The Philadelphia Flyers are in the midst of their first few weeks of the offseason. Eyes are now set on the upcoming NHL Draft on June 27th, and then onto free agency on July 1st.
There are two specific pending free agents that the Flyers have to think about this summer. Both defenseman Cam York and forward Tyson Foerster had disappointing seasons in 2024-25, but both are set to hit the free agent market this summer.
Should they be brought back, or is it time to move on from these two young players?
Should Flyers bring them back?
Both of these players have been selected by the Flyers front office to be a part of the future of this organization. It is no secret that this franchise is in the rebuilding stages, and the time to return to competitive hockey still looms in the unknown. But, both York and Foerster were supposed to be close to the forefront of the revival of the Flyers.
It is safe to say that both have yet to make an immediate impact, but they have shown signs that greatness could be there. Somewhere.
For York, his peak thus far happened in the 2023-24 season with a 10-goal and 20-assist outing in a full 82-game season. But he battled some injuries and never got into a rhythm last season with four goals and 13 assists in 66 games. Inconsistency played a huge part in his demise last season, jeopardizing his future in the orange and black.
For Foerster, he had a better go of it in 2024-25. He hit career-highs in goals with 25, assists with 18, and points with 43 in 81 games. He shined on the power play with six goals which was behind both Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov with eight goals with the man-advantage.
Foerster is coming off his entry-level contract, and York was paid $1.6 million last season. Getting both of them for under $3.5 million AAV next season is doable. Breaking it down, Foerster should receive a $2 million AAV and keep York nearly right where he was at $1.5 million AAV. Presumably, both of these would be bridge deals to better gauge if they can turn the corner entering their mid-20s.