After exceeding expectations and making it to the second round of the playoffs, the Flyers may be a bit ahead of schedule. That doesn't mean that they don't still have work to do, though.
Danny Briere has already mentioned that the team is still looking for center options. And they need another upgrade in that department. At one point in the playoffs, they ran with Christian Dvorak, Trevor Zegras, Denver Barkey, and Sean Couturier. Of course, that was due to an injury to Noah Cates, but it still proved they don't necessarily have the depth needed.
They are also likely to make a change with their goaltending. Dan Vladar is the clear-cut starter and has more than proved he was ready to handle that role. But he's going to need a capable backup who can spell him in the net at certain times. With Sam Ersson's up-and-down track record, he may not be the option anymore. The team re-signed Aleksei Kolosov, but that feels like a move made more for the Phantoms.
According to a recent article by The Athletic, there's a belief that they could, and should, make an upgrade on defense as well. It makes sense given the reasoning for the move, but overall, it wouldn't make sense for Danny Briere to do so.
"The Flyers’ power play has been awful for five years running, including a last-place finish during this past regular season. Raddysh had 10 goals and 26 points on the power play this season, and would give the Flyers the big, booming shot that Rick Tocchet is seeking. The Flyers could move Rasmus Ristolainen in the offseason to make room for him, too." —Kevin Kurz
Darren Raddysh was recently listed as the top free agent based on the buzz surrounding him and the potential impact he can make. Which means he should have plenty of suitors if he reaches free agency. He's only ever known Tampa Bay as home, despite first signing with Chicago and later being traded to the Rangers. There's also a good chance the Lightning won't want to let him go after a breakout season.
Flyers shouldn't gamble on Raddysh's breakout season
Raddysh's breakout season was huge for a Lightning team that was without Victor Hedman for large portions of the season. After back-to-back seasons with six goals, Raddysh finished with 22, the most ever by a Lightning defender, an impressive feat with a team that has employed Hedman for nearly 20 years. He finished with 70 points, a 33-point jump from his previous high. And he led all NHL defensemen with 10 power-play goals, totaling 26 points on the man advantage.
So yes, that last stat alone would be a good reason for Briere to look into Raddysh's services. The Flyers' power play has been awful, and only Trevor Zegras has double-digit goals in that category. Their highest-scoring defenseman on the man advantage was Jamie Drysdale with nine points.
But are we really assuming that a 30-year-old Raddysh has suddenly turned into a top defenseman in the league? His NHL career hasn't been long, as he didn't make his full-time debut until the 2023-24 season. It's not like he hasn't produced at a decent clip, as he had 33 and 37-point seasons before this year. But the likelihood that Raddysh will reproduce this season isn't a guarantee.
Sure, he could have figured something out, being given a higher role. He averaged over five more minutes of ice time this season and jumped from a career-high 5.9 shooting percentage two seasons ago to 10.4 percent. He also took over 100 more shots. And his power play time, the key in all of this, jumped significantly without Hedman. So there are important factors as to why Raddysh saw a boost in production.
But there is an even more important question in all of this. Would Raddysh put up the same numbers on a different team and in a different role? That's the risk in all of this. Without a sample of Raddysh playing on a different team, we can only assume that his environment has played a role in this as well. It doesn't hurt playing on a team that is consistently at the top of the league year after year.
The Flyers have surrounding pieces to begin taking another step toward contending. But they aren't a Darren Raddysh away from doing so. They have some money to spend this offseason, but a chunk of that will go into re-signing Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale. The defense also doesn't currently have a spot where Raddysh would play a large role. Unless the Flyers find a suitor for Ristolainen, don't sign Emil Andrae, and keep Oliver Bonk in the AHL for another year.
There is simply too much risk in assuming that Raddysh would be able to replicate his season. Briere would be better spent looking elsewhere.
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