With the trade deadline past, the Flyers have already traded a few guys who would've been free agents this summer, such as Andrei Kuzmenko. He could return in the offseason. However, he wasn't the only player on an expiring contract. The team has a few guys that must either be extended or let go this June.
Let's examine who could be playing their final few weeks in Philadelphia. For this, we will only examine players on the roster, not players on AHL-only contracts.
The UFA's
The Flyers have three players who will hit the unrestricted free agency market. We'll start with Olle Lycksell. Because he is 25 and has played fewer than 80 games in the NHL, he will qualify as a Group 6 UFA. With him, these next few weeks are critical. He's performed well at the AHL level, but hasn't done much with the Flyers. If they still feel he can be of service, he could sign a cheap one-year deal. If not, the Flyers are probably done waiting on him.
With him is Rodrigo Abols. The knock on him is that he is 29. However, in 12 games, he has two goals and an assist in limited ice time. The Flyers do seem to like his size (6'4", 205 lbs.) and he can play center, a position the Flyers need right now. If he performs well enough through the end of the season, the team could sign him to another one-year deal on the cheap side.
Lastly, there is Cal Petersen, who has been buried in the Phantoms since his struggles last year. He continues to struggle this year. He and his bloated contract will be gone when free agency begins.
The RFAs
Here is where it could get sticky for the Flyers. They have four restricted free agents to consider. These are also guys that other teams might take a chance to poach. Part of that could also be a strategy to drive up their price.
First is Noah Cates. He's played on each of the four lines. Because of his hard work ethic, he seems to have become a favorite of John Tortorella as he plays a good defensive forward style of hockey. Currently, he has set a career high in goals with 14 and his 28 total points are ten points shy of his high. Flyers will most likely extend him to a three-year (or more) contract.
Next up is Tyson Foerster. After a slow start to the season, he's found his mojo again. He's on track to set career highs in goals and points. Because of his age, he'll probably get a nice bridge contract before getting a long term extension in a few years.
The last forward is Jakob Pelletier. As of right now, he hasn't been very impressive. However, if he was the guy that they traded Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee for, you can't let him go after just a few weeks of play. He'll get a bridge contract, but they will try to push him to be better. If he doesn't start improving, he could be kicked to the curb in another year or two.
Finally, we come to our lone defender: Cam York. He's had an up and down season. He's down in points and up in turnovers. He's played on all three defensive pairings, assisted on the power play, and worked on the penalty kill. He's been benched a few times and has expressed his displeasure at it.
The Flyers have been waiting for him to become the top-tier defender we hoped he'd be. That hasn't happened yet. Does he fit into the long-term plans of this team? If so, how much is he worth? Could he be flipped for an older, more established defender like Erik Karlsson, provided the Flyers take on his salary? We'll see. If there is any potential issue with a free agent, this could be the one.