Now that the 2024 NHL Draft is over, Flyers GM Daniel Briere will have other things he will have to attend to. If he can work the same wizardry on this roster as he did in the draft, the Flyers will be in good shape heading into the next season.
Time waits for no man, or team for that matter. This team has business to do. So, with that in mind, what are the major storylines facing the Philadelphia Flyers as the offseason kicks into high gear?
When Will Matvei Michkov Arrive?
One of my all-time favorite movies is Spaceballs. There is the famous scene when the evil Lord Dark Helmet and his lackey, Colonel Sanders, are watching an instant cassette of the movie. They end up in what they called "now-now". Dark Helmet asks, "When will then be now?" and Sanders replies, "Soon."
This is kind of what Flyers fans have been waiting for over a month for. When will Matvei Michkov arrive in Philly? The answer we keep getting is "Soon." He's coming. When? I don't know. He'll sign a contract. How much? We don't know. It'll happen when it happens. It's expected to be soon, but he will not be attempting their upcoming development camp. That much is certain.
Will Travis Konencny Re-Sign?
This is probably the next biggest question facing this team. Travis Konency's contract is up after this season. Will he re-sign or are we going to see him leave soon? We haven't heard much from either side about what the plans are. Just about every Flyers fan would love to see him locked up for a few more years. He's coming into his own as a team leader.
But his value in a trade has never been higher. Whether or not he is traded now or at the deadline, he could bring in a big return for the Flyers. Granted, the Flyers have three first-round picks for next season. Four would be awesome. Four could even be used to grab a top-three spot. We'll have to see what happens. Although speaking of trades...
Will Anyone Be Traded?
If you've been tuned into this site, or any Flyers hockey rumor site, over the last few months, there have been rumors on just about everyone. Besides Konecny, there have been rumors about Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, and Scott Laughton just to name a few. Before the draft, Briere had said that the Flyers were "open for business". Just about anyone was able to be traded.
You would think that meant that was only for the draft. For the most part, you would be right. However, the Flyers are pretty cash-strapped. If anyone is willing to make a trade for a roster player and help eat up some salary, the Flyers may make that move. We'll have to see if any of the rumors we've heard about are true.
Which Free Agents Will Come to Philly?
The Flyers could have over 14M in cap space with Ryan Ellis and potentially Ryan Johansen on LTIR. This will have to take into consideration what Michkov will cost them, any RFAs they want to retain, and where the team will go with Konecny in the future.
Most likely, they will have to get some guys on the cheap cheap. If combined with a trade, they could have some more space where they could get an upper-tier guy but don't hold your breath. They were able to clear some space up when they bought out Cam Atkinson, but it isn't a lot. There is normally the big free agency spending spree frenzy in the first few days of free agency (starting Monday, July 1). Don't expect the Flyers to make too big a splash.
However, be careful with that. Ryan Poehling was just a one-year prove-it deal and ended up getting re-signed after he proved himself. Sometimes, those small deals can turn out big.