# 1998–99 Philadelphia Flyers season

The 1998–99 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers' 32nd season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers lost in the first round to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games.

## Off-season

In the off-season, the Flyers went looking for a new goaltender. They opted not to re-sign Sean Burke, and Ron Hextall was about to enter his final season as a backup. They chose to sign former Florida Panther John Vanbiesbrouck over former Edmonton Oilers goalie Curtis Joseph, who ended up signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

## Regular season

Looking to put the previous year's disappointment behind them, the Flyers began the season 4–0–1. However, a quick 1–6–3 downturn caused the first casualties – as Trent Klatt was dealt to Vancouver and Shjon Podein was shipped to Colorado for Keith Jones. Jones scored a goal in his first game in orange and black, a 6–1 rout of New Jersey, keying a 6–1–0 run.
Turmoil continued, as, after a 5–4 overtime loss to the Devils on December 10 saw the Flyers blow a 4–1 lead, the decision was made to end the Chris Gratton experiment. He was dealt back to Tampa Bay along with Mike Sillinger for Mikael Renberg and Daymond Langkow, and the move paid immediate dividends. Philly topped Toronto, 3–0, spurring a 15-game unbeaten streak (10–0–5) during which the club matched a record by shutting out their opponents in four consecutive games (Islanders, Carolina, Nashville, Washington).
Another run, this time a 6–0–2 streak from January 18 to February 6, tied the Flyers atop the NHL standings with the Dallas Stars. That momentum did not last long, as the club went 1–4–1 after the All-Star break, including an inexplicable 4–3 loss in Los Angeles where the Kings scored three goals in the final minutes, including a 60-foot game-winner by Jozef Stumpel just before the final buzzer.
Following a win over Pittsburgh, the team suffered through a then franchise-worst 12 games without a victory (0–8–4), broken up only by a rally from two goals down to Detroit on March 21. Eric Lindros, who was having an MVP-type season with 40 goals and 53 assists in 71 games, was felled and lost for the season by a collapsed lung sustained during a 2–1 win against the expansion Nashville Predators on April 1. It is said that if roommate Keith Jones had not intervened at the last minute, Lindros might have died on the plane ride back to Philadelphia.
The Flyers managed to lock up the five-seed on the final day of the season with a win over Boston.
John LeClair continued his goal-scoring streak with 43 on the year, matching Tim Kerr's team record of four straight seasons with 40 or more goals. He was one of only a handful of players to make it through the entire season, as general manager Bob Clarke made 12 trades involving NHL players throughout the regular season, including re-acquiring former Flyer Mark Recchi from the Montreal Canadiens at the trade deadline.

### Season standings

Atlantic Division :
| R | CR | | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | 1 | New Jersey Devils | 82 | 47 | 24 | 11 | 248 | 196 | 105 |
| 2 | 5 | Philadelphia Flyers | 82 | 37 | 26 | 19 | 231 | 196 | 93 |
| 3 | 8 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 82 | 38 | 30 | 14 | 242 | 225 | 90 |
| 4 | 10 | New York Rangers | 82 | 33 | 38 | 11 | 217 | 227 | 77 |
| 5 | 13 | New York Islanders | 82 | 24 | 48 | 10 | 194 | 244 | 58 |
Eastern Conference :
| R | | Div | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | y – New Jersey Devils | ATL | 82 | 47 | 24 | 11 | 248 | 196 | 105 |
| 2 | y – Ottawa Senators | NE | 82 | 44 | 23 | 15 | 239 | 179 | 103 |
| 3 | y – Carolina Hurricanes | SE | 82 | 34 | 30 | 18 | 210 | 202 | 86 |
| 4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NE | 82 | 45 | 30 | 7 | 268 | 231 | 97 |
| 5 | Philadelphia Flyers | ATL | 82 | 37 | 26 | 19 | 231 | 196 | 93 |
| 6 | Boston Bruins | NE | 82 | 39 | 30 | 13 | 214 | 181 | 91 |
| 7 | Buffalo Sabres | NE | 82 | 37 | 28 | 17 | 207 | 175 | 91 |
| 8 | Pittsburgh Penguins | ATL | 82 | 38 | 30 | 14 | 242 | 225 | 90 |
| 9 | Florida Panthers | SE | 82 | 30 | 34 | 18 | 210 | 228 | 78 |
| 10 | New York Rangers | ATL | 82 | 33 | 38 | 11 | 217 | 227 | 77 |
| 11 | Montreal Canadiens | NE | 82 | 32 | 39 | 11 | 184 | 209 | 75 |
| 12 | Washington Capitals | SE | 82 | 31 | 45 | 6 | 200 | 218 | 68 |
| 13 | New York Islanders | ATL | 82 | 24 | 48 | 10 | 194 | 244 | 58 |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Lightning | SE | 82 | 19 | 54 | 9 | 179 | 292 | 47 |
Divisions: ATL – Atlantic Division, NE – Northeast Division, SE – Southeast Division
bold – Qualified for playoffs; y – Won division

