With the draft over and the free agency rush completed, the Flyers, as well as every other NHL team, can start prepping for the new season. Prospects will be evaluated, and players approaching a contract year will be under scrutiny to determine whether they wish to remain in town.
The Flyers have a handful of guys who could very well not be here at this time next year. Some of them may be moving on to "better pastures," while others could be running out of time. Here is a list of players who are probably starting their last year in Philly.
Nicolas Deslauriers
Last year, Deslauriers appeared in the fewest games of his career since his rookie season (sans the COVID year). He did have some injuries, but he was a healthy scratch by John Tortorella for most of the season. Granted, the team is going through a youth movement, but it was nice to have him on the team to protect the young players, like Matvei Michkov.
He's 34 and in the last year of his contract. There is a good chance this is his last year in Philadelphia. I wouldn't mind seeing him around again, but he's probably out of time. Unless he takes a big-time discount, he is probably out of here; maybe at the trade deadline.
Rodrigo Abols
It's nothing against Abols. He has only played half a season. He scored two goals in 22 games. He's not going to be a scoring wizard, but at 6'4", 205 lbs, he kind of fits the size profile the Flyers are looking for. Likewise, he is on a one-year deal.
He could become a great fourth-line winger. His biggest issue is that this team is loaded with right-wingers. However, he's been a grinder and a hard worker. That is something that this team loves. He may be extended, but if he is holding back a younger prospect, he could be traded away as well.
Trevor Zegras
You may be surprised to see him on this last. After all, the Flyers made a big deal trading for him, and he seems to be the frontrunner for the top-line center job. However, he is in the last year of his current contract, will need to be re-signed at the end of the year, and has a history of injury problems.
If he stays healthy, if he is happy here, and the Flyers are happy with him, he's going to stick around. If he can't stay healthy or if he is miserable, then he could be on his way out. Hey, when they traded Ryan Poehling for him, this was a low-risk, high-reward deal.
If it pays off, he'll be around. If the Flyers determine that Jett Luchanko or one of the other young centers who are moving up are better than what Zegras can provide, he could be here just one season. We'll have to see. I think he'll be around longer, but you never know.
Rasmus Ristolainen
No real surprise here. Ristolainen has one year left on his contract. A bunch of teams have asked for his services in the past. At the same time, he has been injured a lot, too. The Flyers also have a lot of young defenders who could be pushing him out of the way.
Granted, he could have a rebound year and looks fantastic. In that case, he'll be here next summer. We have no idea what the future holds. Still, he's on shaky ground right now.
Jamie Drysdale
Everything said about Zegras, you can copy and paste here. Both are young, have a history of being injured, have shone when they played well, and yet have been disappointments as well. And like Zegras, he will be an RFA after this season.
If Drysdale can stay healthy, play up to his full potential, it's a no-brainer that he'd be re-signed. However, much like Zegras, if he keeps getting hurt, the Flyers may have to move on, especially if someone like Emil Andrae, Oliver Bonk, or Helge Grans is breathing down his neck.
Any Flyers Goalie
Ok, here's the deal. Dan Vladar was signed to a two-year deal. It was a deal in which an average backup goalie was overpaid because the Flyers were desperate for one in a weak goalie market. Not trying to be mean here, but it is the truth. Sam Ersson, Ivan Fedotov, and Alexsei Kolosov are also in the final years of their current contracts. Nobody is guaranteed to be here.
Worst-case scenario is Vladar gets hurt and the Flyers rotate through the same three goalies and go through the same stuff they've been through. I don't think it will be that bad. Still, it is unlikely that all four goalies will be around come June 2026. Some could be traded, or allowed to walk. It could be two or three of them. Ersson could have a great year or bottom out. Fedotov and Kolosov could bounce back or be bounced out. We'll have to wait and see.