2021 Free Agency: Five Defenseman The Flyers Should Consider Signing

Last Thursday we talked about five options the Flyers should look at for backup goaltending in free agency. Today in part two of this three-piece free agency series, we’re going to evaluate five defenseman that Philadelphia should have their eyes on and make pushes to add to the roster.

The Flyers’ struggles on the blueline have been very evident and stand out like a sore thumb despite the team’s other issues as well. Defense has been a very weak spot for them this season, marred by inconsistent play, injuries, and the loss of a steady veteran presence in Matt Niskanen.

It should be also be evident at this point that Ivan Provorov probably won’t become a true number one defenseman in Philadelphia due to some shortcomings on both sides of the puck, but he’ll likely peak as a very good number two which is still great. Travis Sanheim is also an RFA with arbitration eligibility after this season, but he will be no doubt be back next year and will hopefully take a step forward in his game.

There are two things that the Flyers can do to address their issues: sign a true number one defenseman, or get another good defenseman to pair with Provorov that can help elevate and bring some consistency to his and the entire defensive corps’ game much like Niskanen did in his brief time with Philadelphia.

Of course, the Flyers will need to open up some cap space via trade or the Seattle Kraken’s expansion draft to help address their needs in free agency, but regardless, here’s the five options the Flyers should have on their radar this offseason.

DOUGIE HAMILTON

Hamilton has enjoyed a stellar three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. This season, Hamilton has amassed 10 goals and 32 assists for 42 points and a +21 rating in 52 games while logging 22:46 of ice time per game.

Hamilton has been a perennial Norris Trophy contender for a while now, earning votes for the award given to the league’s top blueliner in each of the last four seasons. His best finish is seventh in last year’s race and is a dark horse for the trophy again this season.

Since joining Carolina in 2018, Hamilton leads all Hurricanes defensemen in goals (42), assists (79), points (121), game-winning goals (8), and shots on goal (603). 35 of his goals and 48 of his assists are at even-strength, and more even-strength scoring would largely benefit the Flyers who rank 15th in goals in that department. Hamilton’s 35 even-strength goals and 42 total goals actually lead all NHL defensemen since 2018-19 when he joined the Hurricanes.

Hamilton’s Corsi-for percentage this year is 55.8% and his on-ice 5v5 save percentage is .945, both tops among Carolina blueliners, and his overall on-ice SV% in all situations is .917. His PDO, or on-ice shooting percentage plus on-ice save percentage, is also at 102.7, another advanced stat he leads his club’s defenders in (excluding Jani Hakanpää, who has only played in 11 of Carolina’s games).

Now that could mean he has been a tad bit lucky, but Hamilton has been ridiculously responsible in his own end this season and his advanced numbers as well as his peripheral stats back it up.

The .945 5v5 SV% is fifth in the league among defensemen who have appeared in at least 30 games this season. Two Flyers actually rank at the very bottom of that list in Travis Sanheim at .881 and Phil Myers at .866. Ivan Provorov and Justin Braun both share the team lead at .913, and yes the Flyers’ poor goaltending this season factors into these numbers quite a bit, but having a stable and just downright elite presence in Hamilton would surely help them out in that department.

Hamilton is likely going to command a huge contract, and should he test the open market if Carolina doesn’t extend him before July 28th, Philadelphia should be all in on him. He’ll be 28 years-old when signing day comes, he scores a lot of goals, he rarely misses games, he’s a great defender and he’s right-handed. All these elements will give Hamilton the opportunity to sign the largest contract of his career.

Hamilton is currently tied for fifth in total scoring among all NHL defensemen this season. Couple that with his fantastic defensive play and he’s in a position where he could easily command at least $8,000,000-$9,000,000 per year. That would put him in the ballpark with players like John Carlson, Victor Hedman, Roman Josi, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alex Pietrangelo, Thomas Chabot, Jacob Trouba, and Brent Burns among others, and he’s honestly better than most of those players.

Hamilton should be at the top of Philadelphia’s list this offseason. He addresses a huge need on the back end, he would alleviate the pressure off of Ivan Provorov, and he would bring a consistent presence to the blueline that we probably haven’t seen on Broad Street since Kimmo Timonen and Chris Pronger were here.

Get the cap space and then drive a Brinks truck of money to his house. Hand him a blank check. Chuck Fletcher, if you’re reading this, literally do whatever it takes to bring Dougie Hamilton to Philadelphia please.

ALEC MARTINEZ

Martinez has enjoyed a moderately successful season with the Vegas Golden Knights, posting eight goals and 21 assists for 29 points and a +27 rating in 50 games this year. Martinez also has a CF% of 52.5 and the Golden Knights maintain a 5v5 SV% of .915 with him on the ice.

His PDO is at 103.5 and Vegas’ on-ice shooting percentage at even strength is 11.8% with Martinez out there, a personal best for the veteran defender.

Martinez’s advanced numbers are actually towards the bottom of the list among Golden Knights defenders, which speaks to how strong Vegas’ blueline is, but they’re still a drastic improvement over most of the Flyers’ defensemen as well.

Martinez is 33 years-old and has been in the league for over 12 years, helping the Los Angeles Kings win two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. He would surely provide a solid veteran presence to complement the Flyers’ young defensemen with his extensive playoff experience and could add a Niskanen-esque vibe to the franchise.

