The big list of pending unrestricted free agents the Flyers can steal from their Metropolitan Division rivals
The Philadelphia Flyers don’t have much cap space, and they could ‘sell’ more than they ‘buy’ in the offseason. But maybe they will also shock us with a few signings.
More restructuring could be due for the Philadelphia Flyers, and with very little cap space in hand, it’s tough to see the Flyers making a “prize” free agent signing. This isn’t to say it’s impossible, as they could always trade a few of their more expensive players away like Cam Atkinson despite his 10-team no-trade clause, Scott Laughton, or Rasmus Ristolainen, but Philadelphia may be better off just looking to re-sign and extend current talent.
Even so, should they trade the players mentioned above, the Flyers would still have holes in the lineup that general manager Daniel Briere must fill. This isn’t to say he would land a prize free agent like Jake Guentzel if we’re talking about adding unrestricted free agents from the Metropolitan Division, but there are enough in the Metro to at least provide reasonably-priced stopgaps for the 2024-25 season and perhaps for between two and three years.
Philadelphia Flyers could bring in a few free agents from the Metro Division
Retooling projects don’t always need to involve signing cast-offs if that is indeed the direction Briere intends to go. He has enough young talent on the Flyers, as they have shown us this year, to at least keep the team more than just watchable if he reinforced this younger group with the right assets this summer.
The names you are about to read on this list probably didn’t wow you with their productivity this season, but as you’re about to see, they are all cost-effective players who can come to the City of Brotherly Love either as one-year stopgaps or even on overall bridge contracts between two and three years.
In the upcoming slides, you will meet a pair of goaltenders, two blueliners, and three forwards who shouldn’t break the bank if Briere pursues them this summer. They wouldn’t afford everyone on the list, but a player or two could theoretically end up in Southeast Pennsylvania.
Antti Raanta, Goaltender/Carolina Hurricanes
Antti Raanta hasn’t enjoyed the same success this season that he’s experienced in the past, but it’s mainly been a one year outlier for the 34-year-old, who has a career save percentage of 0.915 and GAA of 2.48. So let’s not judge Raanta’s overall performance on one bad season, as he’s bounced back from lean years in the past.
In 2020-21, Raanta was in his final season with the Arizona Coyotes, and he struggled through what was statistically an awful year, posting a 0.905 save percentage, but a 3.36 GAA to go with it. But when you look at his xGA of 28.6 at even strength, he only allowed 1.4 goals over that number, so it wasn’t half-bad.
That hasn’t been the case this season, with 48 goals allowed at even strength despite an xGA of 40.1, but his actual goals allowed vs. xGA have been stellar in 2021-22 and 2022-23. So, once again, it’s premature to judge Raanta’s career-worst season with too much scrutiny.
Plus, he would be a backup to Samuel Ersson next season, and his presence would also allow Ivan Fedotov - a pending unrestricted free agent who should be re-signed - time in the AHL should Briere feel the 27-year-old would benefit from a stint. Or, sign Raanta with the intent of playing him in the AHL as insurance - Raanta is currently there at the moment.
Kaapo Kahkonen, Goaltender/New Jersey Devils
Perhaps Briere decides to think Ivan Fedotov should play a season in the AHL regardless, so he signs a proven 1B like Kaapo Kahkonen to a deal, re-signs Fedotov, and assigns him to Lehigh Valley following the preseason so he can get more used to the North American game.
This is assuming something like this happens regardless of what Fedotov shows us in what is a small sample size at the NHL level. It also doesn’t mean Briere would sign Kahkonen to a one-year deal while Fedotov receives time in the AHL, as he could always bring him in on a multi-year deal and subsequently trade him if Fedotov adapts to the North American game quickly.
Overall, it would be a win for Fedotov and a win for Kahkonen. The former would develop better in North America with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and Kahkonen could also show that he can be one of the better 1B goaltenders in the NHL, which would make him highly attractive to contenders in 2024-25.
If the Flyers contend, they can hang onto him and give Fedotov a full season in the AHL. It’s worth stressing that this would be the preferred method for Fedotov regardless of how many games he gets and how well he performs in his trial phase with the Flyers.
Sebastian Aho, Defenseman/New York Islanders
Alright, let’s talk about some defensemen who wouldn’t cost Briere too much against the cap, but are high-potential players who would work best on bridge deals. Sebastian Aho has almost always looked good playing bottom-pairing minutes with the New York Islanders, and he’s someone who knows and understands his role in this league.
Aho isn’t physical on the bottom-pairing, but he’s excellent at getting in front of scoring lanes multiple times per game. Although the Isles and goaltender Ilya Sorokin are struggling through a down season defensively, Aho’s on-ice save percentage at 5-on-5 sits at 92.3, and he’s been out there in the same situation for just 31 goals against this season.
