Joseph Woll gets the start for the Flyers tonight in Vancouver as Rick Tocchet shakes up his lineup.
Philadelphia is coming off a 4-3 overtime loss in Calgary on Sunday, its third straight defeat. Woll goes on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Flyers announced that defenseman David Jiricek and forward Michael Bunting draw in, while defenseman Simon Benoit and forward Cole Knuble come out.
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Jiricek is 22 and was the sixth overall pick by Columbus in 2022. He has 9 games this season and one assist, with a -3 rating.
Bunting, 31, has 253 career points in 426 games but has no goals through 8 games this season and sits at -5.
Benoit's exit is worth a look. We covered Simon Benoit's fight with Lawson Crouse earlier this season, and he has one goal and a -4 rating in 14 games.
Knuble is the more surprising name to sit. The 22-year-old has 3 goals in 9 games, though he is a -6, and he played 12:14 in Sunday's loss.
Can a lineup shuffle fix the Flyers on the road?
Not by itself. Philadelphia is 4-10-5, 29th in the NHL, and 1-6-2 away from home. Swapping bottom-of-the-roster pieces does little about 65 goals against, a number that points at the whole group.
Pulling a young forward who has scored for a winger with no goals is a debatable call. Bunting has the track record, but the production this season isn't there yet.
The goalie matchup doesn't separate the teams much. Woll is 1-4-0 over his last five with a .882 save percentage. Leevi Merilainen is also 1-4-0 over his last five, with a .848.
The Canucks are the best opponent a struggling team could ask for. They are 32nd at 3-15-1, have lost 5 straight, and are 1-7-0 at home. Philadelphia won the last meeting 6-3 in Vancouver on December 30, 2025.
A road win over the league's last-place team is the minimum, and Tocchet's changes get their first test at puck drop tonight.
Quick hits
GOALIE WATCH: The Coming In Hot Sens account says Linus Ullmark is expected back in goal for the Senators against the Capitals tonight. That's a boost if it holds.
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MILESTONE: Patrice Bergeron is giving his Hockey Hall of Fame induction speech tonight. Belle Fraser has his words to Bruins fans as he delivers them.
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COLORADO AVALANCHE: Moments ago, the Avalanche placed Josh Manson on long-term injured reserve and recalled Alex Gagne from the Eagles. Colorado's blue line depth is about to be tested.
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Should Rick Tocchet have kept Cole Knuble in the Flyers lineup in Vancouver?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Lawson Crouse drops the gloves after Simon Benoit hits Cooley
