While the Flyers made a rather surprising run to the second round of the playoffs, they still have some tinkering to do with their roster. They have many pieces in place, including a young core that has continued taking steps forward over the years. But they could use a few things to take themselves to another level.
The power play has been a known issues for years and has continued to cost the Flyers in key moments. Whether it’s the players or the structure itself, it’s evident that more things need to change. One of the things the unit lacks is a strong quarterback on the blue line. Jamie Drysdale led the backend with nine points on the power play. The Flyers need someone who can spark the unit.
That’s where John Carlson comes in. He has posted at least 14 points on the power play dating back to the 2013-14 season. He has routinely reached the 20-point mark as well. Elliotte Friedman floated a thought that the veteran defenseman may prefer a move back to the East Coast after he was traded to Anaheim around the deadline.
Sources afterward, including Anthony DiMarco recently, have indicated that the Flyers could be a destination and may in fact have some real interest.
“Daily Faceoff was told that the Flyers would be very interested in bringing Carlson in on a short term contract. If Carlson is (hypothetically) looking for a two year contract, the Flyers are prepared to hand him an AAV in the $8 million range, according to sources.”
Carlson is coming off an eight-year contract from the Capitals that paid him $8 million. Signing the deal ahead of the 2018-19 season, Carlson was routinely an asset to Washington. He posted consecutive 70-point seasons and has have at least 50 points in six of eight seasons during that deal. There is no reason to believe that he won’t want to play at least a few more seasons, especially as he continues to make an impact at 36.
John Carlson makes perfect sense for the Flyers
Bringing in a player of Carlson’s caliber would make sense for the Flyers for a few different reasons. The obvious one is his prowess on the power play. No Flyers defensemen has posted double digit points on the power play since Tony DeAngelo’s 19 in 2022-23.
David Jiricek and Oliver Bonk have promise and could develop into the type of defensemen that the Flyers could use on the power play. However, they aren’t ready for full-times roles just yet. Jiricek hasn’t been able to solidly himself and has been largely prone to defensive mistakes. But he has a booming shot that could be a huge asset on the backend. Bonk was largely a power play contributor during his junior days, but time will tell if he can have the same impact at the NHL level. It’s unlikely he will play the bunker often, an area he found himself in often with the London Knights.
Carlson provides a stop gap to let the other two develop and could find himself as a mentor to them as well. He’s been around the league for a long time and has still been able to find success. The Flyers have done similar things before with players like Marc Staal and Erik Johnson. But this time, they would also have a defenseman that could contribute on a consistent basis.
Money shouldn’t be a problem with the rising cap and the influx of cap space the Flyers should have this offseason. Moving off Rasmus Ristolainen’s contract isn’t a necessity, but could add even more space if the team were to find a taker. After addressing key deals to Drysdale and Trevor Zegras, the Flyers should still find themselves with more than enough money. The question would be how high they’re willing to go. And would Carlson feel comfortable playing on a one or two year deal at the same AAV he just came off?
There’s a good chance Carlson may want slightly more to entice him to sign. With the rising cap and contracts around the league, Carlson may find this as his last chance to cash in as he finishes out his career. If there is mutual interest though, the Flyers need to find a way to close the deal.
By all accounts, Carlson would be a huge asset to the Flyers. Briere has some other business to take care of, but when free agency opens, it would be more than ideal if the two sides came together rather quickly.
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