Early look The full preview opens on Wednesday 2 December, three days before puck drop, with the expected goalies, the latest team news and game-day prices. Until then this page shows the matchup as it stands.
Early look · NHL 2026-27

Philadelphia Flyers at Minnesota Wild: game preview

Puck drop5 Dec · 8:00 PM ET
VenueGrand Casino Arena
All-time meetings37 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Six points apart last season

Philadelphia finished last season 11th in the league on 98 points. Minnesota finished 7th on 104.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 38

Across 37 completed games, Philadelphia lead the head-to-head 24-11-2.

All-time record24-11-2Philadelphia's record in the series
Meetings played37This is number 38
2025-26 series—
Last 54-1Philadelphia
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
12 Mar 2026PHI 3 – MIN 2 SO——PHI
18 Oct 2025MIN 1 – PHI 2 OT——PHI
14 Dec 2024PHI 1 – MIN 4——MIN
26 Oct 2024MIN 5 – PHI 7——PHI
12 Jan 2024PHI 4 – MIN 3 OT——PHI
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DatePhiladelphiaMinnesota
18 Oct 20252-2-1 · 5 pts22nd2-3-1 · 5 pts23rd
12 Mar 202631-23-11 · 73 pts17th38-16-12 · 88 pts4th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 18 Oct 2025, Philadelphia were 22nd in the league and Minnesota 23rd. By 12 Mar 2026 it was 17th and 4th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Minnesota out-attempted Philadelphia 109 to 103

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Philadelphia Flyers

103 att · 48 on goal · 4 G · 8.3%
Crease8 att · 0 G
Slot38 att · 3 G
Wing42 att · 0 G
Point13 att · 1 G
Neutral zone2 att · 0 G

Minnesota Wild

109 att · 39 on goal · 3 G · 7.7%
Crease4 att · 0 G
Slot50 att · 2 G
Wing32 att · 1 G
Point21 att · 0 G
Neutral zone2 att · 0 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Minnesota have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

PhiladelphiaMinnesota
1.95xG for per game3.01
4.51xG against per game2.83
30.2%xG share51.5%
−2.8FinishingGoals minus expected goals−0.0
+1.0GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+3.5

This season: 4 games for Philadelphia, 3 for Minnesota. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →


Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Philadelphia

Small sample
Power play · 2026-270.0%
Power play · 2025-2615.7% · 32nd
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2773.3%
Penalty kill · 2025-2677.6% · 22nd
Faceoffs · 2026-2753.6% · 133/248
Drawn · 2026-2711 (2.75/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-2715 (3.75/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

Minnesota

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2736.4%
Power play · 2025-2625.2% · 3rd
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-27100.0%
Penalty kill · 2025-2679.8% · 16th
Faceoffs · 2026-2748.0% · 84/175
Drawn · 2026-2711 (3.67/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-279 (3.00/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

Skaters

Skaters to watch

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
14Sean Couturier40220.50
11Travis Konecny40220.50
74Owen Tippett41010.25
97Kirill Kaprizov33031.00
20Blake Coleman31120.67
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
24Nick Seeler40110.25
43Quinn Hughes31341.33
46Jared Spurgeon31231.00
3Olli Maatta30110.33
Defencemen stats

Goaltending

Who has stopped this matchup

Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Expected starter after their game on 3 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 3 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Philadelphia crease

PHI · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 2 Dec

Dan Vladar.8632 GP · 0-2-0 · GSAx −1.6
Joseph Woll.9292 GP · 0-0-2 · GSAx +3.2

No appearances against Minnesota in the last meetings.

Minnesota crease

MIN · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 2 Dec

Jesper Wallstedt.9333 GP · 2-0-1 · GSAx +3.5

No appearances against Philadelphia in the last meetings.


Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.0 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

12 Mar 20265 · PHI 3–2 MIN
18 Oct 20253 · MIN 1–2 PHI
14 Dec 20245 · PHI 1–4 MIN
26 Oct 202412 · MIN 5–7 PHI
12 Jan 20247 · PHI 4–3 MIN

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Philadelphia1.254.253.052.96
Minnesota3.001.673.322.93

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.0Goals in this game
Last 5 meetings6.4Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

6 on the injury lists

Philadelphia · injuries

Helge GransLower BodyIRReturn8 Oct
Nikita GrebenkinUpper BodyIRReturn8 Oct
Rasmus RistolainenUndisclosedDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct

Minnesota · injuries

Brock FaberSkullIRReturn15 Oct
Filip GustavssonHipIRReturn1 Nov
Nick FolignoUpper BodyDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct
5 Oct · PHI

Reinstated C Jett Luchanko Barkey from injured reserve.

27 Sep · PHI

Agreed to terms with LW Garrett Wilson on a 1-Year contract. Loaned G Alexei Kolosov to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

25 Sep · PHI

Loaned Fs Jacob Gaucher, Cole Knuble and Jett Luchanko and D Oliver Bonk to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

24 Sep · MIN

Waived for the purpose of assignment to Iowa (AHL) Ds Matt Kiersted, Carson Lambos, and Roman Schmidt and Fs Caedan Bankier, Dylan Gambrell, Justin Kirkland, Tyler Pitlick, and Mason Shaw. Assigned Ds Ben Dexheimer and Viking Gustafsson Nyberg and Fs Jagger Joshua, Hunter Haight, Riley Heidt, Rasmus Kumpulainen, and Rieger Lorenz to Iowa.

14 Jul 2026 · MIN

Signed G Filip Ruzicka to a three-year, entry-level contract.

13 Jul 2026 · MIN

Signed D Filip Ruzicka to a three-year contract.

Injury report

Philadelphia · 2026 draft

See all: Philadelphia · 2026 draft →
#27Maksim SokolovskiiRound 1 · LondonD
#53Brek LiskeRound 2 · EverettD
#62Martin PsohlavecRound 2 · Karlovy Vary Jr.G
#120Marek SklenickaRound 4 · SeattleG
Full draft
#83Adam AnderssonRound 3 · Leksand Jr.C
#112Kayden LemireRound 4 · Prince GeorgeRW
#137Filip RuzickaRound 5 · BrandonG
Full draft

Updated after every final