After Week 4 of their 2025–26 campaign, the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves seventh in Eastern Conference points percentage—on pace for a playoff spot by season’s end. In this edition of Flyers News & Rumors, we’ll look at Jamie Drysdale‘s newfound independence, goaltender Aleksei Kolosov‘s call-up, and Trevor Zegras‘ home-ice dominance.
Drysdale Gaining His Independence
One of Philadelphia’s major strengths early in the season has been its defense. With the seventh-best expected goals against rate at 5-on-5 and some fantastic goaltending from Dan Vladař, a subpar offensive output to this point hasn’t stopped the team from winning games. The unit’s top standout, perhaps, has been Drysdale.
Philadelphia Flyers News & Rumors (The Hockey Writers)
With a 55.52% expected goal share at 5-on-5, Drysdale ranks among some of the best top-four defensemen in the NHL. He’s had similar numbers in previous seasons, but that was only when he was stapled to Nick Seeler—a physical, veteran shutdown defender who is as fearless as they come. However, the tide has finally turned.
The table below shows how Seeler and Drysdale are performing, both together and apart. For the first time, the youngster has been holding down the fort.
PairingExpected Goal ShareIce TimeSeeler-Drysdale55.32%110:52Drysdale without Seeler55.80%81:58Seeler without Drysdale34.69%67:54
This kind of plays into those Bowen Byram rumors from a little while ago. Drysdale is establishing himself as a true top-four defenseman, averaging close to 22 minutes per game for his excellence. If the Flyers could theoretically trade for a short- and long-term partner right now, why wouldn’t they? It’s something to keep an eye on.
After sustaining an injury before practice, the Flyers placed goaltender Samuel Ersson on injured reserve. The 26-year-old will miss, at the very least, two more games. In his place, Kolosov was called up from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Kolosov, 23, had a rough go of things last season. He was among the worst goalies in both AHL and NHL save percentage, putting his future outlook in jeopardy. But he’s bounced back in a big way for the Phantoms to start 2025–26. In five games, he has a .918 save percentage, 2.60 goals-against average, and a 3–2–0 record.
In a 5–2 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 1, Vladař was yanked after allowing a goal just 33 seconds into the third period to put the Flyers down by three. Kolosov filled in nicely, turning aside seven shots in relief.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Depth Steals the Spotlight in 5–2 Win vs. Flyers
With the Flyers set to host the Calgary Flames on Nov. 2, the original plan was for Kolosov to get at least one start. But it’s possible that, with Vladař a bit more rested, he’ll get both games. While that’d be a bad break for the Belarusian rookie, hoping to make a good impression on head coach Rick Tocchet, he’s proving to be a reliable emergency option nonetheless.
Whether the 23-year-old’s next start comes in the AHL or NHL, his career has a much more positive outlook now. With Ersson’s contract set to expire after the season, Kolosov could even have the inside track to be the team’s No. 2 in 2026–27 if his success continues.
Zegras Is Shining on Home Ice
With a late power-play assist in Saturday’s contest, Zegras extended his home-ice point streak to eight games and joined some elite company in the process. He is one of six players with 12 points at home this season.
Players with 12+ home-ice points this season:
Mark Scheifele – 14
Matthew Knies – 13
William Nylander – 13
Kyle Connor – 12
John Tavares – 12
Trevor Zegras – 12pic.twitter.com/IdNwS2Cs3T
— Justin Giampietro (@justingiam) November 2, 2025
The 24-year-old forward, a restricted free agent in the offseason, is up to 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 11 games. Tied for 30th in league scoring on a team without a second double-digit point-getter, he’s one of the hottest players in the sport right now.
The last player to reach at least 12 points within the Flyers’ first eight home games was Claude Giroux back in 2017–18—one of the highest-scoring seasons in team history. Zegras probably won’t reach those heights, but that company underscores just how good a start he’s off to.
Things are looking up for the Orange and Black. After a rough start, 20-year-old forward Matvei Michkov is bouncing back. Top prospect Porter Martone, meanwhile, is dominating the NCAA. Just as important, the team is winning—they can expand on their 6–4–1 record with a four-game Week 5.
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick
