It was one of the splashiest transactions, two transactions really, of this NHL offseason. The St. Louis Blues pulled off dual offer sheets as they pried a pair of players away from the Edmonton Oilers. Maybe this seldom-used tactic will come back into vogue in the league now, so we'll have to wait and see what the summer of 2025 will bring. And the Philadelphia Flyers should be paying close attention, thanks to their current roster of players entering their final contract years before hitting restricted free-agent status next year.
Could the Flyers be involved in any offer sheet drama next summer?
Chief among these pivotal young players for the Flyers is defenseman Cam York. Entering the second and final year of a bridge deal that will pay him the bargain rate of $1.6 million, York will need a sizeable raise for the following season. The ball, or puck, is in the Flyers' court to make a new contract happen during the 2024-25 season, and the pressure is on to make sure that York doesn't get to next summer without a new contract. Any number of teams could come calling, especially if York takes the next step and shows well over the coming months. He stands to make himself a lot of money if his current trajectory continues, and the Flyers would be well advised to lock him down before someone else forces their hand.
Tyson Foerster should also be a priority for the Flyers, as the 20-goal scorer will make well under $1 million for the upcoming season but stands to dwarf that figure with his next contract. Flyers GM Danny Briere has already made big commitments to right-handed shooting wingers Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett, but that doesn't mean that Foerster can be deemed a luxury. Foerster possesses perhaps the best shot on the team, and he stands to become a dangerous power play weapon if the club can ever get that facet of the game figured out. He was frequently one of the Flyers' best forwards during long stretches last season, and it would be a crying shame if they can't come to terms with him and leave the door open for him to be plucked by someone else.
Noah Cates seemingly took a bit of a step back last season, but he figures to still be a lineup fixture for the Flyers even after the 2024-25 campaign that sees him clock in at $2.625 million. The good news here for the Flyers is that Cates' already reasonable salary doesn't seem to leave much room for another team to swoop in and blow him away with an offer. If someone deems Cates worthy of $5 million per year, the Flyers could be forgiven for taking the compensation for him. But, assuming that Cates bounces back and has a good season by his standards, the team would like to keep him in the fold with a new contract featuring an appropriate pay bump.
The Flyers' final remaining 2025 RFA is Morgan Frost, who is a nice player but doesn't seem too popular around these parts. Frost's $2.4 million salary in 2024-25 will probably see a decent increase beyond that, whether from the Flyers or someone else. This year will be huge for Frost's development, and it will determine if he remains in the Orange and Black long-term. He seems more likely as a trade candidate than as someone who a team would target with an offer sheet. but time will tell.
As for the other side of the coin, the Flyers don't figure to tender any offer sheets of their own next summer, as they'll probably prefer to target UFAs rather than leave anything to chance by allotting potential dollars via an offer sheet only to see another club match. Contingency plans are always good, but the offer sheet route just doesn't seem like the best option for the state that the Flyers will likely be in next summer.
The Flyers last attempted an offer sheet in 2012 when their gambit to sign Shea Weber didn't pay off. Maybe it's about time that they tried again, but it would need to be the right player (or two) at the right point in time, which they don't seem likely to be in next offseason. Until the curtain falls on the 2024-25 season, however, we won't know for sure where the Flyers will stand when it comes to offer sheets.