The Flyers still have a path to make a major swing, and this one runs through Detroit.
After coming up empty on Zach Werenski and John Carlson this summer, Philadelphia is again in position to use its cap space as a weapon. The Flyers also missed on the Leo Carlsson offer sheet, then handled their own business by re-signing Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, and Nikita Grebenkin after bringing in Noel Acciari. But the end result is still the same: no real fix for a power play that needs help, and no meaningful upgrade up front or on the blue line.
Now, with $13 million in cap space still available, the Flyers could chase a different kind of impact move. One name that fits the bill is Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson.
Edvinsson is one of seven remaining unsigned restricted free agents, a group that also includes Cutter Gauthier, Adam Fantilli, and Alexander Nikishin. The 23-year-old just finished his entry-level deal and is now in line for a long-term, big-money contract after back-to-back strong NHL seasons.
The 6-foot-6 former sixth overall pick posted seven goals, 24 assists, and 31 points with a +12 rating last season, then followed that with nine goals, 16 assists, and 25 points and another +12 this year. The growth is obvious. It took time, but Edvinsson has settled in at the NHL level and now looks like the kind of top-pairing defender teams spend years trying to find.
Whether that happens in Detroit is the question.
The Red Wings still do not have a general manager after Steve Yzerman left last month, and that uncertainty has frozen everything around Edvinsson for now. Detroit isn’t moving him without a GM in place, but there are no guarantees about what happens once that search is over.
"We are patiently waiting for a new general manager," Peter Werner, Edvinsson's agent, told Swedish publication Expressen. "We don’t speculate anything, but patiently await the new general manager."
Nick Lidstrom, Detroit’s vice president of hockey ops, sounded just as guarded.
“Simon we want to keep, but it's a bit quiet right now. As you know, we are looking for a new general manager," Lidstrom said.
That stalemate could become a real problem as training camp gets closer, especially with the Dylan Larkin saga still hanging over the organization. And if the Red Wings do reach the point where they have to consider shaking things up, the Flyers are the kind of team that can make a serious offer.
Philadelphia has the draft capital to do it, including four first-round picks in the next three drafts thanks to Toronto, plus young players it could send to Detroit. It also has the cap room to pay Edvinsson whatever it takes, with a number that could reasonably climb above $9 million on the current market.
For a Flyers team that wants to get bigger, meaner, and more talented on defense, Edvinsson checks every box. If he does shake loose, Philadelphia should be ready.
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Former Flyers Center Just Took An Unexpected Turn In His Career
Kevin Hayes is taking a sharp turn in his career path, leaving North America after a dozen seasons in the NHL and landing with Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL on a one-year contract. For Flyers fans, it is another reminder of how quickly the roster churns in this league, especially for a player who once occupied a familiar spot in Philadelphia before moving on to St. Louis and, most recently, Pittsburgh.
Hayes last two NHL seasons came with the Penguins, and his next stop will be a different kind of challenge with a competitive Ak Bars team. It closes the book on his NHL run for now and sends a former Flyers center into a new league, a new system and a new stage at a point in his career when many players are usually looking for one final fit. [Read more 🡒]