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Rick Tocchet’s Philadelphia Flyers (20-12-7) play their first game of the 2026 calendar year on Saturday afternoon in Alberta. The opponent: the two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers (20-15-6).
Game time at Rogers Place is 3:30 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on NBCSP.
The Flyers enter this game coming off a 5-1 loss in Calgary on New Year’s Eve.Meanwhile, the Oilers suffered a 6-2 home defeat at the hands of the Boston Bruins.
Saturday’s game is the second and final match of the season series between the Flyer and Oilers. Back on November 12, the Flyers had to settle for one point from a 2-1 overtime loss at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Jack Roslovic scored the winning goal in sudden death. Evan Bouchard and Matvei Michkov (PPG) scored for their respective clubs in regulation.
The Oilers lead the NHL (as they often do) with a staggering 33.3 percent power play success rate. Meanwhile, the Edmonton PK ranks 20th in the NHL at 79.0 percent success. The Flyers have had some power play success against Edmonton the last couple seasons. Overall, Philly’s power play enters the game ranked 30th in the NHL at 15.9 percent efficiency.
Where to watch
Time and broadcast: 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSP
Listen online: FlyersRadio 24/7
RAV4 keys to the game for Philadelphia: click here
In-game watch party (Maher Media): click here
Leading scorers: Flyers (through 39 games)
Trevor Zegras — 39 points (15g, 24a)
Travis Konecny — 36 points (13g, 23a)
Christian Dvorak — 25 points (9g, 16a)
Owen Tippett — 23 points (12g, 11a)
Noah Cates — 22 points (10g, 12a)
Matvei Michkov — 22 points (9g, 13a)
Sean Couturier — 21 points (5g, 16a)
Bobby Brink — 19 points (10g, 9a)
Jamie Drysdale — 18 points (3g, 15a)
Goaltender stats
Dan Vladar — 23 GP, 14-6-3, 2.40 GAA, .910 SV%
Samuel Ersson — 15 GP, 6-5-4, 3.09 GAA, .868 SV%
Injury report: Flyers
- Tyson Foerster (right arm surgery) is likely out for the rest of the season. He has a five-month estimated timetable from December..
Projected Flyers Lineup
The Flyers held practice in Edmonton on Friday. Based on the practice combos, it appears that Emil Andrae will return to the lineup after he was a healthy scratch in Calgary on New Year’s Eve. Meanwhile, Garnet Hathaway will re-enter the lineup. He was scratched in each of the last six games. Additionally, Dan Vladar is the projected starting goalie.
Trevor Zegras- Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny
Denver Barkey – Sean Couturier – Owen Tippett
Matvei Michkov – Noah Cates – Bobby Brink
Carl Grundstrom – Rodrigo Abols – Garnet Hathaway
Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Emil Andrae – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler – Rasmus Ristolainen
Dan Vladar
[Samuel Ersson]
PP1: York, Tippett, Cates, Michkov, Sanheim
PP2: Drysdale, Barkey, Dvorak, Konecny, Zegras
Scratches: Nicolas Deslauriers (healthy), Nikita Grebenkin (healthy), Noah Juulsen (healthy).
Flyers Opponent: Edmonton Oilers
Leading scorers (through 41 games)
Connor McDavid— 70 points (24g, 46a)
Leon Draisaitl — 57points (20g, 37a)
Evan Bouchard — 37 points (7g, 30a)
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — 32 points (11g, 21a)
Zach Hyman — 22 points (12g, 10a in 22 games)
Jack Roslovic — 20 points (12g, 8a)
Mattias Ekholm — 17 points (3g, `14a)
Vasily Podkolzin — 16 points (9g, 7a )
Darnell Nurse — 15 points (6g, 9a)
Matt Savoie — 13 points (7g, 6a)
Goaltender stats
Tristan Jarry — 17 GP, 12-3-1, 2.73 GAA, .906 SV%
Calvin Pickard — 14 GP, 4-5-2, 3.69 GAA, .874 SV%
Connor Ingram — 4 GP, 2-2-0, 3.28 GAA, .884 SV%
Injury report: Oilers
- Vasily Podkolzin is day-to-day with an illness. He is questionable for Saturday’s game.
- Tristan Jarry is on IR with a lower-body injury. Connor Ingram is backing up Pickard in Jarry’s absence.
- Kasperi Kapanen is on IR.
Edmonton Oilers Projected Lineup: Last game (Dec. 31)
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Connor McDavid – Zach Hyman
Vasily Podkolzin – Leon Draisaitl – Jack Roslovic
Quinn Hutson – Adam Henrique – Trent Frederic
Isaac Howard – Curtis Lazar – Matthew Savoie
Mattias Ekholm – Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse – Alec Regula
Spencer Stastney – Ty Emberson
Calvin Pickard
[Connor Ingram]
PP1: McDavid, Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl, Bouchard
PP2: Ekholm, Savoie, Henrique, Roslovic, Nurse
Flyers defenseman Ristolainen named to Team Finland
Veteran Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen learned on Friday that he will represent Team Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He joins Flyers teammate Travis Sanheim (Team Canada) among the Philadelphia players headed to Italy in February.
On Saturday, the Flyers will lean heavily on their two Olympic-bound defensemen against the Oilers.
Flyers Daily: Flyers vs. Oilers Preview
In the first 2026 edition of Flyers Daily, Jason Myretetus previews Saturday’s game in Edmonton. He also replies to some viewer e-mails, makes 2026 calendar year Flyers predictions and a team-related New Year’s resolution.
Let’s Go Flyers