5 players the Philadelphia Flyers could sign to a PTO
In the NHL, signing players to professional tryouts has long been a way of adding healthy, experienced bodies to the training camp roster. With camp right around the corner, the Philadelphia Flyers might still be looking for ways to improve the team, and this year, that could exclusively come in the form of veteran intangibles.
At the same time, the older guys are more likely to make the Flyers whereas the prospects can still be sent down to the minors. For those who have to stick it out in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, winning and having a successful season is important to a happy and healthy development track.
#5. Jackson Cates, C, Flyers, 2021-2023
For the Flyers, it is about taking care of their own. Jackson Cates, older brother of breakout star Noah, has been in the organization since 2021, but has not seen much ice time at the NHL level. Still, his 20 NHL games over the last three seasons should still be important to a Flyers organization trying to build character and continuity.
Although Cates seems to be limited to a bottom-six role at the professional levels, he has shown he can be a productive and useful player. In 65 games with the Phantoms last season, the 25-year-old scored 11 goals and 12 assists.
Offensively, those numbers will not break the bank, but Cates’ familiarity with the team, the players, and the system will make him a likely PTO candidate. The young center remains an unrestricted free agent, and is probably more valuable to the Flyers than anyone else at this point in his career.
#4. Maxime Comtois, LW, Ducks, 2018-2023
It remains a bit of a surprise that no NHL team has offered former Anaheim Ducks winger Maxime Comtois a contract yet, but an unimpressive last few seasons combined with the pending Hockey Canada sexual assault investigation will do that. There has been no hints as to whether Comtois has been involved to this point, but it is clear the Ducks will let it be someone else’s problem if something were to come out.
The 50th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft still has plenty of potential, given his age and previous track record of at least one serviceable season. In 2020-21, Comtois scored 16 goals and 17 assists in 55 games – a pace that would have seen him score nearly 50 points over an 82-game season. Since then, the winger has managed just 15 goals and 20 assists over his last two campaigns, partly due to a rapidly declining role in the team.
Comtois has shown the ability to be a competent point producer and agitator alike. The Flyers have a lot more depth on their right than their left, and players like Scott Laughton, Noah Cates, and Nicolas Deslauriers are all one-dimensional. Perhaps Travis Sanheim could put in a good word about his former Team Canada teammate and help the Flyers beef up their flanks.
#3. Derick Brassard, C, Flyers, 2021-22
At the age of 35 (soon 36), former Flyers center Derick Brassard is still kicking it in professional hockey. The 16-year NHL vet most recently played for the Ottawa Senators for the second time in his career, after earning a contract from a PTO he signed with them last year. Perhaps the Flyers could follow that same path.
Brassard was a decent addition for the Flyers in the 2021-22 season, scoring 16 points in 31 games before fetching the team a 2023 fourth-round pick (Alex Ciernik). It could be wise for the team to pursue Brassard again to see if he has enough juice left to be flipped to a contender once more. It is likely the player himself would be open to the move, as he maintains a close relationship with current Flyers winger Cam Atkinson, who is expected to be healthy and ready to play again in 2023.
It is worth noting that Brassard is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, and has played for a jaw-dropping eight different teams since 2018. If the 35-year-old is heading towards retirement, he might feel more inclined to ply his trade with a contender for one last rodeo, effectively eliminating the Flyers from the conversation. It never hurts to ask, though.
#2. Colin White, F, Panthers, 2022-23
Another young player that did not receive a qualifying offer, Colin White could prove to be a sneaky-good signing if the Flyers can get him on a PTO. The 26-year-old spent this past season with the Florida Panthers, where he made a run to the Stanley Cup Finals alongside teammate and current Flyer Marc Staal.
White had spent the previous six years of his NHL career with the Ottawa but never showed much offensive promise. Still, his 41-point 2018-19 campaign shows the capability is there with the appropriate role. Last year, White had the worst offensive season of his career with just 15 points in 68 games, but still starred on a Panthers fourth line that primarily served to wear opponents down.
White can play both right wing and center and boasts a solid chunk of playoff experience – something that is rare for a 26-year-old on the open market. The Boston, MA native should have no shortage of interest as training camp starts to close in, but could be a very valuable trade piece down the road should the Flyers manage to pick him up.
#1. Wayne Simmonds, RW, Flyers, 2011-2019
For longtime Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds, this could be the end of the road. The 35-year-old has not scored double-digit goals since his last season in Orange and Black, and averaged a hair north of seven minutes of ice time for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season.
With his offensive production in a tailspin, ‘Simmer’ has been reduced to serving as an enforcer for one of hockey’s most successful teams over the last three years. Still, it is hard not to feel nostalgic about Simmonds’ glory days with the Flyers, which did not come to a close all that long ago.
Despite his advanced age and newly found niche as an NHLer, checking how much gas Simmonds has left in the tank could be worth the effort. Having played just 18 games in 2022-23, the 15-year NHL vet will not command much playing time and would be another great leader and protector to have around the Flyers’ young players. To put the icing on the cake, a Simmonds farewell tour in Philadelphia would be a feel-good moment for a team whose public sentiment has been in the dumps for a few years now.
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The former Flyers star would be the perfect player to help usher in the new era of hockey on Broad Street, and his retirement in Philadelphia is the ideal segue into the further integration of new prospects next year. For now though, let’s wait and see if Simmonds is still interested in continuing his hockey career.