The Flyers have made a splash, sort of, in free agency. Ok, it's not the earth-shattering, "Mitch Marner" type of moves, but they have been busy. First, they went out a got a center in Christian Dvorak. He's not a huge scoring threat, but he can win faceoffs, which will help this team out a lot. They picked up Dan Vladar to help out in the net. Both of these deals are relatively cheap and are only short-term deals.
The Flyers made some other small depth moves, bringing in Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert on defense and Lane Pederson on offense.
As of right now, they sent a qualifying offer to Cam York. It's rumored to be at $1.6 million. The current cap for the Flyers is about $4.6 million. If York signs at that price, it will be a hair over $3 million. Though it's more likely they keep negotiating. Regardless, is there anyone valuable the Flyers could still sign?
Actually, yes, there are. Nikolaj Ehlers is still available, but there is no way he would sign for $3 million, and the Flyers would have to move a few assets to do that first. Nope, sorry, but that dream has sailed, hit an iceberg, and gone down with all hands on board. So, who are the best and cheapest players available?
Brett Burns
With the Hurricanes trading for and signing K'Andre Miller, Burns's days in Raleigh are numbered unless he takes a huge pay cut. This also means that Dmitri Orlov is available. Orlov is younger than the 40-year-old Burns and would cost more. Burns can still play 21 minutes a night and has a lot to teach our young corps of defensemen. The future Hall of Famer could also be a valuable trade deadline asset. I don't know if he'd sign for $3 million or if the Flyers would need to make some moves. Still, Burns would look great in a Flyers jersey.
Jeff Skinner
Few things are better than a player who is motivated to show he can still play at a top level. Skinner is one of those guys. He can play left wing and center, two places the Flyers need help at. His price range might be right about $3 million. Like the other deals the team has signed, it doesn't require a long-term commitment.
Mason Appleton
Appleton has put up 10+ goals three times for Winnipeg. He's not a star player; however, that production wouldn't be bad for a third or fourth-line left winger. Who knows, perhaps Rick Tocchet could get a lot out of him. A contract right around $3 might be enough.
Michael Carcone
Carcone is a former 21-goal scorer as a member of the Phoenix Coyotes. He's not great, but he's a left-winger and could be a sub-$1 million depth signing.