## Playoffs

Although Vanbiesbrouck allowed nine goals to Curtis Joseph's eleven allowed, the Flyers lost their first round series with Toronto in six games. Flyers chairman Ed Snider and head coach Roger Neilson were fined $50,000 and $25,000, respectively, for criticizing the officiating in game six.

## Schedule and results
### Preseason

1998 preseason :
Preseason: 6–2–1 (home: 3–0–1; road: 3–1–0)
GameDateOpponentScoreRecordRef
1September 19@ Washington Capitals6–31–0–0
2September 22Pittsburgh Penguins2–21–0–1
3September 23@ Montreal Canadiens7–12–0–1
4September 26Pittsburgh Penguins0–12–1–1
5September 29Washington Capitals5–13–1–1
6October 1@ Detroit Red Wings4–24–1–1
7October 2@ New Jersey Devils1–24–2–1
8October 3Detroit Red Wings3–25–2–1
9October 4New Jersey Devils5–36–2–1
Notes:
$^a$ Game played at Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania. :
Legend:
  Win (2 points)
  Loss (0 points)
  Tie (1 point) :

### Regular season

1998–99 regular season :
October: 5–3–2, 12 points (home: 3–1–1; road: 2–2–1)
GameDateOpponentScoreRecordPointsRecap
1October 9@ New York Rangers1–01–0–02Recap
2October 11Mighty Ducks of Anaheim4–12–0–04Recap
3October 16@ Tampa Bay Lightning5–23–0–06Recap
4October 17@ Carolina Hurricanes1–1 OT3–0–17Recap
5October 20San Jose Sharks3–14–0–19Recap
6October 22New Jersey Devils2–34–1–19Recap
7October 24New York Rangers2–2 OT4–1–210Recap
8October 27St. Louis Blues2–15–1–212Recap
9October 29@ Ottawa Senators1–35–2–212Recap
10October 31@ New York Islanders2–35–3–212Recap :
November: 6–4–2, 14 points (home: 3–2–1; road: 3–2–1)
GameDateOpponentScoreRecordPointsRecap
11November 1Ottawa Senators4–55–4–212Recap
12November 3@ Pittsburgh Penguins4–4 OT5–4–313Recap
13November 7Buffalo Sabres2–2 OT5–4–414Recap
14November 9@ Montreal Canadiens1–55–5–414Recap
15November 12Florida Panthers1–25–6–414Recap
16November 14New Jersey Devils6–16–6–416Recap
17November 17@ Pittsburgh Penguins4–17–6–418Recap
18November 20@ Carolina Hurricanes3–18–6–420Recap
19November 22@ Florida Panthers2–1 OT9–6–422Recap
20November 25@ New York Islanders2–49–7–422Recap
21November 27Toronto Maple Leafs4–310–7–424Recap
22November 29Vancouver Canucks6–211–7–426Recap :
December: 7–2–5, 19 points (home: 2–1–3; road: 5–1–2)
GameDateOpponentScoreRecordPointsRecap
23December 4@ Buffalo Sabres0–311–8–426Recap
24December 5Washington Capitals2–112–8–428Recap
25December 8@ New Jersey Devils5–5 OT12–8–529Recap
26December 10New Jersey Devils4–5 OT12–9–529Recap
27December 12@ Toronto Maple Leafs3–013–9–531Recap
28December 13Edmonton Oilers2–2 OT13–9–632Recap
29December 17Calgary Flames3–3 OT13–9–733Recap
30December 19Chicago Blackhawks3–114–9–735Recap
31December 20Tampa Bay Lightning2–2 OT14–9–836Recap
32December 23@ Boston Bruins2–115–9–838Recap
33December 26@ Chicago Blackhawks3–216–9–840Recap
