The Philadelphia Flyers have fallen to a 22–17–8 record after dropping their last six contests (five in regulation). Can they stop the bleeding in the week ahead? Let’s break everything down.
What Went Wrong for the Flyers Last Week?
The Flyers played four games last week and dropped all of them in regulation, outscored 22–9 overall. Even worse, these were all Eastern Conference matchups. With how tight the standings are, it was a particularly costly collapse.
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So, what went wrong for the Flyers? Well, just about everything. But it starts between the pipes. The team’s de facto most valuable player, Dan Vladař, suffered a first-period injury on Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres.
After Vladař’s injury, the Flyers put up a collective save percentage of .776 on the week. You’re not winning a single hockey game with those numbers.
You can’t just blame the goaltending, though. The defense got sloppier, the offense only showed up when games were out of reach, and the special teams were unplayable. This disaster was a collective effort.
Ābols Loses Olympic Spot Due to Injury; Pederson Called Up
On Sunday, center Rodrigo Ābols was placed on injured reserve. Unfortunately, this was met with him being replaced on Team Latvia for the 2026 Winter Olympics by Rihards Bukarts. This is obviously a crushing blow for the 30-year-old.
The Flyers called up Lane Pederson from the American Hockey League (AHL) to replace Ābols. The 28-year-old center has 13 goals and 15 assists in 37 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, often playing between prospects Denver Barkey and Alex Bump until the former was recalled. So, there’s at least a little bit of chemistry here.
Flyers Injury Report: When’s Everyone Coming Back?
The Flyers have four injuries, excluding the long-term absence of Tyson Foerster. Of course, Ābols is expected to be out for some time—potentially beyond the Olympic break. Meanwhile, winger Bobby Brink and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen remain on injured reserve. Their timelines are unknown, but it’s worth noting that 23-year-old defender Hunter McDonald was called up. Finally, Vladař is day-to-day.
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Two of these injuries stick out. Ristolainen has had durability issues for his entire Flyers tenure, but this is the worst it has been, with just 13 games played in 2025–26. He hasn’t been replaced on Team Finland, though, so perhaps he can return before the Olympic break.
Vladař is the other big one. If he comes back even marginally worse than his prior form (definitely possible), things could go south for the Orange and Black. Only two points separate them from the seventh-worst record in the NHL.
Flyers Schedule Jan. 19–25
| Date | Time (EST) | Opponent | Opponent Record | Location |
| Mon., Jan. 19 | 8 p.m. | @ Vegas Golden Knights | 24–11–12 | T-Mobile Arena |
| Wed., Jan. 21 | 9 p.m. | @ Utah Mammoth | 25–20–4 | Delta Center |
| Fri., Jan. 23 | 9 p.m. | @ Colorado Avalanche | 33–5–8 | Ball Arena |
