Flyers Free Agency Targets Part II: Defenders and Goalies
The salary cap is expected to be around $82.5 million dollars. Barring a trade, the Flyers appear to have about $7 million to play around with.
A defense can carry a team. We’ve seen in the past where a team with a strong defense (90s Devils teams) can lift a team to championships. The Flyers have some good talent, but like a baseball team always needs bullpen pitching, hockey teams need reliable blue liners.
Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, Cam York, and Rasmus Ristolainen are pretty much locks. Some of the other youth talent may finally step up. Can the Flyers add anyone to give them help?
Defenders
PK Subban
Ok, this is big time “pie-in-the-sky” dreaming here. He’d look great in Orange and Black. However, he’d probably cost the Flyers too much and they have other holes on offense to fill. They can’t dump all their money into him; especially considering his age. But if he’d come cheaper than what’s he’s made in the past, he’d be a great fit. His intensity is what this team could use.
Anton Stralman
Like Subban, he’s a little long in the tooth. But he could bring the veteran experience a corps of young defenders could rally behind. Of course, he could be a repeat of Keith Yandle and brings nothing to the table. He would be cheap if you need to grab a cheap defender.
John Klingberg
He can score and provides a power play attack this team needs. However, he could be a repeat of Erik Gustafsson whose only contributions were of the offensive type and was a HUGE defensive liability. He’s younger than the previous candidates and might cost more, but he’d be around longer too.
Justin Braun
He seemed to enjoy his time here in Philly. He was popular with fans and teammates. Is a reunion out of the question?
Ben Chiarot
The injury bug has grabbed him by the horns this year. But when healthy, he is a steady presence. He might be able to come here on a one-year “show me” deal.
Ian Cole
Cole has played a long time. He has played for Stanley Cup winners and contenders. He could be a great asset to this club and would cost far less than Subban or Klingberg would. He’s the steady type of defender you want on your team, much like Braun.
Robert Hagg
Speaking of reunions, Hagg is a free agent and is playing well for Florida after a trade from Buffalo. The Flyers miss his hard hitting style. Again, there is familiarity there. He might not be a bad option and could come at the right price.
Andrej Sekera
Sekera’s best days are far behind him. But if you need a seventh defender, he might not be a bad option. He’d be a better pickup than Stralman and would give you the added depth you need.
This is not an area of need for the Flyers as they are locked in with Carter Hart in net. What they will need is a reliable backup to give Hart a day off or two or in case of injury, God forbid. Felix Sandstrom has played in a few games and has put up decent numbers backing up a team that is riddled with injuries and playing a plethora of rookies. But are they enough? Here are some decent backup options.
Martin Jones
He handled the backup job well this year. He served as a great mentor for Hart and has helped Sandstrom out as well. If he is willing to come back at the right price, he’s a great option to have in net. He’s familiar with the team and system, so it would work well.
Braden Holtby
His starting days may be over. Still, he has put impressive numbers this year in Dallas. He could be a great veteran netminder to mentor and teach someone like Hart and Sandstrom. He might be worth kicking the tires on to see if he has anything left. Plus, with all of the available goalies, he would make the best starter if an unfortunate injury were to befall (anyone remember the carousel of the 2018-19 season?).
Joonas Korpisalo
If the Flyers stick with Sandstrom, it’s not a bad idea to have a veteran ready to go just in cast. Korpisalo wouldn’t be a terrible backup to have and his price would be about what the Flyers could afford. His stats don’t show his true potential as CBJ has traded off many of its better players over the years. But he may have learned something backing up Sergei Bobrovsky and that could make him valuable to the Orange and Black.
Jaroslav Halak
Some goalies get better with age. Halak is one of them. He’s been around the league for quite a while, but he’s been a dependable backstop for the Bruins and Canucks as of late. His numbers are pretty good. Again, he could serve as a mentor for our young goalie tandem.
Alex Lyon
The former Flyer and current Hurricane goalie is well known to us. We know what he can bring and what he can’t. If the Flyers dump all their financial resources this year into getting a couple of high priced forwards and/or defenders; they may not be able to afford a Jones, Halak, or Korpisalo. In that case, the team could do a whole lot worse than Lyon. Just have to hope the injury bug doesn’t bite him.
Scott Wedgewood
Dallas’s other goalie is on the market as well. Like Holtby, he has put up decent numbers and could be worth a look. He has started in the past as well as been the backup. He may be purchased cheaply. He is also only 29 years old.