Martinez’s seven goals are his most since 2017-18 (9) and his 20 assists and 27 points are his most since 2016-17 (30 and 39). Those are actually the third-highest assist and point totals in his NHL career as he’s still logging a hefty average of 22:28 played a game this year.

His possession metrics have improved this season from last year as his Corsi and Fenwick have increased drastically. And while in 10 games with Vegas last year he only made 37.7% of his starts in the defensive zone, that number has risen to 48.5% this year which is similar to his other defensive zone start percentages with the Kings earlier in his career.

Martinez also leads all Golden Knights skaters in shorthanded ice-time and has helped anchor a Vegas penalty kill unit that is clicking at an 85.8% clip, good for the second penalty killing percentage in the league only behind the Boston Bruins.

Martinez does not have the offensive prowess of Hamilton and isn’t as strong of a defender, but he is still stable enough on both ends of the ice despite his age to where he should be productive as a Flyer for the next few years of his NHL career should the franchise decide to pursue him.

ALEX GOLIGOSKI

Goligoski’s career has spanned 983 games across 14 years up this point. He’s 36 years-old and is nearing the twilight of his NHL career, but he’s still been serviceable with the Arizona Coyotes this season. Goligoski has registered three goals and 16 assists for 19 points in 53 games on a Coyotes squad that has not performed up to expectations this season.

Despite his age, Goligoski is logging 23:02 of ice time per night, which is second among all Arizona skaters. Only fellow defenseman Jakob Chychrun plays more at 23:16 per game.

Goligoski averages almost three minutes per game on the penalty kill, second on the Coyotes behind Niklas Hjalmarsson. He has helped Arizona’s PK unit stay within the top half of the league at 14th place as they’re killing penalties at an 80.1% rate, much higher than Philadelphia’s measly 72.6% clip in 30th place. Defense has been one of Arizona’s better qualities this season despite their struggles and Goligoski has been a huge factor in that equation.

Arizona’s 5v5 SV% with Goligoski on the ice is .914, which puts him smack in the middle of the Coyotes’ defenders, fourth behind Chychrun, Hjalmarsson, and Jason Demers who leads the pack at .932 despite missing 13 games this year.

The Coyotes have been slightly outshot with Goligoski on the ice as his total Corsi For to Corsi Against is 863-924, which puts him at 48.3%. The team as a whole, though, has underperformed this season and Goligoski still ranks third among his team’s qualified defenders behind Chychrun and Demers.

Goligoski’s best offensive days are behind him, and his current 19 points would stand as his lowest scoring full NHL season ever. His second lowest came all the way back in 2008-09 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, with whom he did win a Stanley Cup with that season.

It is also worth noting that Chuck Fletcher was Pittsburgh’s assistant general manager behind Ray Shero when they won that Stanley Cup and there is some familiarity between Goligoski and the current Philadelphia GM because of that

While Goligoski is not a very flashy option and does not score a lot, he provides stable defense and veteran leadership that could both be very beneficial to the Flyers.

BRANDON MONTOUR

Montour was acquired by the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2021 3rd-round draft pick. In 11 games with his new team, Montour has chalked up two goals and two assists for four points to accompany a solid +6 rating so far.

Montour managed five goals and nine assists in 38 appearances with the Sabres and his rating sat at a measly -13 in a season where Buffalo has been historically terrible. Montour was able to escape and has made himself at home on a Florida squad that is poised for a deep playoff run this year.

In his brief time with the Panthers, Montour’s CF% sits at a healthy 59.5% and his PDO is currently at 103.5, a tenth of a point shy of what he accrued last season with the Sabres at 103.6.

Montour has also seen a slight raise in his ice time since the trade as he is skating 20:40 a game for Florida versus 20:32 in Buffalo. Montour’s offensive zone start percentage has risen a bit as well, jumping from 50.4% with the Sabres to an even 54% with the Panthers, giving him more chances to show off his offensive skill and sheltering him a bit defensively to take some of the workload off.

Florida has a surplus of good defensemen on both sides of the puck to complement Montour. That includes MacKenzie Weegar, Keith Yandle, and Markus Nutivaara along with Aaron Ekblad, though the former first overall pick in 2014 is out for the year with a left leg fracture.

Ekblad’s injury, along with a bevy of others on the Florida blueline, have caused the Panthers to use a revolving door of defensemen this season, which is partially what prompted Montour’s trade there.

Montour is just one of 13 defenders the Panthers have iced this season. The list includes Weegar, Yandle, Ekblad, Nutivaara, Radko Gudas, Gustav Forsling, Anton Stralman, Brady Keeper, Noah Juulsen, Matt Kiersted, Riley Stillman and Kevin Connauton. Yet somehow they’re in a fight for the top spot in the Central Division and have already punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Montour has solidified himself among the group as one of the premier defensemen on the team so far.

Montour also saw some penalty kill time in Buffalo and since he was brought in he has tried to help uplift a struggling Panthers PK unit that is only running at a 78.5% mark, bad enough for 22nd in the NHL.

Montour’s name has popped up in rumors in the past as a solid right-handed defender who can provide some offense while maintaining a solid defensive presence, and the Flyers should be in on him come the beginning of free agency.

There’s five defensemen the Philadelphia Flyers should have their sights set on this coming offseason, if not already. Hamilton is obviously the top prize in free agency among the blueliners, but some of the other defenders out there are fine consolation options that should still be helpful to the Flyers in their quest to improve the roster.