Danny Briere may have a chance to pull off one of the quirkiest follow-up moves imaginable.
The Flyers put themselves in position this offseason to be active when the right player shakes loose. General manager Danny Briere extended forward Trevor Zegras, defenseman Jamie Drysdale, and goalie Dan Vladar, and with young prospects pushing into the pros, Philadelphia has cap room to work with. That leaves the organization in a spot where a major addition feels more like a question of timing than possibility.
Now one notable name is suddenly available: Chris Kreider.
On Thursday, the Anaheim Ducks announced that Kreider cleared waivers and had his contract terminated. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said the decision was tied to the need for cap space because of Leo Carlsson’s contract and the eventual, expensive deal coming for Cutter Gauthier.
And the irony is impossible to miss. The Flyers are part of the reason Anaheim is in this mess in the first place.
Philadelphia’s offer sheet for Carlsson this summer forced the Ducks into a corner. The Flyers signed the restricted free agent to a five-year, $90 million offer sheet, leaving Verbeek with a brutal choice: match the richest contract in the NHL at the time or let Carlsson walk to Philadelphia in exchange for four first-round picks. Verbeek matched it and kept his franchise center.
That move solved one problem and created another. Anaheim still had to sort out Carlsson, and then there was Gauthier, who is not held in high regard with Flyers fans.
Coming off a 41-goal season, Gauthier reportedly turned down a four-year extension worth $13 million per year. That left the Ducks needing to commit even more money to keep him in the fold, which pushed them into the kind of roster squeeze that eventually cost Kreider his spot.
One year after acquiring him from the New York Rangers, Anaheim has moved on.
That makes Kreider a free agent, and the Flyers are at least worth a look.
Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported Wednesday that the Ducks were heading in this direction with Kreider, and he also said Kreider wants to return to the East Coast to be closer to his family. That alone makes Philadelphia an easy team to circle.
The Flyers already have plenty of wingers, so Kreider wouldn’t be a straightforward fit. But he does have experience at center, which gives Rick Tocchet some room to get creative if he wanted to experiment with the forward group.
The cleaner argument for Philadelphia is what Kreider can do on the power play. He has built a career around producing with the extra man, using his size to get to the crease, make life miserable for penalty killers, and finish chances. That skill set stands out even more because the Flyers’ power play was a major issue in their playoff run, producing just three goals on 36 opportunities and playing a big part in their second-round exit.
Kreider would not be a necessity for the Flyers. He would be a luxury.
Boston may make more sense as a landing spot because of the homecoming angle and its need for forward depth. Still, if Philadelphia wants another proven scorer to help with a Stanley Cup push, it has every reason to at least think about it.
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Flyers Fans May Not Like Where Quinn Hughes Rumors Are Heading
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Hughes addressed the situation on a podcast and made it sound less like a standoff than a measured wait, suggesting he expects a new deal with the Wild to eventually come together. The timing is still unclear, though, and with camp approaching, his careful approach leaves enough uncertainty to keep the rumor mill turning for anyone following the ripple effects across the conference. [Read more 🡒]
Matvei Michkov Just Gave Flyers Fans A New Camp Question
Matvei Michkovs summer has already added a fresh layer to the Flyers training camp conversation, and it starts with his body. In a recent interview, the young winger talked openly about losing weight, a detail that lands with extra weight in Philadelphia after coach Rick Tocchet previously raised questions about Michkovs conditioning. The number itself stands out, especially because it puts him lighter than most of his teammates and makes his camp status one of the early storylines worth watching.
For the Flyers, this is about more than a scale reading. Michkov remains one of the most important players in their long-term plans, and any sign of how he is preparing for the season gets attention from a fan base eager to see progress. There is also a broader cultural thread around his situation, with a Russian banya reference surfacing alongside the discussion of his future, adding another layer to a story that is still developing rather than settled. [Read more 🡒]