Get ready, because the Philadelphia Flyers are dropping a bombshell on the 2026-27 season right out of the gate: their tentative first-unit power play doesn’t feature a single one of their leading point-getters or goal scorers from last year. Seriously, this isn’t some pre-season fluke, this is their plan heading into real games. For a team that’s been begging for special teams improvement for years, hoping to just crack the top 20 at an 18 to 20 percent efficiency, this is an absolutely wild swing.
The Lineup That Broke the Mold
Let’s talk about this five-man unit. The Flyers are rolling out Porter Martone, Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, Trevor Zegras, and defenseman Jamie Drysdale. Now, these are talented players, no doubt. But here’s the kicker, the head-scratcher, the jaw-dropper: not one of those forwards led the team in points or goals during the 2025-26 season. Think about that for a second. You’re trying to fix a power play that hasn’t delivered in years, and your solution is to load up the top unit with guys who weren’t your top offensive producers? It’s the kind of move that makes you wonder what’s going on behind the bench. This is uncharted territory for Philly, a team desperate to turn the tide.
Every Other Team Plays It By The Book
Here’s where it gets even crazier. Go ahead, take a quick look around the league. Every other one of the 32 NHL teams? Their leading goal scorer or points leader is on their top power-play unit. It’s the unwritten rule, the universal truth of hockey: you put your best playmakers and your top snipers out there with the man advantage. We’re talking about guys like Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov, Florida’s Sam Reinhart, Buffalo’s Tage Thompson, Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat, Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle, Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, San Jose’s newly named captain Macklin Celebrini, Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, and the Kings’ Adrian Kempe. They’re all on their respective top units.
There are a few rare exceptions, but they always come with a clear reason. Injuries sideline stars like the Islanders’ Mat Barzal, the Canes’ Seth Jarvis, or Chicago’s franchise cornerstone Connor Bedard. Or, your top guy left in free agency, like Anthony Mantha did from Pittsburgh to the Devils, or Pavel Doroveyev from Vegas to the Rangers. But the Flyers? They’re just doing it because… well, they’re the Flyers. This is a deliberate choice, not an unfortunate circumstance.
Rick Tocchet’s Big Bet
Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet is clearly giving this new, youthful first unit a ton of runway. He’s trusting them to find success, to somehow spark that long-dormant power play and push them into respectable territory. This means they’re going to get opportunity after opportunity, even if the puck isn’t finding the back of the net right away. Will it pay off? Can this young group, without the clear leading scorers from last year, suddenly click and become a top-tier special teams unit? We’ll be watching every shift this season to see if this unconventional strategy can actually right the ship for Philly.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Broad Street Hockey.
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