34December 28@ San Jose Sharks1–1 OT16–9–941Recap
35December 29@ Calgary Flames4–3 OT17–9–943Recap
36December 31@ Vancouver Canucks6–218–9–945Recap :
January: 8–1–2, 18 points (home: 6–1–1; road: 2–0–1)
GameDateOpponentScoreRecordPointsRecap
37January 3@ Edmonton Oilers3–3 OT18–9–1046Recap
38January 7New York Islanders5–019–9–1048Recap
39January 9Carolina Hurricanes2–020–9–1050Recap
40January 11Nashville Predators8–021–9–1052Recap
41January 13@ Washington Capitals3–022–9–1054Recap
42January 16Toronto Maple Leafs3–422–10–1056Recap
43January 18@ Ottawa Senators5–023–10–1056Recap
44January 21Washington Capitals4–124–10–1058Recap
45January 26Florida Panthers3–3 OT24–10–1159Recap
46January 28Phoenix Coyotes4–225–10–1161Recap
47January 30Tampa Bay Lightning6–226–10–1163Recap :
February: 4–7–2, 10 points (home: 3–1–1; road: 1–6–1)
GameDateOpponentScoreRecordPointsRecap
48February 1Los Angeles Kings4–227–10–1165Recap
49February 4Montreal Canadiens5–228–10–1167Recap
50February 6Boston Bruins2–2 OT28–10–1268Recap
51February 10@ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim4–528–11–1268Recap
52February 11@ Los Angeles Kings3–428–12–1268Recap
53February 14@ Colorado Avalanche4–4 OT28–12–1369Recap
54February 16@ Phoenix Coyotes4–129–12–1371Recap
55February 18Montreal Canadiens1–329–13–1371Recap
56February 20@ Ottawa Senators1–429–14–1371Recap
57February 21Pittsburgh Penguins2–130–14–1373Recap
58February 24@ Florida Panthers3–530–15–1373Recap
59February 26@ Tampa Bay Lightning1–430–16–1373Recap
60February 28@ New York Rangers5–630–17–1373Recap :
March: 3–6–5, 11 points (home: 2–2–3; road: 1–4–2)
GameDateOpponentScoreRecordPointsRecap
61March 2@ Montreal Canadiens1–430–18–1373Recap
62March 4Ottawa Senators0–530–19–1373Recap
63March 6New York Islanders3–3 OT30–19–1474Recap
64March 7@ Buffalo Sabres1–1 OT30–19–1575Recap
65March 9@ New York Islanders2–2 OT30–19–1676Recap
66March 11Colorado Avalanche3–530–20–1676Recap
67March 13@ Pittsburgh Penguins0–430–21–1676Recap
68March 14Dallas Stars1–1 OT30–21–1777Recap
69March 16@ St. Louis Blues2–530–22–1777Recap
70March 21Detroit Red Wings5–431–22–1779Recap
71March 22@ Toronto Maple Leafs3–132–22–1781Recap
72March 27New York Rangers3–133–22–1783Recap
73March 28@ Detroit Red Wings2–3 OT33–23–1783Recap
74March 30Carolina Hurricanes3–3 OT33–23–1884Recap :
April: 4–3–1, 9 points (home: 2–1–1; road: 2–2–0)
GameDateOpponentScoreRecordPointsRecap
75April 1@ Nashville Predators2–134–23–1886Recap
76April 3@ Boston Bruins0–334–24–1886Recap
77April 5New York Rangers1–534–25–1886Recap
78April 8Pittsburgh Penguins3–135–25–1888Recap
79April 10@ Washington Capitals2–136–25–1890Recap
80April 13Buffalo Sabres2–2 OT36–25–1991Recap
81April 16@ New Jersey Devils2–3 OT36–26–1991Recap
82April 18Boston Bruins3–137–26–1993Recap :
Legend:
  Win (2 points)
  Loss (0 points)
  Tie (1 point) :

