Playing their third game of the preseason, Rick Tocchet’s Philadelphia Flyers are in Chocolate Town on Thursday to take on Spencer Carbery’s Washington Capitals.
Game time at Giant Center is 7:00 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on NBCSP+ and 97.5 The Fanatic. Here are five storylines to watch on Thursday evening.
1. The “Bumpchanko” effect.
Rookie hopefuls Alex Bump and Jett Luchanko made their respective 2025 preseason debuts on Tuesday in Montreal. Bump in particular had a strong showing, especially in the third period. Luchanko, who did not play in the Rookie Series, had some offseason rust to shake off. Now that both are playing their second preseason match, keep an eye on their progress from last game.
2. Second look at Grebenkin.
Russian winger Nikita Grebenkin has had some impressive moments in camp. He and Bump are potentially competing for an opening night NHL roster spot on the wing. Thus far, Bump has primarily played on scoring-oriented lines, while Grebenkin has moved around a bit more.
3. York’s usage.
Tocchet indicated that he wants to give Cam York an opportunity to anchor his own defensive pair. Thus far in camp, the long-running pairing of York with Travis Sanheim has been separated. On Thursday, look to see how York’s total ice time and situational usage (even strength, power play and penalty kill) shakes out in his first game of the 2025 preseason.
4. Blueline roster battles.
The Flyers’ decision-makers have to make a determination on whether the team takes seven or eight defensemen into the regular season. Egor Zamula and newcomers Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert are among the defensemen competing for slots on the NHL depth chart. All three players are in the lineup on Thursday in Hershey.
5. Vladar’s Flyers preseason debut.
Newcomer Dan Vladar had a strong stretch drive for the Calgary Flames last year before signing with the Flyers as a free agent on July 1. The Czech netminder will make his Flyers preseason debut on Thursday. Aleksei Kolosov is the other Flyers goalie making the trip to Hershey. Kolosov played 40 minutes against the Islanders on Sunday and another 40 minutes against the Canadiens two nights ago.
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