We're inching closer to the NHL draft and free agency, and with the Flyers eliminated from the playoffs, all eyes, ears, and analysis have turned to these two events. This concerns the latter, and how the Philadelphia Flyers could improve their team and take a bite out of a rival as well.
One of the teams facing a summer of upheaval this offseason is the Columbus Blue Jackets. They've got 8 expiring contracts (8 UFA’s & 3 RFA’s) that they'll have to make some serious discussions on, and the Flyers are a team poised to make things very difficult for them if they choose to be active in the free agent markets.
Strike at their on ice leadership
One player currently projected to be available on the UFA market is Boone Jenner. The soon-to-be 33-year-old is at the very end of his prime, but is still an effective center and will be for a few more years.
He may only be a 30 or 40-point player, but he's a natural center that can play on your second, third, or fourth line if you need. He's energetic, unafraid of physicality, and is a proven leader in the NHL. With the number of players the Jackets need to try to bring back or extend, Jenner might actually become a cap casualty.
The Flyers could use a center, especially a down-the-lineup one, which would provide flexibility and coverage for the team in a variety of ways.
Make an RFA Splash
The Columbus Blue Jackets have two young players that are RFA's this season who could end up becoming game-changing NHLers. Ideally, they'll want to keep both, but if you put them in a position to accept RFA compensation, the team could decide to roll the dice.
First, a brief primer on what the Flyers have to give up for an RFA. It is based on the salary offered. There are seven tiers that determine the amount of draft pick a team would have to send as a result of a signed deal.
The Flyers could dip a toe in the water and take a flyer on Cole Sillinger. He's an NHL legacy with decent size, is physical, and has offensive skill.
Only 4 players on the Flyers (Tippett, Cates, Konecny, and Couturier) had more than 30 points and 100 hits last season. Sillinger has done it twice already and missed a third time by two hits in his rookie season. However, he needs a change of scenery to grow as a player. He's been bogged down, playing 15 minutes a night with Columbus, and getting next to no power-play time. The former first-round pick is more talented than his numbers show, and the problem is usage. He could be had for possibly a second-round pick depending on the pressure CBJ is feeling.
The big splash RFA move would be Adam Fantilli. The former third-overall pick in 2023, Fantilli already has 140 points in his NHL career, and is developing into one of the best, young two-way centers in the game. He is poised to explode, and the Flyers have the assets to take a run at him.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are missing second-round picks in the 2027 and 2028 drafts, and the Flyers are in possession of an extra first courtesy of the Toronto Maple Leafs. With the glut of prospects and young players populating the roster, giving up four draft picks for a proven player who is only 21 doesn't hurt that much. The risk-reward factor sways towards the Flyers, especially given that they might be drafting towards the end of the rounds going forward.
The Marchment Move
The Flyers could also put pressure on Columbus by pursuing Mason Marchment in free agency. They traded for the 6'5" forward last season, giving up a 2027 second and a 2026 fourth-rounder. He performed well for them and seems like a player they'll want to keep.
This will leave the Blue Jackets in a numbers crunch. Someone is going to have to go, and if the Flyers are making multiple plays for multiple players, eventually the Jackets will have to relent on one of them.
In this offeseaon, some aggression might serve the Flyers well, and keep the Blue Jackets down.
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