Flyers Free Agents: Keep ‘Em or Dump ‘Em
By Scott Cole
As the 2021-22 season comes to an end, the Philadelphia Flyers have some personnel decisions to make. Which of their free agents should stick around and which ones should move on the other pastures…err, ice ranks rather.
Martin Jones
The former San Jose Shark starter came in as a backup this season and did all you could ask for. He appeared in 32 games and won 12 of those; not bad considering how awful this season has been. His save percentage is a respectable .900% and his GAA is a little high at 3.43, but how much of that is him and how much of it has been the patchwork defense? Overall, these numbers are what you want from a backup.
However, his true value is what he has done with Carter Hart. He has become a wonderful mentor for him. He helped to steady the young goaltender in a rough season. If Jones would come back for the right price, the Flyers should not hesitate to re-sign him. Felix Sandstrom has been a decent backup as of late, but it is good to have a veteran goalie in the mix with the two younger netminders. Good backup goalies can be almost as hard to find as a good starting goalie. The Flyers should have Jones’s agent on their speed dial.
Keith Yandle
The veteran blue liner was signed on to bring some leadership to the back end. He was also on the verge of breaking the NHL Iron Man streak. While he did accomplish these things, he’s also did it while putting up one of the worst statistical years in his 16 year career, including having the league’s lowest +/- rating. His 19 point season is by far the worst of his career since he became a full time starter…back in 2007-08. It may be hard for him to find a team next season based on this year’s returns, but the Flyers should let him walk away.
Nate Thompson
Much like Yandle, Thompson was signed to bring a veteran presence to the bottom lines. While he has never been much of a scoring juggernaut (season high was 25 points for Tampa in 2010-11), he only had three points this season with just one goal.
To be fair, he has been sidelined at several points this season with injuries. At age 37, there is a good chance he retires. If he doesn’t, the Flyers should let him walk. It would be much better for the team to find someone much younger who has the potential to put up more than three points in 32 games and still has a career left to improve their skills upon than someone who is ready to hang up their skates. Thompson is a great guy, but his time here should be over.
Samuel Morin
At 6’6″, he was billed as the next coming of Chris Pronger. There was a time when just thinking about his play made hockey fans excited. Injuries have derailed his career, including two ACL tears on the same knee in back to back years.
The Flyers tried to move him to forward at one point. In five seasons, he has played just 29 games with 1 goal, a +/- rating of -10, and 45 penalty minutes. With everything that has happened, the Sam Morin experiment has got to come to a close. He needs a chance to move onto another team.
Kevin Connauton
The Flyers got Connauton off of waivers from Florida this season. He hasn’t been stellar. He hasn’t been bad. He’s scored one goal with two assists. He’s served just one penalty while averaging 13:36 of ice time a game. He’s a decent depth piece. If he will come back on a cheap deal, he may be worth keeping around. It’s hard to say how valuable he can be because he has been sidelined by injuries late in the season.
Nick Seeler
Much like Connauton, Seeler is not a bad depth piece. He adds a more physical presence than Connauton does. And again, like Connauton, he has been sitting out due to injuries. Again, Seeler is not amazing, but not atrocious. He may be worth keeping around for another season.
And Seeler (28) is three years younger then Connauton. Seeler also scored one goal with two assists, but served more penalties than Connauton (29 min). If you can only keep one of them, Seeler may be the one to hang your hat on.
Final Verdict
Jones is really the only one who the Flyers should make an effort to keep around. Seeler and Connauton might not be bad pieces if they come in at the right price. As for the others, it’s time to part ways. Those financial resources could be better used finding other pieces this offseason.