That number is 91.9, with 33 allowed at even strength, and it’s worth noting his xGA at even strength is 33.2. Therefore, it’s safe to say Aho has more than done his job in the defensive zone this season.
If there is a major downside, it’s that Aho may not help the Flyers play so well in the offensive zone, as his xGF at even strength is a healthy 37.3, but his on-ice actual goals for in that same category is just 24. Regardless, it’s clear Aho would provide plenty of help in the defensive zone and at a reasonable cost.
Brendan Gaunce, Forward/Columbus Blue Jackets
Brendan Gaunce is a journeyman, and he has a tiny sample size, but he’s the only pending unrestricted free agent on the Columbus Blue Jackets worth noting. This is a player who could come to the organization as a 13th or 14th forward, someone to fit the fourth line on a full-time basis, or even to provide organizational depth.
If the Flyers were looking for someone who could provide a physical presence - one who can routinely land three body checks per game, Brendan Gaunce is their guy. In just 19 contests this season, Gaunce has 42 body checks, eight takeaways, and a 53.6 faceoff winning percentage, all of which are great attributes for a lower-liner.
At even strength, he’s been better at contributing to scoring opportunities than many may believe, as his Corsi For sits at 48.0 percent despite 36.6 of his starts in the offensive zone. The Blue Jackets have allowed 10 goals when he’s in the game, but that’s one better than his xGA in the same situation.
Gaunce has shown he could be a serviceable defensive forward with the big club, but he should also have no trouble moving between Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley if it’s the role he ultimately lands in.
Erik Gustafsson, Defenseman/New York Rangers
Thanks to Erik Gustafsson’s latest epic outing this season at a low price, it’s tough to see the New York Rangers letting him walk in free agency. But if the Flyers can accrue more cap space via trade, someone like Gustafsson would still be a cheaper option for 2024-25. It’s also worth noting that the Rangers won’t have much cap space regardless for the summer, and depending on what Daniel Briere does, that may not be the case with the Flyers.
For Gustafsson, it would be his second stint in Philadelphia, as you may remember that he was part of the team in 2020-21. That year, he saw 24 games of action, logging 10 points and a goal, but his most recent season with the Rangers has been one to remember.
Through 70 games as of April 3rd, Gustafsson has 30 points and six goals, and per the usual, he’s been an incredible quarterback on the power play. His on-ice shooting percentage on the man advantage is a solid 16.7 percent, but that’s low compared to the numbers he’s seen in recent years, and it shows off his overall value at 5-on-4.
Gustafsson has a career 52.3 percent on the Corsi For at even strength, and his on-ice goals for vs. on-ice goals against ratio is near his xGF to xGA ratio in the same situation. If the Flyers get in position to outbid the Rangers and other contenders for Gustafsson, the blueliner will reward them.
Vinnie Hinostroza, Forward/Pittsburgh Penguins
Not everyone on this list will have a chance to play on the big club, and Vinnie Hinostroza is one player on this list who won’t have that luxury. But few would provide such excellent organizational depth regardless of which organization he finds himself with.
Hinostroza has been one of the hardest workers out there and was a fixture on the lower lines throughout his career that included stops in Chicago, Arizona, Florida, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh. The winger has never scored over 39 points and 16 goals in a single season, and he’s never played a full 82-game schedule, but it doesn’t mean Hinostroza won’t provide organizational value.
He will be entering his 10th season in which he’s played NHL games should he find himself with a big club for at least a handful of matchups. This would make Hinostroza a respected member of an NHL, or more likely, an AHL locker room, and if he gets a call-up, a solid, experienced asset on the fourth line.
No, he wouldn’t help the Flyers win many games, but few would understand the situation that the Flyers are in better than Hinostroza, who saw the same thing when he was with the Sabres last season.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Forward/Washington Capitals
With nearly 24.4 hits per game, the Flyers are one of the NHL’s more physical hockey teams, but Nicolas Aube-Kubel carries more value than just being a pure hitter. He’s someone who won’t mind factoring in as a 13th or 14th forward, and his 30 takeaways in 55 matchups as of April 3rd shows you just how often he’s stopping opponents from making plays.
Overall, Aube-Kubel is a fourth-liner, and that’s all he should play, whether in Washington, Philadelphia, or in another division. Despite the limited ice time, it seems as though no matter where Aube-Kubel has played in the past, he’s always helping his team score more goals than they allow at 5-on-5 - even with a Washington Capitals team that’s minus-35 in goal differential.
In 2023-24, his on-ice goals for vs. goals against ratio is a sound 26 to 21 at 5-on-5, and it’s a near-identical 26 to 22 at even strength. His possession quality of minus-7.2 doesn’t tell the entire story, especially when you factor in his xGF sitting at just 18.6 vs. an xGA of 25.8. Regardless, Aube-Kubel has shown plenty of times that he gets the job done, and that should be good enough to target him in free agency if the Flyers need another lower-liner.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)