In Week 5 of the Philadelphia Flyers‘ 2025–26 season, they moved to an 8–5–2 record, good for a wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. For this edition of Flyers News & Rumors, we’ll look at Christian Dvorak‘s trade value, Owen Tippett‘s slump, and check in on some Lehigh Valley Phantoms prospects.
Dvorak Boosting Trade Value
When Dvorak was signed to a one-year, $5.4 million contract during the offseason, most fans across the league saw it as an overpayment. Penalty-killing third-line forwards don’t command that much, even if the Flyers were simply maximizing their excess cap space. Today, they’re laughing to the bank.
Through 15 games, Dvorak has three goals and six assists for nine points on exactly 17 minutes of average ice time. The 29-year-old is an all-situations forward who can slot anywhere in the lineup—head coach Rick Tocchet has really leaned on him.
Since the Flyers possess a wildcard spot, their options are open. Dvorak, on an expiring deal, can have his salary retained by Philadelphia and be traded to a contender for draft capital. Or, the Flyers could hang onto him in an attempt to end their five-season playoff drought.
In the past, general manager Daniel Brière has opted for the former. Sean Walker was a key top-four defenseman for Philadelphia in 2023–24 amid a playoff push, but he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in a deal that included a 2025 first-round draft pick.
Should Dvorak’s play command a first-round pick at the March 6 trade deadline, perhaps we see the same thing occur. But whatever happens, a move once seen as questionable is paying huge dividends for the Orange and Black.
Tippett Slumping; Extension Looking Questionable
Let’s move to a decision that isn’t aging too well. On Jan. 26, 2024, winger Owen Tippett received an eight-year, $49.6 million contract extension from the Flyers. It’s two years into the deal, and his point production has taken a bit of a nose-dive in back-to-back campaigns.
| Season | Contract Year | Goal Pace (Per 82) | Point Pace (Per 82) |
| 2023–24 | N/A | 29.4 | 55.7 |
| 2024–25 | Year 1 of 8 | 21.3 | 45.8 |
| 2025–26 | Year 2 of 8 | 27.3 | 32.8 |
After recording five goals in his first six games this season, Tippett has gone nine straight without finding the back of the net. Only on pace for a little over 30 points if he plays an 82-game slate, that’s somewhat concerning for a player making $6.2 million annually until he’s 33.
Related: NHL Rumours: Kyrou’s Future, Devils Defensemen & Tippett to the Kings?
The good news is that Tippett has always been somewhat streaky. The bad news is that he’s probably never “growing into” that big payday. Philadelphia has added forwards Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras to its roster since the deal started counting against the salary cap, yet the 26-year-old winger has only regressed.
Originally, some thought that with better linemates, Tippett could become a consistent 30-goal, 60-point player. But right now, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen. While the NHL’s rising salary cap could help mitigate that, Brière might still take this one back if he could.
Phantoms Prospect Check-In
The Phantoms, and especially their prospects, have been soaring as of late. Let’s do a brief dive into three players: Denver Barkey, Carson Bjarnason, and Christian Kyrou.
On Nov. 5, Barkey had a four-point showing against the Bridgeport Islanders. The 20-year-old winger has two goals and five assists across 12 games of American Hockey League (AHL) experience. He’s getting top-six looks, putting his hard-working presence on display. I can imagine him graduating from the AHL relatively quickly.
In the same game, Bjarnason had a rock-solid performance: 35 saves on 37 shots en route to a 6–2 win. Up to a .918 save percentage, 2.52 goals-against average, and a 3–1–1 record as a 20-year-old rookie, his future appears bright.
Kyrou, as opposed to the other two, isn’t a Flyers-drafted prospect—he’s someone the team just traded for. Acquired from the Dallas Stars with winger Samu Tuomaala going the other way, it’s a move that’s paying off. In four games, the 22-year-old defenseman has a goal and six assists. He has an NHL ceiling.
Some highlights from a Christian Kyrou (TEX15) 3-assist game last season. Acquired by PHI today
— Justin Giampietro (@justingiam) October 30, 2025
He does retrieval work, attempts stretch passes, will jump up on the rush, fairly active in the OZ. Gets frequent PP looks
As a smaller D, not very physicalpic.twitter.com/bokhtADfjP
The Flyers have a three-game week ahead of them against the slumping Edmonton Oilers and St. Louis Blues, then visit the rising Stars. Coming away with at least two wins, in theory, should help cement their status as a playoff contender in the East.
