Dec 31, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler (24) warms up with right wing Owen Tippett (74), center Sean Couturier (14), and left wing Noah Cates (27) before the game against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
It's been quite a tumultuous 2025 for the Philadelphia Flyers. Early in the year, they traded Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost to the Calgary Flames, and at the deadline they traded veteran leader Scott Laughton to the Toronto Maple Leafs, newcomer Andrei Kuzmenko to the LA Kings, and Erik Johnson to the Colorado Avalanche. In June, GM Danny Briere traded Ryan Poehling (along with some draft picks) to the Anaheim Ducks for Trevor Zegras.
In all that roster shuffling, one part of the roster has been affected more than any other: the penalty kill units. That's just from a manpower perspective, too-adding a new head coach in Rick Tocchet and penalty kill coach in Todd Reirden ought to shake things up as well. While the defenders on the penalty kill unit likely won't be all that different from last season, the forwards are another story. Let's get into which players are locks, which are likely, and one wildcard.