With training camp a month away, the Flyers look mostly set on paper - but that doesn’t mean the roster is finished. Philadelphia barely dipped into free agency, bringing in veteran fourth-liner Noel Acciari and a cluster of AHL signings led by Zach Aston-Reese and Nolan Foote. That light summer haul leaves room for a different kind of addition: a tryout player who can help if injuries hit or if competition opens a door.
That’s why a PTO list makes sense for this group, especially with the Flyers still looking thin in a few spots. Familiarity matters here, and so does specialized depth. A few veterans fit that bill.
Kevin Hayes is one name that stands out. After unproductive runs with the St.
Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins, he’s back on the market, but the underlying numbers still paint him as a player who can hold his own in the right role. Hayes didn’t disappear in Pittsburgh either, posting four goals, four assists and eight points in 28 games last season.
He also has a track record with Philadelphia, including 13 points in 19 games the last time the Flyers made the playoffs before this past year, in 2019-20. If there’s no lingering bad blood, and if the Flyers need help because of an injury, the fit is easy to see.
Luke Glendening is another veteran who would make sense if he’s still unsigned when camp gets closer. The Flyers already added Acciari, which makes Glendening look somewhat redundant on the surface, but Philadelphia liked what the 37-year-old brought during his time here.
Claimed off waivers from the New Jersey Devils, he became a key part of the fourth line next to Sean Couturier after Nikita Grebenkin suffered a season-ending injury. In 18 regular-season games with the Flyers, Glendening put up two goals, three assists and five points, along with a +4 rating and a 57.2% mark in the faceoff circle.
He added one goal and a +3 in 10 playoff games, though his draw percentage dipped to 48.7%. For a team that valued his versatility and edge, a PTO reunion would fit the moment.
The most interesting option, though, is John Klingberg. The Flyers made it clear they wanted to upgrade the blue line this offseason, but they haven’t really done that yet.
Simon Benoit came in as part of the Joseph Woll trade, replacing Emil Andrae, and that was the extent of the notable change. David Jiricek should get a bigger role, but Philadelphia still needs insurance if that doesn’t go smoothly, and top prospect Oliver Bonk is even less experienced at the NHL level.
Neither young defenseman is a sure thing to run a power play at this level.
Klingberg, 33, isn’t the player he once was, but there’s still something to work with. Injuries slowed his career badly, yet after a long stretch away from the ice for surgeries and rehab, he played 56 games for the San Jose Sharks last season and finished with 10 goals, 17 assists and 27 points.
Five of those goals and nine of those points came on the power play. That production would have placed him second among Flyers defensemen in goals behind Travis Sanheim, and second in points behind Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale.
As a team, Philadelphia got only three power-play goals from defensemen last season - one each from Sanheim, Drysdale and Cam York.
Klingberg’s all-around power-play metrics were near the bottom among the 30 defensemen who logged at least 165 minutes with the man advantage last season, but he still ranked eighth in scoring chances per 60 minutes, according to Natural Stat Trick. He may not solve the Flyers’ power play, and he might not even be a clear upgrade, but on a PTO, he’s the kind of low-risk look Philadelphia can afford to take.
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