Mitch Marner
You might think I'm crazy for this one, but hear me out. Mitch Marner is coming off a deal that paid him nearly $11 million. His next contract is going to exceed that after his first 100-point season. His goal totals have slipped slightly over the last few seasons, but you're getting a player who has consistently hit 85 or more points in the last four years.
Yes, the salary cap is steadily rising in the next few years, and contracts will reflect that. But do you want the Flyers committing almost all of their remaining cap to one player? After signing Noah Cates, Philadelphia has a tick under $19 million in space. Marner will garner at least $12-$13 million, if not more, leaving the Flyers will almost no money for other moves.
Marner would be great, but not at the expense of the other glaring issues that the Flyers have. They still need to sign Cam York, unless they don't see him as a fit in Philadelphia anymore. They need an upgrade in goaltending, as they simply cannot run it back. Unless Jett Luchanko or their top-10 draft pick is ready to jump into the NHL, they need another center.
There are too many other things that the Flyers need at this time. While the hope is to keep taking steps forward, they are not in the market to make large signings such as Marner. Maybe by the 2026 offseason where it could be loaded with elite free-agent talent.
Jonathan Toews
This one isn't about the money, as the Flyers could almost certainly sign Jonathan Toews to a near league-minimum deal. There are two clear reasons that they should stay far away from this free agent. The first one is hockey-related, while the other is not.
First of all, Toews has not played since April 2023, over two years ago. Coincidentally, that was against the Flyers. He had 15 goals and 31 points in 53 games. Toews has missed the last two years after being diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). It is "a progressive, multi-system, multi-symptom illness characterized by exposure to biotoxins. The ongoing inflammation can affect virtually any organ system of the body, and if left untreated, becomes debilitating."
He has been training hard and is committed to making an NHL return. But the Flyers are already familiar with having players miss multiple years. Ryan Ellis is not expected to return after appearing in just four games in 2021-22. Sean Couturier missed two years with a back injury and, while he returned, saw the effects of missing so much time. Toews is also significantly older than both players, having just turned 37 a few days ago.
The other reason is obvious and something we won't dive too much into. For an organization that is priding itself on culture and making Philadelphia a destination to be, bringing Toews in would not be the answer. The backlash from Joel Quenville's signing with the Ducks speaks for itself. The Flyers do not need that nightmare scenario.
There are going to be a handful of other players available that the Flyers should keep their focus on. Don't get into a bidding war for the top free agent, and don't settle for someone who goes against your standards. Danny Briere can improve the team in other ways.