Entering the last week of October, the Philadelphia Flyers have a 4–3–1 record. They’re tied for a wildcard spot and on pace for a 92-point campaign—it would be their highest total since 2017–18. In this edition of Flyers News & Rumors, we’ll recap the week that was, look at prospect Porter Martone’s recent excellence in the NCAA, and dive into some injury updates.
Flyers’ Week 3 Recap: 2–1–0 Record
The Flyers won two of their three contests in Week 3. What were some big takeaways?
For starters, Trevor Zegras has continued his hot start. The 24-year-old forward is up to eight points in as many games thanks to a two-goal, one-assist effort in a Saturday afternoon win versus the New York Islanders.
Related: Flyers’ Trevor Zegras Steals the Show in 4–3 SO Win vs. Islanders
Zegras had a power-play tally in the 4–3 shootout win, but much of his dominance this season has been at 5-on-5. According to Natural Stat Trick, among forwards with at least 75 minutes of ice time, he has the fourth-highest rate of primary assists at five-a-side action: 2.29 per 60 minutes.
Speaking of the Flyers’ shootout victory, the team might be unstoppable if 65 minutes can’t solve a tie. In his career, Zegras has a 14-for-22 conversion rate in shootouts, good for 63.64%. Among players with at least 10 attempts, that’s the second-best efficiency in league history. With the crafty Matvei Michkov at the Flyers’ disposal, too, the skills competition might be one of their biggest strengths.
Finally, goaltender Dan Vladař was terrific once again for the Orange and Black. In a home matchup with a Seattle Kraken team that hadn’t lost in regulation, he turned aside 21 of 23 shots in a 5–2 beatdown. He got another start against the Ottawa Senators on the road, a 2–1 loss in which he stopped 31 of 33 shots.
Through five starts, Vladař has allowed two or fewer goals in each of them. He sits with an unfortunate 3–2–0 record, but the 28-year-old career backup has been a pleasant surprise to this point. He’s the no-doubt starter for the Flyers.
There is one caveat here, though. The Flyers have been getting solid goaltending and finishing, leading to the league’s seventh-best PDO (sum of save and shooting percentage), per Natural Stat Trick. This luck-based metric is an indicator for how sustainable a team’s play is—being higher up on that list, especially in a small, early-season sample, suggests you’re playing at your ceiling. That’ll be something to keep an eye on moving forward.
Porter Martone Rolling for No. 1-Ranked MSU
In some prospect news, Martone has found another gear. The 2025 sixth-overall selection is up to three goals and six assists in six contests, giving him a point-per-game rate of 1.50. According to QuantHockey, not a single draft-plus-one or younger player in the NCAA is more efficient (yes, including James Hagens, Gavin McKenna, etc.).
The Michigan State University Spartans won their two-game series on Friday and Saturday, moving to 5–1–0 on the season. Martone, who turned 19 years old on Oct. 26, leads the nation’s No. 1-ranked team in point-scoring. It’s quite the feat.
Perhaps Martone is just getting started. He’s recorded one goal and one assist in each of his last three games, totaling six points. If he keeps up that pace, the Hobey Baker Award for college hockey’s most outstanding player may be returning to MSU (it was won by Ike Howard in 2024–25).
Flyers’ Injury Updates
To finish off, the Orange and Black got some injury updates throughout the week. Their blue line, in particular, took a few hits.
In the prospect world, 2024 second-round pick Spencer Gill will miss 12 to 15 weeks following surgery, per Cédrik Blondin. On Oct. 5, Blondin reported that the 19-year-old suffered an upper-body injury during practice the day prior. Gill missing up to four months of his draft-plus-two campaign isn’t great news, but he’ll be back for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada’s likely playoff appearance—they lead the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Western Conference with a 9–3–2 record.
On Oct. 23, The Athletic‘s Kevin Kurz reported that Oliver Bonk and Rasmus Ristolainen’s timelines are about five to six weeks longer.
Bonk, whose injury was initially labeled “day-to-day” back in September, is clearly more serious than anticipated. Once he returns, he’ll provide a youthful presence to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ blue line down in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Ristolainen, who will suit up for the Flyers, has been missed. The 30-year-old defender can shore up the team’s right side, playing both 5-on-5 and on the penalty kill. He underwent surgery back in April.
The Flyers have four games between Oct. 28 and Nov. 2. We’ll see if they can build on their recent performances and re-enter a playoff spot (they held one briefly during Week 3).
