Previewing the Philadelphia Flyers’ Next Free Agent Class
Rebuilds, retools, or re-whatever you want to call it, are funny things to manage. On the one hand, you are trying to build up a team in the meantime to evaluate young talent and see who is worth keeping around. Sometimes this includes keeping some veteran players around to serve as mentors and other times it means trading them away for more assets. On the other hand, you always have to have one eye looking at the future and trying to save financial resources and roster space to build a better tomorrow for team. This is the state that the Philadelphia Flyers are currently in.
While this year hasn’t started yet, it is that Daniel Briere is looking at next offseason as well as this upcoming season. As it stands, there are 10 players whose contracts will be up at the end of this season. Depending on what happens with Morgan Frost, that number could increase by one more. There are also another eight players, in the minors or elsewhere, that could also potentially be on the move.
That’s not a bad place to be, or at least not as bad as some of the other teams in our division. The Pittsburgh Penguins are loaded with lots of big contracts belonging to lots of players over 30. The Carolina Hurricanes have almost half of their roster up for grabs and they are cash strapped.
Let’s examine who the Flyers have as pending free agents after the 2023-24 season. This will allow us to see what some players are playing for. Likewise, we can see who the Flyers may or not be looking to retain.
As with many teams, the Flyers have a lot of players in the minors, or in other places, that are under contract. Some are depth pieces who will get called up in case of an emergency injury and may get a few minutes playing here and there but they really aren’t a major component of the team. Others are young players looking to make their mark and get a permanent roster spot.
Bobby Brink, who could make the roster this year, is one of the restricted free agents not currently on the roster. If he has a good season, be it AHL or NHL, he will most likely be re-signed. Other non-roster RFAs include defenders Will Zmolek, Adam Ginning, and Mason Millman. Of these, Zmolek and Ginning seem to have the highest upside.
There are four non-roster players who are under contract this year and will become free agents at season’s end. The first two are forwards Adam Brooks and Cooper Marody. Both have been depth pieces, but Marody was a key piece in the Phantoms’ playoff push last year. Victor Mete is the lone defender. The final player on this list is Russian goaltender Ivan Fedotov, and who knows how that will play out.
Turning to the big club, the Flyers will have five players who could be pending RFA’s at the end of this season. Again, Frost could add to that number depending on what happens with him. All of these young players have a lot riding on this season, and the team’s administration will be eagerly watching in order to evaluate where the Flyers are heading.
First and foremost is goaltender Carter Hart. Is he going to be extended? Is he going to be traded? We’ll have to watch and wait. Out of all of the potential storylines for this upcoming season, this one in particular is going to be the most important one to pay attention too.
Not far after Hart is Owen Tippett. In his first full season with the Flyers, he wowed fans and teammates alike. He looks like a star in development. If he duplicates the season he had last year, watch for him to get a well-deserved extension.
Wade Allison and Egor Zamula are also pending RFAs. Their careers, thus far, have been plagued with inconsistent play and injuries. Because of the turnover on defense this year, Zamula would appear to have the inside track. Either way, this could be a make-or-break year for both players. There are enough young stars waiting in Lehigh Valley to take their place if things don’t work out.
Finally, there is newcomer Ryan Poehling. He is just 24 and trying to prove he belongs in the NHL after being let go by the Penguins. Much like Allison and Zamula, he too has struggled with injuries. If he can get on track this year, he could be extended.
As of right now, the Flyers have just five players who will be unrestricted free agents this year. A few of them are players who were acquired on one-year “prove-it deals” to fill the roster up this offseason. Some could surprise us and be extended. Others could be moved during the trade deadline to contenders.
Marc Staal and Sean Walker are two of the defenders who are pending free agents. Staal was signed by the Flyers this summer while Walker came over as part of the Kevin Hayes deal. Staal was brought in to provide a veteran presence to the team; similar to Justin Braun’s role last year. Walker is a capable defender. Maybe both of them will be traded at the deadline or they could be here next year. A lot of it depends on how they play.
Speaking of that, Nick Seeler’s contract runs out at the end of this season. He was one of the best surprises from last season. He’s a little older than most of the defenders not named Staal or Walker, but he was a solid blueliner last year. He’s also cheap. Being cheap and steady makes him an ideal trade deadline candidate. His strong work ethic also makes him a desirable piece to retain. Coach John Tortorella loves him. His teammates appreciate him. If he can show that last year was not just a funky blip on the radar, as his previous years haven’t shown him to be much more than a depth piece, he could be extended.
Tanner Laczynski is the lone forward free agent. Last year he struggled with injuries and failed to impress Tortorella. This is an important year for him. If he has a bad training camp, he could be replaced by someone like Brink, Olle Lycksell, or Elliot Desnoyers. It is possible he could end up for all of or part of the season in the AHL. This season could be his last in Philly unless he can prove he belongs here.
Finally, we arrive at Felix Sandstrom. At this point in time, he is probably third or fourth on the goalie depth chart. This is probably more due to Sam Ersson’s contract extending past this season, so he is controllable. Sandstrom has this season to show he is a capable backup to Hart and Cal Petersen, or he is likely done with the Flyers organization. Ersson has shown he has been a better netminder and the Flyers are quickly stacking up goalie prospects that are within one-to-three years of making their NHL debuts. Sandstrom needs to showcase his skills, either for the Flyers or an other NHL team, to prove he can cut it. If not, his time in the show could be over.
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The Flyers have what seems to be a bright future ahead. Depending on how this season goes for some of these players above, they could either be extended or traded for more assets such as draft picks and prospects. The best-case scenario is that many of these players that the Flyers have invested time, money, and effort investing in pan out, are extended, and will be major pieces of this team for years to come. If not, the Flyers will move on and try again with other players.