Two games remain in the preseason, and just nine days are left until the Flyers take the ice for the season opener on the 2025-26 season. On Tuesday, they got a lot closer to the final roster with the latest round of cuts.
In total, 11 players were dashed from the training camp roster.
Forwards Denver Barkey, Alex Bump, Alexis Gendron, and Devin Kaplan were sent to the Phantoms, along with defensemen Emil Andrae, Hunter McDonald, and Ty Murchison as well as goalies Aleksei Kolosov and Carson Bjarnason. Helge Grans, who was placed on waivers on Monday, cleared and was also assigned to the Phantoms. Anthony Richard was placed on waivers on Tuesday for the purpose of being sent to the Phantoms.
That leaves 29 players on the training camp roster, but the final picture is even clearer than that. Oliver Bonk, Karsen Dorwart, Lane Pederson, and Ethan Samson are all currently injured, and can’t be sent to the minors until cleared. That takes another four players out of the mix for the final roster, leaving just 25 for the final 23-man roster.
The goaltending situation is already set. Sam Ersson and Dan Vladar are the only two goalies left on the roster.
Including the injuries to Dorwart and Pederson, there are 15 forwards left on the camp roster. Rodrigo Abols has made a great impression, playing in all five preseason games so far. Nikita Grebenkin has carried over his strong rookie camp and appears to be on his way to a roster spot as well. Jacob Gaucher also remains on the roster following a strong rookie camp and preseason, but seems less likely to make the team.
The big conundrum for the Flyers is what to do with Jett Luchanko. The 19-year-old does not have the option to go to the AHL. He must either make the Flyers roster or be returned to juniors. With two games to go, it appears the Flyers are going to give him every opportunity to make the roster, and could even utilize the nine-game tryout before the first year of his entry-level contract kicks in. The Flyers did this last year, with Luchanko playing in four games.
On defense, the Flyers are down to eight defensemen with Bonk and Samson injured. There’s a chance they could simply keep all eight going forward. Head coach Rick Tocchet expressed that he prefers to carry 13 forwards and eight defensemen for practice purposes. If the Flyers go with less than eight defensemen, there would be a battle for spots between Noah Juulsen, Dennis Gilbert, and Adam Ginning.
The team is back on the ice in preseason action on Thursday night against the New York Islanders and close the preseason on Saturday afternoon against the New Jersey Devils.