VOORHEES, N.J. - The Flyers made a point on Wednesday of keeping the core together, but they still didn’t land the kind of headline move that would change the conversation.
General manager Daniel Briere announced long-term extensions for goaltender Dan Vladar and left wing Tyson Foerster, two more players who now look set to spend major chunks of their prime in Philadelphia. Vladar’s deal runs five years with a $5.5 million AAV, a number that sits below market value for a No. 1 goalie. Foerster’s extension stretches eight years at $7.1 AAV, and it could end up looking like a steal if his development keeps trending the way it has.
That pattern has become familiar under Briere. Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny, Cam York and Noah Cates have already signed significant extensions, and restricted free agents Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale are expected to follow at some point in the coming weeks.
“Our guys want to stay here, and to me that’s a really good sign,” Briere said.
It is. But it still doesn’t solve the bigger issue.
For all the progress the Flyers have made in convincing their own players to stick around, they remain short of the kind of true difference-maker that turns a good story into a contender. Wednesday felt like another step, not a breakthrough.
Noel Acciari was added to strengthen the fourth line, and Joseph Woll arrived earlier this month to back up Vladar in goal. Useful pieces, yes.
The big swing everyone is waiting for, no.
And with July 1 now in the rearview mirror, that swing looks less likely to come before opening night, which is still more than three months away.
Briere believes the Flyers’ surprise run to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, paired with the willingness of their own players to commit long term, has started to change the way the league sees them. That matters, especially with so much trade protection attached to the kind of players the Flyers are trying to chase.
“I think the league is starting to take notice,” Briere said. “They’re starting to realize there are some good young players on this team, and it’s a good mix.
You’re definitely seeing a lot more interest than we’re ever had. Two years ago, we were on most players’ no-trade list.
Even the (players) that had limited no-trade, we were on them. That’s starting to change.”
Still, the market hasn’t broken their way.
Dylan Larkin is likely to be traded by the Detroit Red Wings at some point, while the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski was reportedly on the block before it was announced Wednesday afternoon that he wasn’t. If either player truly wanted Philadelphia, the Flyers had the kind of assets to make a serious run at that level. They have plenty of NHL wingers, along with draft picks, young players and prospects they’re willing to use in a deal.
John Carlson was another name with obvious fit. The defenseman wants another shot at a championship and remains unsigned as of Wednesday evening.
He would fill a clear need as the Flyers’ top power-play quarterback. But if he saw Philadelphia as a team ready to make real noise in the playoffs, the deal likely would already be done after he hit the market at noon.
Briere said the Flyers have stayed in touch on that front, including with Claude Giroux.
“We’ve had some discussions. I can’t say much more than that.
We’ve had some discussions. We’re looking at everything.
But at the moment, there’s nothing imminent.”
There is a fair case for patience, at least in this specific free-agent class. The group was thin, the options were limited, and Acciari does address a clear need after Garnet Hathaway’s game fell off sharply last season and he was dealt last week to the Florida Panthers. Acciari brings grit, playoff mileage and the kind of impact he already showed in the Flyers’ first-round win over his Pittsburgh Penguins in April.
Even so, the real engine for next season remains internal growth. Porter Martone is already the odds-on favorite for the Calder Trophy, and Foerster should give the club more after missing four months with injury. If Zegras, Drysdale, York, Matvei Michkov, Denver Barkey and Alex Bump all keep moving forward, the Flyers should stay in the playoff mix regardless of what else Briere does.
That’s part of why Briere hasn’t forced the issue. The young core is still taking shape, and a year from now he’ll have a clearer picture of who belongs and who can be moved.
When asked about the lack of a high-end addition, Briere pointed back to the plan the Flyers have been following.
“We’ve preached patience from the start of this three years ago. That’s the fine line that we’re trying to stay on, where we’re giving a chance (to) our young guys to get better.
It paid off last year. … You try to help them with small steps here and there, and if you have a chance to take a big leap, we’ll jump on it.”
That leap still hasn’t arrived. And the longer the Flyers go without it, the more pressure builds to do something meaningful while the roster is still young and the top-five picks are no longer likely to be part of the equation.
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