In May of 2023, the Philadelphia Flyers unveiled a new slogan, “A new era of orange.” This was met with the release of brand-new jerseys and a promise for success from then-head coach John Tortorella. Now, three years later, the Flyers have seen minimal improvement, a new head coach, and what seems to be “the same old Flyers hockey,” according to fan Nick Nolek.
The Flyers entered the 2025–26 season with minimal expectations. Signings in free agency of Trevor Zegras, Dan Vladar and Christian Dvorak were the biggest additions to the team. Vladar has been stellar in goal for the Flyers through January 27, posting 16 wins and a .905 save percentage. However, after an injury picked up in early January, the Flyers turned to Sam Ersson, who has struggled to fill the Czech goaltender’s skates. Ersson has eight wins in 23 games played this season and is posting a .860 save percentage, which is among the worst in the NHL.
The backup goaltender position has haunted the Flyers for quite a few seasons. Between alternating Ivan Fedotov, Aleksei Kolosov and Ersson over the last few years, it seems that there is a big hole in the roster that has kept the Flyers in the middle of the Eastern Conference.
Another issue fans have noticed is a failure by ownership to demonstrate strong leadership in the front office and on the ice. Fans have questioned numerous front office choices, such as extending 29-year-old two-way center Dvorak to a five-year, $25.75 million contract extension, keeping him in Philadelphia through the 2030–31 season, when he will be 35 years old. This was met with Rick Tocchet saying part of this extension was because of “culture,” which fans criticized, since it seems as if the team does “not care about winning, but about friendships,” according to Nolek.
A move like this was also shocking since the Flyers will have to re-sign Zegras at the end of the season, as he will become a restricted free agent. Zegras is having a career year with Philadelphia, with a team-high 19 goals and 46 points through 51 games played. Zegras will almost certainly cost the Flyers a hefty fee come the end of the season.
The Flyers are also still in the hunt for a playoff spot at the end of January, a similar position that they have been in for a few seasons now. Every year, though, they fall just short, landing a draft pick in the middle of the order and not having landed a top pick since 2017, when they took Nolan Patrick second overall. This constant lack of top talent in the farm system and lack of urgency to sign the top players in the league makes it seem like they are content with their 50-year Stanley Cup drought, which most fans agree on.
The future looks bright for the Flyers, though. General Manager Danny Brière will be able to acquire more superstars starting in 2027, when the salary cap increases from $95 million to nearly $115 million. This may be the official start to the “new era of orange” in Philadelphia, with playoffs soon to follow.
