The Flyers have already made it clear they’re not waiting around for the market to come to them.
Even after another offseason without landing a top-tier free agent, Philadelphia still found a way to make noise. The team shocked the NHL world with an offer to Leo Carlsson that Anaheim matched, then still managed to re-sign Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale. And with $14.88 million in cap space right now - a figure expected to jump to $28 million next season as the salary cap keeps rising - the Flyers are positioning themselves to keep rewarding their own players while staying ready for a bigger swing.
That internal business matters. Daniel Briere has already locked up most of the roster long term, leaving only a couple of major decisions ahead.
Rasmus Ristolainen’s contract expires at the end of the year, and he’ll either be extended or traded depending on how things go between the two sides. Matvei Michkov is the other big one, and all signs point to him getting a bigger payday.
Beyond that, there are veterans Carl Grundstrom and Simon Benoit, plus the usual wave of AHL prospects the organization will have to sort through. Grundstrom could come back depending on how often he is used this year, while Benoit will most likely be gone.
That leaves Philadelphia with room to look outward, and if the Flyers do go shopping, the wish list starts with the big names.
On the forward side, Jason Robertson would be the headline grabber. He has already signed a $12 million deal with the Stars, so his availability is more of a dream than a forecast, but the fit is obvious: a three-time 40-plus goal scorer on the left side with Porter Martone or Michkov on the right side. That kind of pairing was described as a possible new Legion of Doom line.
Nikita Kucherov would be another massive target, though his age - he’d be 34 next season - is the obvious drawback. He brings a dangerous scoring touch and two Stanley Cups, and the idea of pairing him with Michkov carries obvious appeal.
Tyler Seguin would also be in the mix if Dallas had to make a choice, since he’d be a free agent too. He’s aging as well, but he can win faceoffs.
The question there is whether the Stars could afford both him and Robertson.
After that come the other names: Mark Stone, Chris Kreider, Nino Niederreiter, and Teuvo Teravainen. The common thread is age, because most of the available forwards are on the wrong side of 30. The Flyers could even take a run at Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Evgeni Malkin, but they’d be even further beyond 30 then, and that raises its own question about how the fan base would feel about rooting for them.
The blue line has its own dream list, though the Flyers may not need nearly as much help there depending on what happens with Ristolainen and whether David Jiricek and Oliver Bonk pan out. Still, there are a few names worth noting.
Cale Makar sits at the top. The odds of Colorado letting him reach free agency are so slim the article flatly says it would bet a house and car against it.
But if he somehow became available, the pitch would be simple: fill in the price and years. He’s the kind of defender who changes everything, and the Flyers would figure out the rest later.
If Makar is off the board, Quinn Hughes would be the next obvious dream fit, and there’s even the added theater of seeing him play against his brother. Jalen Chatfield would bring a steadier, veteran presence and some leadership.
Other names mentioned as solid options include Justin Faulk, Dmitri Orlov, Erik Karlsson, and Alex Pietrangelo. Like the forward group, though, the reality is that most of those players are already well past their prime years.
The RFA market may be where the Flyers keep doing damage.
Because the goaltending is already in good shape, the focus shifts to restricted free agents, and that’s where Briere could make another aggressive move after the Carlsson attempt. Braden Schneider stands out as a possible target from the Rangers, whether it’s to steal him outright or simply make New York work harder to keep its own players.
Shane Wright is another name tied to Philadelphia for a while, and there’s even the possibility of the Flyers trading for him and then signing him. Connor Geekie is also mentioned as a center option.
Buffalo’s Jack Quinn would be interesting, but the right-wing logjam makes that less likely. A reunion with Bobby Brink would make sense as a depth move, though it feels unlikely.
And if size is the priority - as it appears to be trending - Matt Rempe is at least on the board, even if the scouting report is blunt about him not being very good. He would, however, be fun to watch fight people.
That Carlsson pursuit may have changed the way the league thinks about Philadelphia. Other teams will likely rush to lock up their own top RFAs, while anyone left unsigned could suddenly become a target because Briere has already shown he’ll go after big names. It also adds another reason the Flyers may want to get Michkov signed before next season is over.
The bigger takeaway is simple: Briere isn’t afraid to swing. If the market delivers a star, the Flyers are ready to pounce.
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The Flyers have lived long enough with the shootout to know how quickly an extra point can slip away, and the list of reliable finishers in franchise history still starts with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. But the league has also changed around them, with younger players in recent seasons showing they can be real difference-makers in the skills competition, the kind of edge that can turn a tight night into a full two points.
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Even the more recent peaks have come with a sense of almost, not enough. Ivan Provorovs 17 goals in 2017-18 stands as the last time a Flyers defenseman got beyond 15, and the list of others to clear that mark in the 2000s is short enough to underline the point, with Shayne Gostisbehere and Eric Desjardins among the few to do it. For a team always looking for more punch from its defense, the question keeps hanging around. [Read more 🡒]