<p>With final rosters due to be submitted by Monday afternoon, the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/philadelphia-flyers/line-combinations">Philadelphia Flyers</a> are left with one cut to make. <a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/which-rookies-make-philadelphia-flyers-opening-night-lineup-luchanko-grebenkin-grans-2025-26/">As I mentioned earlier this week</a>, forward Nikita Grebenkin had all but locked in a job to start the season – that has since been further solidified. Speaking with a source Thursday, I was told 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko is likely to at least start the year in the NHL, though not much else is set in stone, and he may ultimately be returned to the OHL’s Guelph Storm once the regular season begins.</p>



<p>Given the two aforementioned forwards (presumably) locking in spots, it has left Rodrigo Abols as someone on the outs (at least to start the season) up front; Nicolas Deslauriers, though likely to be the 13th forward more times than not, is not going to be waived. While Abols could find himself en route to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms by the start of next week, there is a possibility that the Flyers open the year with 14 forwards.&nbsp;</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="173"></div>



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<p>The battle for the two defensive spots on the third pair has been a pillow fight through training camp, with team sources expressing pessimism among the players vying for the spot. With Rasmus Ristolainen expected to miss time into November, there was at least one spot (alongside Egor Zamula, who has been underwhelming in the pre-season) open in the Flyers’ starting six on the back end.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Helge Grans, once a favorite for the gig, quickly proved he wasn’t ready to grab the reins. 2020 second-round pick Emil Andrae (more on him later) seemed like he had the deck stacked against him from the jump and failed to do enough to stay in the fight until the end of camp. Adam Ginning is still in the mix for a starting job (or at least a roster spot) to begin the year, and has been a pleasant surprise through camp. Playing Thursday evening alongside Zamula, Ginning may have played his way into a third-pairing role to start the year.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="167"></div>



<p>Veterans Dennis Gilbert and Noah Juulsen could very well stick around as the seven/eight in the press box to start the year, though the latter may have more leeway to shake off his subpar play given his past relationship with head coach Rick Tocchet with the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/">Vancouver Canucks </a>and being a right-hand shot. If I was a betting man, Juulsen will be on the roster to start the year as at least the seventh man; by all accounts, barring injury, the decision will come down to Abols or Gilbert as to who makes the opening night roster.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Up front, Luchanko making the team to start the season certainly makes things interesting. If Thursday night’s lines versus the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/new-york-islanders/line-combinations">New York Islanders</a> are any indication, Luchanko (who did not play) would start on the fourth line, taking Deslauriers’ spot. But could Luchanko sit versus the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/florida-panthers/line-combinations">Florida Panthers</a> in the season opener? It’s possible, as the Flyers may want to have Deslauriers in the lineup against the bruising two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="170"></div>



<p>Christian Dvorak, who centered the fourth line, could simply slide to left wing alongside Luchanko in the event of the latter drawing in. It was suggested to me that Grebenkin could shift down to line four with Dvorak being elevated into the top-nine, but I’d imagine that’d only be the case in the event of Luchanko sticking around permanently; why disrupt the top-three trios if it’s only temporary?</p>



<p>Speaking of Dvorak, I expect him to have a steady role on both special teams going forward. After he assisted on a shorthanded goal by Travis Sanheim last night, I was told that Dvorak will likely be included on one of the power play units – presumably for his faceoff prowess.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Owen Tippett, who is coming off a disappointing year, appears to be getting a legitimate shot at redemption, skating on the left wing of Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov. There are legitimate concerns in regards to how that line will fare defensively, but it is a bold move by Tocchet to “load up” an all-offensive line that could pay dividends. Speaking with one person yesterday, it sounds like Tocchet wants to give Tippett a real shot on the top power-play unit – a spot the latter was placed on in Thursday night’s game.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="212"></div>



<p>Tippett starting on the top line is somewhat of a surprise, as someone with the organization suggested Noah Cates to potentially flank Zegras to start the year for the former’s defensive prowess.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Tocchet ultimately has, to this point, elected to keep Cates between Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster together after the trio’s success last season, but earlier in the week it was mentioned to me that Dvorak could’ve been the one to move up alongside Zegras for insulation. How the all-offense Tippett-Zegras-Michkov line holds up at even strength will be something to keep an eye on if they do in fact start the season together.</p>



<p>Grebenkin is very interesting, as the former <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> fifth-round pick has earned himself a top-six job (at least to start the season) alongside captain Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny. He completely banged down the door going back to the rookie game, putting himself ahead of the pack almost immediately to start the season; he is also expected to get power-play time, though likely on the second unit.&nbsp;</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="174"></div>



<p>Things are taking shape for the Flyers’ opening night roster, and with one cut left to go, there isn’t much runway left for players on the fringe to state their case.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Flyers “open” to trading Emil Andrae</strong></h2>



<p>As I alluded to earlier, Andrae seemed like a long shot to make the roster no matter what he did. After an impressive first call-up early last season, Andrae has not been in the best graces of the Flyers’ brass, by all accounts. It is well documented that the Flyers do want to beef up their blueline, and with undersized defensemen Jamie Drysdale and Cam York locked in the top-four, Andrae’s small stature is working against him.</p>



<p>Speaking with a source earlier in the week, while they are not actively shopping him and still see his value to the organization, I was told the Flyers are open to moving Andrae. There isn’t a clear sense as to what Andrae is worth via trade, but the Flyers would be looking for a similar defensive prospect or a third-round pick in exchange for the 23-year-old rearguard.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="5" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="175"></div>



<p>Again, the Flyers are simply “open” to the idea of moving Andrae and are not actively shopping him. But given the way the defense is shaking out, it is fair to think that Andrae may not be long for Philadelphia. Speaking with an Eastern Conference executive, Andrae is liked especially for his competitiveness and poise, but the same executive wishes “he was a bit quicker for his size.”</p>



<p>With Andrae not being able to crack a less-than stellar Flyers’ blueline to start the year, it will be interesting to track what the future ultimately holds for him.</p>



<p>_____</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Recently by Anthony Di Marco</h2>



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Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae