PhHN Daily
PhHN Daily: Flyers Game Day; Class of ’26; Sharks Leadership
The Philadelphia Flyers play hockey tonight! That’s right, the wait is over! Before the 2025-26 season begins, what have we learned, and what are some hot takes and bold predictions for the coming year?
Around the league, not one, but two players signed big-time eight-year contracts, and one team revamped its leadership group. Get all of that and more on the 10/9 edition of the PhHN Daily!
Read More: PhHN Daily: Flyers Trade Rumors; Rangers Blanked; Surprise Third Jersey
Philadelphia Flyers
Philly Hockey Now: At last, the Flyers’ regular season is finally here! The team is in Sunrise, FL, getting ready for their showdown with the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. Check out our game preview for everything you need to know.
Before the season officially begins, what did we learn this offseason? Well, a lot was going on in the preseason. A lot to like, but just as much to dislike. So, what did the preseason teach us about the Flyers?
And, for our PhHN+ Subscribers: Who doesn’t love hot takes and predictions? Well, we got them. Our latest PhHN+ content includes predictions on the Flyers’ team leader in goals, assists, and points, as well as some hot takes and record/point predictions! Make sure to check it out.
NHL Rumors and News
Vegas Hockey Now: The free agent class of ’26 is getting thinner and thinner by the minutes. Jack Eichel has now resigned with the Golden Knights on an eight-year deal with an AAV of $13.5 million. Check out Hannah Kirkell’s story on Eichel hitting the jackpot.
Sportsnet: Eichel was not the only superstar to sign an eight-year deal on Wednesday. Kyle Connor is staying in Winnipeg on a long-term deal, worth $12 million annually for eight years. So much for the loaded free agent class of 2026.
San Jose Hockey Now: The San Jose Sharks remain without a captain, but they did revamp their leadership group. Tyler Toffoli will wear the “A” for the Sharks in every game this season, while Barclay Goodrow and phenom Macklin Celebrini will wear an “A” during home games, and Mario Ferraro and Alexander Wennberg get the honor for the road games.
New Jersey Hockey Now: Acquitted Hockey Canada player Michael McLeod is putting his NHL return on pause. Per reports, the former Devil was close to signing with the Carolina Hurricanes, but pushback turned the Hurricanes away. Now, McLeod is putting his pursuit of an NHL return on hold and is heading back to the KHL.
Read More: Report: Flyers Monitoring Defensemen Trade Market
Regarding Vegas, can someone explain this to me…
Alex Pietrangelo is injured and out for the season and playoffs. Vegas will get full cap relief. WHAT?! Why was Ryan Ellis on the books for the Flyers, then?
Vegas is eligible for full cap relief on Alex P.’s contract because he was officially placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) for the entire season ….Knights get nearly $9M in cap space back,
Flyers did not LTIR Ellis. last season because they were trying to accrue cap space for the current season, as LTIR only allows for cap relief on the day it’s applied.
Now the NHL “downfall” of the LTIR loophole is the 2025 CBA changes, which will now prevent teams from exploiting LTIR to acquire high-salary players for the playoffs. New rules limit LTIR relief to the previous season’s average league salary and, for playoff eligibility, teams’ dressed rosters must be under the preceding regular season’s upper limit, effectively closing the loophole.
Flyers should trade for a 1C….no free agents….like Panthers did and Vegas a few years back with Eichel. Blues have two centers that would be a target for me…Robert Thomas or Dylan Holloway. And resign Trevor Zegras.