### Playoffs

1999 Stanley Cup playoffs :
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. Toronto Maple Leafs – Maple Leafs win 4–2
GameDateOpponentScoreSeriesRecap
1April 22@ Toronto Maple Leafs3–0Flyers lead 1–0Recap
2April 24@ Toronto Maple Leafs1–2Series tied 1–1Recap
3April 26Toronto Maple Leafs1–2Maple Leafs lead 2–1Recap
4April 28Toronto Maple Leafs5–2Series tied 2–2Recap
5April 30@ Toronto Maple Leafs1–2 OTMaple Leafs lead 3–2Recap
6May 2Toronto Maple Leafs0–1Maple Leafs win 4–2Recap :
Legend:
  Win
  Loss :

## Player statistics
### Scoring

* Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; G = Goaltender; LW = Left wing; RW = Right wing
* † = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.
* ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.
| No. | Player | Pos | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| No. | Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM |
| 88 | Eric Lindros | C | 71 | 40 | 53 | 93 | 35 | 120 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | John LeClair | LW | 76 | 43 | 47 | 90 | 36 | 30 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| 17 | Rod Brind'Amour | C | 82 | 24 | 50 | 74 | 3 | 47 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 37 | Eric Desjardins | D | 68 | 15 | 36 | 51 | 18 | 38 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | Keith Jones† | RW | 66 | 18 | 31 | 49 | 29 | 78 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 14 |
| 3 | Dan McGillis | D | 78 | 8 | 37 | 45 | 16 | 61 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 |
| 19 | Mikael Renberg† | RW | 46 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 0 |
| 26 | Valeri Zelepukin | LW | 74 | 16 | 9 | 25 | 0 | 48 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 18 | Daymond Langkow† | C | 56 | 10 | 13 | 23 | −8 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 6 | Chris Therien | D | 74 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 48 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 12 | Colin Forbes‡ | LW | 66 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | Jody Hull | RW | 72 | 3 | 11 | 14 | −2 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 4 |
| 28 | Marc Bureau | C | 71 | 4 | 6 | 10 | −2 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | Dmitri Tertyshny | D | 62 | 2 | 8 | 10 | −1 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Dainius Zubrus‡ | RW | 63 | 3 | 5 | 8 | −5 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Mike Maneluk‡ | RW | 13 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 77 | Chris Gratton‡ | C | 26 | 1 | 7 | 8 | −8 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 25 | Steve Duchesne† | D | 11 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 11 | Mark Recchi† | RW | 10 | 4 | 2 | 6 | −3 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 2 |
| 23 | Petr Svoboda‡ | D | 25 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 44 | Dave Babych‡ | D | 33 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 24 | Karl Dykhuis† | D | 45 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 22 | Luke Richardson | D | 78 | 0 | 6 | 6 | −3 | 106 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | Alexandre Daigle‡ | C | 31 | 3 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | Mark Greig | RW | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | Mike Sillinger‡ | C | 25 | 0 | 3 | 3 | −9 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 29 | Roman Vopat† | C | 48 | 0 | 3 | 3 | −3 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 27 | Ron Hextall | G | 23 | 0 | 2 | 2 | | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 25 | Shjon Podein‡ | LW | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | Mikael Andersson† | RW | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 32 | Ryan Bast† | D | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | Adam Burt† | D | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 43 | Andy Delmore | D | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Andrei Kovalenko†‡ | RW | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 21 | Sandy McCarthy† | RW | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −2 | 25 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 34 | John Vanbiesbrouck | G | 62 | 0 | 1 | 1 | | 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 2 |
| 32 | Craig Berube† | LW | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −3 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 25 | Chris Joseph | D | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | Trent Klatt‡ | RW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 21 | Dan Kordic | LW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Richard Park | C | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 49 | Jean-Marc Pelletier | G | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 54 | Brian Wesenberg | RW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | Peter White | C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 40 | Jason Zent | LW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |

