The Flyers may still have a couple of important contract situations to sort out, but Sunday’s arbitration filings at least took one major weapon off the table.
Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale both filed for arbitration ahead of the 5 p.m. deadline, which means a third party will decide the salary on their next deals if it gets that far. Once both sides present their cases, the arbitrator is required to issue a binding ruling within two days.
That still leaves room for a deal before then. The Flyers, Drysdale and Zegras can all reach new contracts on their own before an arbitration decision comes down, and that remains the likeliest outcome given general manager Danny Briere’s confidence heading into the offseason that new deals would get done.
There’s also a clear benefit for Philadelphia now that both players have filed. Drysdale and Zegras are no longer eligible for offer sheets, which eliminates the possibility of another NHL team trying to pry one away that way.
That matters for a Flyers team that already made a huge move of its own, landing budding Anaheim Ducks star Leo Carlsson with a $90 million offer sheet. Carlsson was once teammates with Zegras and Drysdale, which adds a little extra irony to the whole situation.
As for the contracts themselves, Daily Faceoff NHL insider Anthony Di Marco reported earlier in the week that Drysdale’s next deal “seems” to be trending toward a medium-term contract of three or four years at $6.25 million per season, a number that would match what Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim counts against the cap annually.
Zegras’ situation is less settled, but the expectation throughout the year has been a longer-term contract in the range of $8 million to $9 million against the cap each season.
Both players are still two seasons away from unrestricted free agency, so even in the worst-case scenario, the Flyers would at least buy themselves time to adjust to Carlsson’s $18 million cap hit if their bid ends up working out.
In Other News...
Tyson Foerster Just Sent Flyers Fans A Powerful Message
Tyson Foersters new deal gives the Flyers a little more clarity about where one of their young core pieces sees his future. The winger signed an eight-year extension worth $56.8 million that begins in the 2027-28 season, and in a media interview he made it clear he is embracing the long view in Philadelphia. He spoke warmly about the city and the fan base, while also expressing confidence in the direction the organization is headed under general manager Danny Brire.
Foerster also sounded like a player using the offseason to sharpen both his body and his game after a year that included injury recovery and plenty of reflection. He said he is focused on improving specific parts of his play, which matters for a Flyers team that is trying to build on last season rather than simply repeat it. The bigger question now is how quickly that belief turns into results, because Foersters comments suggested a team that expects more and a player eager to grow into a bigger role right along with it. [Read more 🡒]
Danny Briere Just Sent A Stunning Message About The Flyers Rebuild
Danny Briere has made it clear the Flyers are not content to sit still in their rebuild, and the latest move only underscores how aggressive Philadelphia is willing to be. By going after a young restricted free agent in Anaheim, the front office is signaling that it wants to accelerate the process rather than wait for the roster to grow into contention on its own.
It is also the kind of swing that comes with real consequences, both in cap management and in the draft-pick cost that would follow if the deal is not matched. For a team trying to climb back into relevance, that is the balancing act Briere is now embracing, even if it means putting pressure on future roster decisions and inviting a much bigger conversation about how the Flyers plan to build from here. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers May Have Missed Their Best Chance To Corner Anaheim
The Flyers summer of roster-building keeps circling back to what might have been with Leo Carlsson, and the latest wrinkle is less about the player than the mechanics of the offer sheet itself. Philadelphia put Anaheim in a difficult spot when it went after the young center, but there was a way to make the deal even more awkward by adjusting the bonus structure, the kind of cap and cash wrinkle front offices obsess over when they are trying to pry loose a player without overpaying in the usual ways.
What stands out now is how narrow the margin was for turning that pressure into a real advantage. A different timing on a year-two signing bonus could have changed the burden on the Ducks and made the contract more of a headache for any team that might later try to acquire Carlsson, which is exactly the sort of detail that can decide whether an aggressive move lands or gets matched. It is the sort of missed edge the Flyers will keep revisiting, especially when a rival is forced to weigh not just the player, but the cost of keeping him. [Read more 🡒]