After Week 4 of their 2025-2026 season, the Philadelphia Flyers rank seventh in points percentage in the Eastern Conference – on pace for a spot in the playoffs by season’s end. In this edition of Flyers News & Rumors, we look at Jamie Drysdale’s newfound independence, goaltender Aleksei Kolosov’s call-up and Trevor Zegras’ dominance on home ice.
Drysdale gains his independence
One of Philadelphia’s biggest strengths early in the season was its defense. With the seventh best expected goals against at 5-on-5 and fantastic goaltending from Dan Vladař, a sub-par attacking performance so far has not stopped the team from winning games. The highlight of the unit was perhaps Drysdale.
With an expected goal share of 55.52% at 5-on-5, Drysdale is one of the top four defensemen in the NHL. He had similar numbers in previous seasons, but that was only when he was enjoy 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 perform, both together and separately. For the first time, the youngster is holding the fort.
| To link | Expected target share | Ice age |
| Seeler-Drysdale | 55.32% | 110:52 |
| Drysdale without Seeler | 55.80% | 81:58 |
| Seeler without Drysdale | 34.69% | 67:54 |
This plays into the Bowen Byram rumors from a while ago. Drysdale profiles as a true top-four defender, averaging almost 22 minutes per game due to his excellence. Now, if the Flyers could theoretically trade for a short- and long-term partner, why wouldn’t they? It’s something to keep an eye on.
After suffering an injury before practice, the Flyers drafted goaltender Samuel Ersson on injured reserve. The 26-year-old will miss at least two more games. In his place, Kolosov was called up from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL).
The 23-year-old Kolosov had a difficult time last season. He was among the worst goaltenders in save percentage in both the AHL and NHL, putting his future prospects in jeopardy. But he has bounced back big time so the Phantoms can start in 2025-2026. Through five games, he has a .918 save percentage, a 2.60 goals-against average and a 3–2–0 record.
In a 5–2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 1, Vladař was pulled after allowing a goal just 33 seconds into the third period, leaving the Flyers trailing by three. Kolosov filled in neatly and turned aside seven shots for relief.
Related: Maple Leafs depth steals 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 start at least once. But it is possible that now that Vladař is more rested, he will get both matches. While that would be a bad break for the Belarusian rookie hoping to make a good impression on head coach Rick Tocchet, he still proves to be a reliable stopgap option.
Whether the 23-year-old’s next start comes in the AHL or the NHL, his career is looking much more positive now. With Ersson’s contract set to expire after the season, Kolosov could even become the team’s No. 2 in 2026-27 if his success continues.
Zegras shines on home ice
With a late power-play assist in Saturday’s game, Zegras extended his home-ice point streak to eight games and joined elite company in the process. He is one of six players with twelve 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
Johannes 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, has recorded 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 11 games. Tied for 30e When it comes to league scoring on a team without a second double-digit point getter, he is one of the hottest players in the sport right now.
The last player to score at least 12 points in the Flyers’ first eight home games was Claude Giroux in 2017-18, one of the highest-scoring seasons in team history. Zegras probably won’t reach those heights, but that company underlines how well he’s off to a good start.
Things are looking up for Orange and Black. After a difficult start, 20-year-old striker Matvei Michkov is recovering. Top prospect Porter Martone, meanwhile, is dominating the NCAA. Just as important, the team wins: They can extend their 6–4–1 record with a four-game week in Week 5.
Statistics courtesy of Natural statistical trick
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