The Flyers are still swinging for the fences, and Darren Dreger says the target is the kind of player who changes the look of a lineup.
Philadelphia, according to Dreger on TSN, is “big game hunting” and trying to land a star. As he put it, “They’re looking for a star forward or a star defenceman, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.”
That pursuit doesn’t appear to be tied to Matvei Michkov. Kevin Kurz reported that Flyers general manager Danny Briere said the team had “some talks” with Michkov’s agents about a contract extension before Tuesday’s deadline, but Briere didn’t have much more to offer on the subject.
The New York Rangers, meanwhile, didn’t sound especially rattled by Tuesday’s CBA deadline. When asked whether he had spoken with Gabriel Perreault or any other extension-eligible young players about a long-term deal before the agreement expired, GM Chris Drury kept it close to the vest.
“As you all know, I’m not going to get into contract negotiations publicly. All or any conversations I have with players or agents, keep that private.
We’re happy with where we’re at. We’re happy with where our roster is at.
We’re happy with our cap projections going into this year and in the future. We’re excited to see Gabe and other young players continue to grow, take on more responsibility, earn more responsibility here and have good productive years for us.”
Peter Baugh also noted that he was told on Monday there hadn’t been any extension talks with Gabe Perreault.
In Winnipeg, Josh Morrissey said he found out about Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request the same way everybody else did. He made clear he doesn’t know what comes next, but he’s still holding out hope Hellebuyck returns to the Jets’ lineup.
“But I don’t know what that’s going to look like. Nobody knows if he’s going to be here or not or what a trade would look like, so I can’t say it makes us worse or whatever.
That’s speculation. Obviously, we hope he’s back at some point and playing for us for a long time.”
Morrissey, who has two years left on his contract with a $6.25 million cap hit, also said his feelings about Winnipeg haven’t changed.
“At the end of the day, I love being here. I love being a Jet,” he said. “That’s how I’ve always felt, and so that doesn’t change because of somebody else’s decision.”
In Other News...
Jett Luchanko Is Forcing A Tough Flyers Decision Again
Jett Luchanko is back in the middle of an opening-night debate for the Flyers, and it is one the organization has seen before. The 19-year-old has stood out at training camp, enough to put him in the mix for a roster spot for a third straight year, with head coach Rick Tocchet saying Luchanko has shown real growth in camp work.
What has helped his case is the way he has looked more assertive in drills, a notable step for a player still trying to turn promise into a permanent NHL role. Even so, Philadelphia does not have to make a final commitment right away, and the path to starting the season elsewhere remains very much on the table if the Flyers decide more seasoning is the better play. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Camp Is Starting To Reveal Which Forwards Fit Together
Rick Tocchet spent the first two days of Flyers training camp leaning into a simple idea: keep the forward group stable long enough to see who actually fits. Rather than shuffling bodies every drill, he has tried to let chemistry build in place, using consistent pairings to give the young talent a clearer read on one another. It is the kind of camp approach that can look boring from the outside and prove valuable once the pace sharpens.
The early returns have already pointed to a few combinations that seem to click, even if nothing is locked in this soon. Denver Barkey has stayed in the conversation with Matvei Michkov as Tocchet sorts out his forward looks, while Travis Konecny and Porter Martone have also drawn positive buzz. For a Flyers group trying to identify not just talent but fit, the next few days should tell a lot about which combinations have staying power and which ones are still just experiments. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Camp Battle Is Already Putting These Young Names On Notice
Day 2 of Flyers training camp in Voorhees brought the same groupings and line combinations as Thursday, but the pace and competition level already started to separate a few names from the pack. With all groups on the ice again, players such as Nolan Foote, Christian Dvorak, Spencer Gill, Tyson Foerster, Cole Knuble, Alex Bump, Simon Benoit and Matvei Michkov stood out in drills and scrimmage work, giving the staff an early look at who is making a case to stay in the conversation as camp unfolds.
There is still a long way to go before these battles settle in, but that is exactly why the first week matters. The Flyers are set for a scrimmage on Saturday before an off day on Sunday, and each skate offers another chance for young players to turn a promising start into real momentum. For a camp built around competition, the early traction from those performances is already putting some familiar and less familiar names on notice. [Read more 🡒]