The official start to the offseason is less than a month away. But that doesn't mean it's too early for "silly season," as most have dubbed it. Trade rumors have run rampant as the Stanley Cup Final is about to begin. With only two teams left, many teams are ready to make upgrades.
One of those is the Philadelphia Flyers. Ready to take another step in their path to contention, Danny Briere and company are looking to make small additions to the team that could bring them to the next level. There are dream free agents who would immediately upgrade the team, but it's too early.
There are free agents they should avoid at all costs for a variety of different reasons. With the salary cap on the rise in the coming years, teams can change their strategies for how to approach it. A team that doesn't have space at the moment may have a clearer picture for the future. Teams with a large number of upcoming free agents may have more money at their disposal.
A team currently in a salary cap crunch is the Vegas Golden Knights. Right now, the Knights have $9.6 million in space. They have nine free agents, five unrestricted and four restricted. Plainly put, they are in trouble. Clearing space, especially since they are a frontrunner for Mitch Marner, is a necessity. That's where the Flyers come in.
Recent rumors have connected the Flyers to Nicolas Hague, one of the Knights' restricted free agents. Hague has been with the Knights since their inaugural season, drafted in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft. Vegas is known for trading its draft picks and drafted players. During their 2023 Stanley Cup Final appearance, Hague was the only player drafted by the team to participate in the series.
Hague is not going to impress with his point production. He tied a career-high of five goals this season, but had a measly 12 points. That is not where he shined despite leading the Mississauga Steelheads with 78 points in his final junior season. It is his size that, for lack of a better word, is his strength.
Standing at 6'6" and coming in around 240 lbs, Hague is someone who can throw his body around at will. Even with that frame, he was eighth on the team in hits (82). His numbers were down from last season in that category when he was fourth on the team in hits (153). Hague's ice time hasn't dropped enough to cause that much of a drop-off in physicality.
Hague suffered a lower-body injury in November and also missed a few games due to illness, which could have affected his performance. The Knights aren't being overwhelmed with Hague on the ice, but that might relate to their near .915 save percentage with him out there. Sure, he could be a contributing factor, but the goaltender is likely the bigger reason.
Vegas doesn't seem inclined to let him go, but their cap issues and his likely raise might force their hand. Hague's qualifying offer is $2.7 million, but he could be more toward $3 million. That number could climb to $4 million with a multi-year deal. That would price the Knights out.
So what does this all mean for the Flyers? They are stacked with left-handed defensemen. They also have players that are a similar mold to Hague: Rasmus Ristolainen and Nick Seeler. Both are physical and don't offer much offense. Ristolainen is expected to miss all of training camp, opening the door for someone else.
That someone else could be Helge Grans or even Oliver Bonk. Unless the Flyers feel they don't have a proper replacement, bringing in another option would push someone down. The only way this makes sense is if they are ready to move on from Cam York. That would open up a huge hole. If that is the case, this possibility becomes more interesting.
The next question would be about the cost of a trade. The Knights hold Hague's rights as an RFA, so he can't walk in free agency. He does have arbitration rights, so it could come to that if neither side wants a trade. If a trade is needed, Vegas won't want to take back a large amount of salary.
There has been a common theme when talking about this potential deal. And that has involved Bobby Brink. Brink has one more year left on his contract and is making $1.5 million. He will be an RFA with arbitration rights afterward. All of the Knights' free agent forwards play wing. Brink has a right-handed shot, something the Knights lack. Only four of their rostered forwards shoot the same way.
Brink would make the most sense in this case. He's young, cheap, and plays a position the Knights need. The Flyers are stacked on the right side and can afford to let him go. That may be all it takes to get a deal done. If Vegas isn't interested in taking a contract back, the Flyers have seven draft picks in the first two rounds.
The Flyers helped Vegas out last offseason by taking on a portion of Noah Hanifin's contract before his trade to the Knights. Maybe they'd be willing to return the favor.
In a nutshell, acquiring Hague and signing him to a new deal wouldn't move the needle much. But it would show that Briere is truly ready to start adding outside players to his group.