Just like any of the Big Four sports, NHL free agency can be a tough landscape to navigate. It's not just about getting good players. It's about finding the right fit. Sometimes, talented players just don't gel with their team (Tony DeAngelo), while "cheap players" can thrive (Nick Seeler). Daniel Briere has his work cut out for him.
There is a lot of buzz right now about many of the top-tier free agents. John Tavares and Mitch Marner are hot topics for offensive players, while Aaron Ekblad and Dmitry Orlov lead the defensive field. There are also some high-quality guys you could snag as an RFA.
Most likely, a guy like Tavares, Marner, Ekblad, and Sam Bennett will cost the Flyers a huge chunk of their cap space availability. Is it wise to do so, especially for a player that we don't know if he'd mix with this group. What if there was a guy who could fit and is a known quantity?
Rick Tocchet, before being named as head coach of the Flyers, was the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. One of the players he worked with is set to become a free agent: Brock Boeser. Boeser would be a great fit on the Flyers.
Last season was a down year for him as he scored just 25 goals. He missed seven games due to an upper-body injury from an illegal check to the head. Still, Tocchet was the head coach of the Canucks when Boeser became an all-star enroute to a 40 goal season.
Boeser is familiar with Tocchet. By all accounts, they had a great working, professional relationship and trusted each other. Tocchet is familiar with everything that Boeser can do. He could also cost the Flyers somewhere between $8 to $10 million. That's something the Flyers can afford while other teams are outbidding each other for Marner's services.
There is just one issue with Boeser coming to Philly. He plays right wing. That's the one position the Flyers are loaded on: Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, Matvei Michkov, Bobby Brink, Garnet Hathaway, and Olle Lycksell. They are short a few natural left-wingers and definitely could use a dependable center.
So, that's the catch. Unless Briere is going to move a right winger, the Flyers brass will have to figure out who can fill in at center. Could Boeser do it? He's played some in the past. While I have no doubt he could pass the puck deftly, his career faceoff performance is a dismal 39.1%.
I'm sure Boeser would thrive under Tocchet, and he'd be matched up with someone with whom he could form a natural chemistry. If the Flyers can't get the center they want, he'd be a good offensive addition to the team. If Briere can swing a trade with one of the other wingers for a goalie or defender, then Boeser would fit this team perfectly. He'd be an exciting person to add to this team and would bring in a lot of energy.
As of right now, I don't know if there is much of a place for him. The team is crowded on the right wing. Either someone would have to learn to play on the left side, or someone would have to be moved out.