When the Flyers were making moves this offseason, some were kind of exciting, while others were polarizing. The Trevor Zegras trade sparked a lot of hope amongst Flyers fans, while they were divided on the free agency signings of Dan Vladar and Christian Dvorak.
However, the signings of Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert didn't move the needle one way or another. It's not that they are bad signings. They are typical depth signings that most NHL teams do when they run low on funds and have roster spaces to fill.
Be careful with that line of thinking, however. Sometimes you can find some real treasures on the trash heap. After all, Nick Seeler was a castaway from Minnesota and has turned into one of the best defensive players the Flyers have had over the last few seasons. Juulsen and Gilbert may not turn heads, but they have value.
Juulsen has a previously relationship with Tocchet
Juulsen's greatest contribution to the team is his familiarity with the new head coach, Rick Tocchet. He played with him the last few seasons in Vancouver. There is hope that he can help his teammates, especially the young defenders, adjust to the new coach's system, kind of the way Cam Atkinson was supposed to help transition the Flyers to new head coach John Tortorella.
Juulsen was limited to just 35 games last season due to an injury. Still, Tocchet praised his drive and effort. When someone believes in you, you want to stick by them as much as possible. Tocchet sees something valuable in Juulsen and might be able to unlock something in him. If Juulsen can stay healthy, he could end up being the Flyers' sixth/seventh rotational defender.
Gilbert adds more depth
Gilbert, much like Juulsen, is 28 years old. He has more offensive stats than Juulsen does (20 career points to 17), but has appeared in fewer games (111 to 157). He's one of those players who ends up getting called up for 20 or 30 games and then spends the rest of the time down in the AHL; sort of like what Louie Belpedio did a few years ago for the Flyers.
If someone is hurt for an extended period of time and the Flyers' defensive prospects are not ready, or if there are several injured players, this is where Gilbert can shine. He can come in and fill a roster spot and hopefully play well enough to see this team through.
Both Juulsen and Gilbert could end up becoming very valuable signings for the Flyers and may pay off more than most realize. It is possible they may not make an impact. Still, we can always hope for the best. Juulsen's familiarity will probably give him more of an edge to make the roster, but don't count out Gilbert just yet. He could end up surprising you.