The Philadelphia Flyers are preparing to enter a new era under new head coach Rick Tocchet – one that they hope will be an era of contention. With that in mind, they may be looking to add a piece or two to their roster this offseason to help kickstart their journey back to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
With coaching stops in Arizona, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, and most recently Vancouver, Tocchet has plenty of connections with players around the league who could be good fits in Philadelphia. Looking specifically at upcoming free agents, here are three players with existing connections to Tocchet who the Flyers might target this offseason.
3 Flyers free agent targets with ties to Rick Tocchet
Brock Boeser (RW)
Brock Boeser is one of the biggest fish in this year's free agency pond, not to mention a prime change-of-scenery candidate. While the 28-year-old winger likely would have been considered a long shot to sign with the Flyers in free agency, Tocchet's arrival in Philadelphia may have increased their odds of getting him in the door.
With 25 goals and 25 assists in 75 games with the Canucks this season, Boeser took a step back from his 40-goal campaign in 2023-24. Still, he is a pure goal scorer and a threat on the power play. Like Tocchet, his head coach for the last two-plus seasons, Boeser could benefit from a fresh start in Philadelphia after a tumultuous final season in Vancouver.
Pius Suter (C)
Boeser's teammate in Vancouver, Pius Suter, could also be a strong candidate to follow his former head coach to Philadelphia. A solid middle-six center, he is coming off the best season of his career (25 goals, 46 points) after getting top-line opportunities thanks to the J.T. Miller trade.
Suter's greatest asset is arguably his versatility, as he can play up and down the lineup at either center or wing. The 29-year-old has a tremendous hockey IQ and could give the Flyers some much-needed depth down the middle.
Brian Dumoulin (D)
Admittedly, at 33 years old, Brian Dumoulin doesn't exactly fit the bill for an up-and-coming Flyers team looking to get younger on the back end. That said, the veteran defenseman won back-to-back Stanley Cups with Tocchet when he was an assistant on the Pittsburgh Penguins staff in 2016 and 2017, and a reunion might make sense at the right price.
Dumoulin is a big, mobile defenseman who could be a nice depth option as the Flyers look to get back on the path to contention. He isn't going to be a threat on offense or make any flashy plays, but he does his job and keeps opponents away from the net.