### Goaltending

| No. | Player | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| No. | Player | GP | GS | W | L | T | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI | GP | GS | W | L | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI |
| 34 | John Vanbiesbrouck | 62 | 61 | 27 | 18 | 15 | 1380 | 135 | 2.19 | .902 | 6 | 3,712 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 146 | 9 | 1.46 | .938 | 1 | 369 |
| 27 | Ron Hextall | 23 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 464 | 52 | 2.52 | .888 | 0 | 1,235 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 49 | Jean-Marc Pelletier | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 5 | 5.00 | .828 | 0 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |

## Awards and records
### Awards

| Type | Award/honor | Recipient |
| League (annual) | Bud Light Plus-Minus Award | John LeClair |
| League (annual) | NHL second All-Star team | Eric Desjardins (Defense) |
| League (annual) | NHL second All-Star team | John LeClair (Left wing) |
| League (in-season) | NHL All-Star Game selection | John LeClair |
| League (in-season) | NHL All-Star Game selection | Eric Lindros |
| League (in-season) | NHL Player of the Month | Eric Lindros (November) |
| League (in-season) | NHL Player of the Week | John LeClair (November 30) |
| League (in-season) | NHL Player of the Week | Eric Lindros (January 18) |
| Team | Barry Ashbee Trophy | Eric Desjardins |
| Team | Bobby Clarke Trophy | Eric Lindros |
| Team | Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy | Daymond Langkow |
| Team | Yanick Dupre Memorial Class Guy Award | Eric Desjardins |

### Records

Among the team records set during the 1998–99 season was Eric Lindros tying the team record for most points during a single period (4) on November 14. Lindros replicated this feat two weeks later on November 29, also tying the team record for most assists in a period (4), while John LeClair tied team records for goals scored in a regular season game (4) and period (3). From January 7 to January 13, the Flyers tied a team record with four straight shutouts. January 7 was also the first of 18 consecutive games until February 18 that Lindros recorded at least one point, tying Bobby Clarke’s team record set during the 1974–75 season. The season finale on April 18 was the 484th and final game of Rod Brind'Amour’s franchise record consecutive games streak. The Flyers nine goals allowed is the team record for the fewest allowed during a single playoff season.
1998–99 was the final NHL season for longtime Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall, who holds several career records for the team. Serving in a backup role to starter John Vanbiesbrouck, Hextall was able to surpass Bernie Parent for games played by a goaltender (489) and wins (240) during the season. He also holds the team playoff career goalie marks for games played (84), wins (45), and minutes played (4,928). Hextall holds the NHL career records for most penalty minutes by a goaltender in the regular season (569) and playoffs (115), and is one of only two goalies to score a goal during a Stanley Cup playoffs game.

### Milestones

| Milestone | Player | Date |
| First game | Mike Maneluk | October 9, 1998 |
| First game | Dmitri Tertyshny | October 11, 1998 |
| First game | Ryan Bast | November 1, 1998 |
| First game | Andy Delmore | November 1, 1998 |
| First game | Jean-Marc Pelletier | March 4, 1999 |
| First game | Brian Wesenberg | April 10, 1999 |

## Transactions

The Flyers were involved in the following transactions from June 17, 1998, the day after the deciding game of the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals, through June 19, 1999, the day of the deciding game of the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals.

