Christian Dvorak returned to practice Friday, putting him on track to play when the Flyers open their playoff series against the Penguins in Game 1 on Saturday. Dvorak had sat out the final game of the regular season Tuesday because of an undisclosed issue.
The Flyers are planning to use Dvorak between Travis Konecny and Porter Martone on the second line, a setup that gives them another scoring option as the postseason begins. Dvorak is coming off the best season of his 10-year NHL career, finishing with 51 points in 80 contests in 2025-26.
That makes his return more than routine. Dvorak’s availability matters because the Flyers are not just filling a lineup spot; they are trying to enter Game 1 with the line structure that carried them through the spring. His presence beside Konecny and Martone gives the club a familiar middle lane at a moment when every shift carries extra weight.
The only wrinkle is that his issue was never disclosed, which leaves the Flyers leaning on Friday’s practice as the clearest sign he is ready. If he is in on Saturday, the club gets a center who played the best hockey of his career at exactly the point when the margin for error disappears.