The 0-1-0 Philadelphia Flyers take on the 1-0-0 Carolina Hurricanes in some Saturday night hockey. It’s a match-up of former Flyers turned bench bosses – Rod Brind’Amour vs. Rick Tocchet.

The puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. EST at the Lenovo Center.

Thursday’s matchup in Florida taught us a few things about the Flyers. The biggest takeaway: The Flyers need to improve their puck possession time and become more aggressive offensively.

Can the addition of some young talent help the Flyers find their first win of the season?

Read: Flyers Report Card: Vladar and Cates Line Stand Out in Loss vs. Panthers

Projected Lines and Pairs

Forwards
Travis Konecny – Sean Couturier – Matvei Michkov
Christian Dvorak – Trevor Zegras – Owen Tippett
Tyson Foerster – Noah Cates – Bobby Brink
Nikita Grebenkin – Jett Luchanko – Garnet Hathaway

Defensemen
Nick Seeler – Travis Sanheim
Adam Ginning – Jamie Drysdale
Egor Zamula – Noah Juulsen

Goaltenders
Sam Ersson
Dan Vladar

Special Teams
PP1: Drysdale, Zegras, Michkov, Tippett, Konecny
PP2: Sanheim, Cates, Couturier, Foerster, Brink

PK1: Cates, Foerster, Seeler, Sanheim
PK 2: Couturier, Konecny, Ginning, Juulsen

Flyers’ Young Guns’ Season Debut

Two of the Flyers’ bright young prospects, Jett Luchanko and Nikita Grebenkin, will make their 2025-26 season debuts on Saturday.

Grebenkin made the Flyers roster after having a heck of a camp, earning his spot. For Luchanko, his spot may have been more about keeping him away from the NHL rather than earning a place in the NHL. I am certain that if he could be in the AHL right now, he would be. Nonetheless, Luchanko is here and can earn his place in the league by making the most of his opportunity.

I am going to be keeping a close eye on Grebenkin Saturday night. He is expected to start the game on the fourth line, but I am not sure how long that will last. Winning puck battles is a key factor in puck possession, and that is one of many things he does well. If one of the Flyers’ top two lines is struggling to control the puck, it would not shock me to see Grebenkin get promoted mid-game.

For Luchanko, I am looking to see him be a bit more aggressive. Throughout camp and the preseason, he still seemed a bit too passive, especially for someone with his speed and hands. If he is going to stick with the Flyers, he is going to have to start making things happen himself.

Both players made their NHL debuts last season, with Grebenkin getting seven games in Toronto and Luchanko’s four in Philly. Neither player has registered a point in the NHL to this point. Can that change tonight?

Read More: ‘I’ll Be Ready’: Jett Luchanko Ready for Any Role in 2025

Previous Matchups

Last season, matchups against the Canes were not too kind to the Flyers. Philly went 0-3-0 against Carolina last season. The first game was the closest, with the game being tied up until the final 31 seconds. Marty Necas, now in Colorado, scored in the final minute of the game, followed by a Seth Jarvis empty-netter to bring the game to the final score of 6-4.

The next two games were the complete opposite. Carolina outscored the Flyers 9-1 in the final two matchups of the year.

Travis Konecny led the Flyers in points against Carolina last year with four, scoring two goals and two assists. All four of those points game in that first matchup last season.

Sebastian Aho led the Canes in points against the Flyers last season with five, and was in a three-way tie for the team lead in goals against Philly with two. Jack Roslovic, who is not with the team anymore, and Mark Jankowski, who has yet to appear in a game, are the other two players with two goals against the Flyers last season.

How to Watch Flyers @ Hurricanes

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia, ESPN+ (Out of Market)

Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

The puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. EST at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Read More: James: How I’d Shuffle the Lines After the Season-Opening Loss