### Trades

| Date | Details | Details |
| June 26, 1998 (1998-06-26) | To Philadelphia Flyers 7th-round pick in 1998 | To Nashville Predators Dominic RousselJeff Staples |
| June 27, 1998 (1998-06-27) | To Philadelphia Flyers NY Islanders' 5th-round pick in 1998 | To Chicago Blackhawks Paul Coffey |
| June 27, 1998 (1998-06-27) | To Philadelphia Flyers 9th-round pick in 1998 | To Dallas Stars 9th-round pick in 1999 |
| August 6, 1998 (1998-08-06) | To Philadelphia Flyers 7th-round pick in 1999 | To San Jose Sharks Rights to Johan Hedberg |
| August 25, 1998 (1998-08-25) | To Philadelphia Flyers 6th-round pick in 2000 | To New York Islanders Rights to Ray Giroux |
| October 5, 1998 (1998-10-05) | To Philadelphia Flyers Valeri Zelepukin | To Edmonton Oilers Daniel Lacroix |
| October 13, 1998 (1998-10-13) | To Philadelphia Flyers Rights to Ryan Bast8th-round pick in 1999 | To Calgary Flames 3rd-round pick in 1999 |
| October 19, 1998 (1998-10-19) | To Philadelphia Flyers 6th-round pick in 2000 | To Vancouver Canucks Trent Klatt |
| November 12, 1998 (1998-11-12) | To Philadelphia Flyers Keith Jones | To Colorado Avalanche Shjon Podein |
| November 17, 1998 (1998-11-17) | To Philadelphia Flyers Roman Vopat | To Chicago Blackhawks Mike Maneluk |
| December 12, 1998 (1998-12-12) | To Philadelphia Flyers Daymond LangkowMikael Renberg | To Tampa Bay Lightning Chris GrattonMike Sillinger |
| December 28, 1998 (1998-12-28) | To Philadelphia Flyers Karl Dykhuis | To Tampa Bay Lightning Petr Svoboda |
| January 8, 1999 (1999-01-08) | To Philadelphia Flyers Dennis Bonvie | To Chicago Blackhawks Frank Bialowas |
| January 26, 1999 (1999-01-26) | To Philadelphia Flyers Future considerations | To Nashville Predators Sergei Klimentiev |
| January 29, 1999 (1999-01-29) | To Philadelphia Flyers Andrei Kovalenko | To Edmonton Oilers Alexandre Daigle |
| February 10, 1999 (1999-02-10) | To Philadelphia Flyers Sean O'Brien | To Pittsburgh Penguins Future considerations |
| March 6, 1999 (1999-03-06) | To Philadelphia Flyers Adam Burt | To Carolina Hurricanes Andrei Kovalenko |
| March 10, 1999 (1999-03-10) | To Philadelphia Flyers Mark Recchi | To Montreal Canadiens Dainius ZubrusChoice of a 2nd-round pickChoice of a 6th or 7th-round pick |
| March 20, 1999 (1999-03-20) | To Philadelphia Flyers Mikael AnderssonSandy McCarthy | To Tampa Bay Lightning Colin ForbesConditional draft pick in 1999 or 2000 |
| March 23, 1999 (1999-03-23) | To Philadelphia Flyers Craig Berube | To Washington Capitals Future considerations |
| March 23, 1999 (1999-03-23) | To Philadelphia Flyers Steve Duchesne | To Los Angeles Kings Dave Babych5th-round pick in 2000 |
| May 25, 1999 (1999-05-25) | To Philadelphia Flyers Rights to Francis Lessard | To Carolina Hurricanes 8th-round pick in 1999 |
| June 1, 1999 (1999-06-01) | To Philadelphia Flyers 6th-round pick in 1999 | To Vancouver Canucks Rights to Pat Kavanagh |

### Players acquired

| Date | Player | Former team | Term | Via |
| July 6, 1998 (1998-07-06) | Marc Bureau | Montreal Canadiens | 3-year | Free agency |
| July 7, 1998 (1998-07-07) | John Vanbiesbrouck | Florida Panthers | 3-year | Free agency |
| July 9, 1998 (1998-07-09) | Sergei Klimentiev | Rochester Americans (AHL) | 2-year | Free agency |
| July 28, 1998 (1998-07-28) | Mark Eaton | University of Notre Dame (CCHA) | 3-year | Free agency |
| August 3, 1998 (1998-08-03) | David MacIsaac | Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL) | 1-year | Free agency |
| August 4, 1998 (1998-08-04) | Mark Greig | Grand Rapids Griffins (IHL) | 2-year | Free agency |
| August 4, 1998 (1998-08-04) | Jason Zent | Ottawa Senators | 2-year | Free agency |
| August 17, 1998 (1998-08-17) | Steve McLaren | Indianapolis Ice (IHL) | 1-year | Free agency |
| August 24, 1998 (1998-08-24) | Richard Park | Anaheim Mighty Ducks | 1-year | Free agency |
| October 7, 1998 (1998-10-07) | Jody Hull | Tampa Bay Lightning | 2-year | Free agency |

