Flyers President Excited for Future Despite Slow Rebuild

The Philadelphia Flyers didn't enter this season with many expectations, and so far, the organization isn't looking as if it will break its five-year playoff drought. But team president Keith Jones remains positive as the organization is slowly crawling through a slow rebuild.

The President of Hockey Operations acknowledged the rebuild requires patience but emphasized satisfaction with the progress made since he and general manager Danny Briere took control in 2023.

Jones addressed the state of the rebuild during an appearance on the 'Kincade & Salciunas' on 97.5 The Fanatic, outlining the dual objectives that have guided the front office's approach. Alleviating cap pressure and adding young talent through the draft have formed the foundation of Philadelphia's long-term plan.

Cap Relief Finally Arriving

Apr 1, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes (13) against the Buffalo Sabres at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Flyers have worked methodically to escape salary cap jail inherited from the previous regime. Jones highlighted the contracts that hamstrung Philadelphia's flexibility as key obstacles that required years to clear.

"I think we all would love to rush it and make it happen quicker, but that's not the way it is and the environment we're in today," Jones said when asked about his satisfaction with the rebuild's progress.

"One of the things that we're really happy about, is we are alleviating a lot of the cap pressure that we have had in the past," Jones explained. "A lot of the deals that we had to work out of including the Kevin Hayes deal, the Ryan Ellis deal, the Cam Atkinson deal, all that money is starting to come off the books."

The cap relief represents a critical milestone for the organization. Jones and Briere identified cleaning up bad contracts as a primary objective when they assumed control, understanding financial flexibility would be necessary to eventually compete for top free agents.

"That I'm really excited about, and that was one of the objectives Danny and I had when we took over, was to clean up the bad contracts," Jones said.

Youth Movement Takes Shape

The second pillar of Philadelphia's rebuild centers on accumulating draft capital and developing young talent through the system. The Flyers have prioritized patience over rushing prospects to the NHL before they're ready.

Flyers President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones on if he is happy with the state of the rebuild for the Flyers:

“I do, I think we all would love to rush it and make it happen quicker, but that’s not the way it is and the environment we’re in today. One of the things that… pic.twitter.com/Duttala9sn
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) March 16, 2026

"The other part of it was to add younger talent and to accumulate draft picks, and we're starting to put those picks into play," Jones said. "Allowing the players enough time to fully develop, not to rush them, but to watch them grow, and hope that our assessment of where they will end up in the future align and they’ll end up being a big parts of the franchise as we move forward."

The approach represents a stark departure from previous regimes that avoided using the word rebuild. Jones and Briere have embraced transparency about the organization's long-term vision, even as it requires sustained patience from the fan base.

"Those things, I think, are all in a really good place, and I'm really excited about the future," Jones concluded.

The Flyers are approaching their sixth consecutive season outside the playoffs, and while they aren't catching their original target for summer 2026 to be a turning point, Jones believes that they are slowly building towards something.

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