl’s for an in-store signing event on November 2. Visit CarlsCards.com for more information.
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