### Players lost

| Date | Player | New team | Via |
| June 26, 1998 (1998-06-26) | Craig Darby | Nashville Predators | Expansion draft |
| August 6, 1998 (1998-08-06) | Jamie Heward | Nashville Predators | Free agency |
| September 5, 1998 (1998-09-05) | Joel Otto | | Retirement (III) |
| September 11, 1998 (1998-09-11) | Sean Burke | Florida Panthers | Free agency (III) |
| N/A | John Druce | Hannover Scorpions (DEL) | Free agency |
| October 14, 1998 (1998-10-14) | Kjell Samuelsson | Tampa Bay Lightning | Free agency (III) |
| October 16, 1998 (1998-10-16) | Travis Van Tighem | Houston Aeros (IHL) | Free agency (UFA) |
| December 29, 1998 (1998-12-29) | Brett Bruininks | Florida Everblades (ECHL) | Free agency (UFA) |
| February 10, 1999 (1999-02-10) | John Stevens | | Retirement |

### Signings

| Date | Player | Term | Contract type |
| June 22, 1998 (1998-06-22) | Neil Little | 1-year | Re-signing |
| June 25, 1998 (1998-06-25) | Eric Lindros | 1-year | Re-signing |
| July 15, 1998 (1998-07-15) | Paul Healey | 2-year | Re-signing |
| July 15, 1998 (1998-07-15) | Ron Hextall | 1-year | Extension |
| July 15, 1998 (1998-07-15) | Jeff Lank | 2-year | Extension |
| July 16, 1998 (1998-07-16) | Dmitri Tertyshny | 2-year | Entry-level |
| August 3, 1998 (1998-08-03) | Mike Maneluk | 1-year | Re-signing |
| August 3, 1998 (1998-08-03) | John Stevens | 2-year | Re-signing |
| August 13, 1998 (1998-08-13) | Trent Klatt | 1-year | Arbitration award |
| August 14, 1998 (1998-08-14) | Rod Brind’Amour | 3-year | Re-signing |
| August 17, 1998 (1998-08-17) | Peter White | 3-year | Re-signing |
| September 1, 1998 (1998-09-01) | Daniel Lacroix | 1-year | Re-signing |
| March 30, 1999 (1999-03-30) | Eric Desjardins | 4-year | Extension |
| May 10, 1999 (1999-05-10) | Mark Recchi | 5-year | Extension |

## Draft picks

Philadelphia's picks at the 1998 NHL entry draft, which was held at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York, on June 27, 1998. The Flyers traded their third-round pick, 81st overall, to the Vancouver Canucks for Dave Babych and the Flyers' fifth-round pick, 139th overall, on March 24, 1998.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | Team (league) |
| 1 | 22 | Simon Gagne | Left wing | Canada | Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) |
| 2 | 42 | Jason Beckett | Defense | Canada | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) |
| 2 | 51 | Ian Forbes | Defense | Canada | Guelph Storm (OHL) |
| 4 | 109 | J. P. Morin | Defense | Canada | Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) |
| 5 | 124 | Francis Belanger | Left wing | Canada | Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL) |
| 5 | 139 | Garrett Prosofsky | Center | Canada | Saskatoon Blades (WHL) |
| 6 | 168 | Antero Niittymaki | Goaltender | Finland | TPS (SM-liiga) |
| 7 | 175 | Cam Ondrik | Goaltender | Canada | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) |
| 7 | 195 | Tomas Divisek | Right wing | Czech Republic | HC Slavia Praha (CZE) |
| 8 | 222 | Lubomir Pistek | Right wing | Slovakia | HC Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) |
| 9 | 243 | Petr Hubacek | Center | Czech Republic | HC Kometa Brno (Czech) |
| 9 | 253 | Bruno St. Jacques | Defense | Canada | Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL) |
| 9 | 258 | Sergei Skrobot | Defense | Russia | Dynamo-2 Moscow (RUS) |

## Farm teams

The Flyers were affiliated with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL.