One dream, one realistic, and one bargain player for the Flyers in NHL free agency
Bargain Free Agent: Matt Roy, LA Kings
To be real, I highly doubt the Flyers would go after someone as expensive as Elias Lindholm, and the overall vibes tell me they’ll also stick with just two goaltenders, or at least early on. However, it’s always worth exploring such options, just in case Daniel Briere rolled in such a direction.
But if there is one position and an ultra-realistic option available to them in NHL free agency, Matt Roy of the LA Kings would work well. The Flyers have one RFA and a pair of UFAs on the defensive rotation, which opens three spots in the lineup - two regulars and a seventh defenseman before taking in re-signings, like Adam Ginning.
Roy, who played top-four minutes last season, would be a great value add, as Dobber Hockey has him at a projected $2 million cap hit, something much more manageable for a productive player. He would bring not just top-four potential but even more physical play to a Flyers team that landed over 2,000 hits last season and 24.6 per game.
Best yet, Roy set career-highs in body checks and blocks, and you can also add a 91.4 on-ice save percentage at even strength, plus a career-high 71 on-ice goals for. Better yet, his Corsi For at even strength hit 52.9, over three percent better than his total of offensive zone to defensive zone starts ratio.
Roy would also give the Flyers short-handed help, and when you factor in how well the team played on the penalty kill last year, he could be the missing piece to give them arguably one of the best units in the league.
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