A Guide to The Flyers’ Off-Season Part 1: UFA’s, RFA’s And How To Keep It All Under the Cap

Some challenging decisions are going to have to be made by Flyers’ General Manager Chuck Fletcher this off-season. Chuck must decide with whom (if any) of the team’s unrestricted free agents (UFA’s) he will want to negotiate contracts with. Fletcher also has numerous young and talented players on the roster who have shown remarkable growth since signing their entry level contracts; Players who are now restricted free agents (RFA’s) whom he will have to negotiate terms with as well. Throughout these discussions, Fletcher will need to make sure his moves made are in fact improving upon his team’s success. This may mean potentially looking outside the players that were in the Flyers locker room last year in order to avoid settling for resigning the exact same team from this season, while simultaneously making sure to stay under that pesky salary cap the league set into place so many years ago. Sounds easy enough right?

First let us analyze the upcoming UFA’s on the Flyers roster.

Justin Braun was traded for by Fletcher because the Flyers’ defense (as a whole) was young and vastly inexperienced. Braun came in and helped to solidify this virtually untried group of talented defensive prospects by helping (along with Matt Niskanen) to teach them just what it takes to be a true professional hockey player in the NHL. Now Chuck is faced with the decision of whether to resign this aging blueliner who tutored his youth for him or to let him seek employment elsewhere so as not to block an impressive list of Flyers defensive prospects that are coming up fast on the turnpike. Players like Mark Friedman (who did not look out of place at all when he was called up to the NHL for 6 games this season due Braun getting injured), the sizable prospect Sam Morin (who can hopefully stay healthy next season), or defensive prospect Yegor Zamula (who could surprise most and make the teams’ opening night roster out of training camp next season). This is not to mention defensive prospects like Wyatte Wylie, Linus Hogberg, Mason Millman, Cameron York, Wyatt Kalynuk, and Ronald Attard who are developing rapidly and will be ready within the next year or two. When making this decision, Fletcher will have to keep in mind that he has both Robert Hagg and Phillipe Myers to re-sign who will require a healthy raise. For these reasons and to save money in order to resign other building-block players for the Flyers moving forward, it may just be a one-and-done for Braun in Philly. However, if Chuck does decide that none of the above-named prospects are going to be ready by next season Chuck should look to resign Braun to a 1-year deal worth $2 Million.

Now a look at the pending UFA Brain Elliott. Elliott, who was hand- picked to tutor the young phenom Carter Hart (in which he has done a great job helping Hart along the way) is now 35-years-old and has had some pretty serious injuries in his career. Injuries that have recently caused the Flyers to create a carousel of goaltenders just a season ago. This, paired with his subpar numbers this season (a 2.87 goals against average and a .899 save percentage), may cause Fletcher to have to consider replacing him next season with maybe a fellow UFA goaltender who made a similar salary this season- like say Anton Khudobin (who had a 2.22 goals against average and a .930 save percentage for the Dallas Stars). If this happens, might the Flyers win a few more games next season- possibly putting them ahead of the Washington Capitals next year and seemingly into first place in their division?

What can be said that hasn’t been already about the once unheard of player named Tyler Pitlick who came into Flyers’ organization after Fletcher stole him from the Dallas Stars? He became a fan favorite quickly. Since day one in camp, the now 28-year-old Pitlick showed that his motor just won’t quit. Doing whatever was asked of him by Coach Alain Vigneault (AV) earned Tyler the right, at various times this season, to play up and down the lineup, seamlessly filling in wherever there was a hole due to an injury. Pitlick’s ability to do this resulted in Vigneault trusting him more and more, with Tyler seeing an increase in ice time as the season progressed. Pitlick pocketed just $1 Million dollars on the season and is definitely deserving of a raise next year. But, with signing the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) lamplighter Linus Sandin, Pitlick’s services may no longer be needed next season; Especially with the likes of Travis Konecny, Jakub Voracek, Linus Sandin, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel possibly all being slotted in at right wing next season. This one, of all the unrestricted free agents, will be the hardest to walk away from at the end of the season, because of all he has done for the Flyers. But when you have an eye for talent like Fletcher, it’s just on to the next one.

Moving on to another unrestricted free agent, Center Nate Thompson, who the Flyers acquired at the trade deadline from the Montreal Canadians. Honestly, it’s hard to make a fair assessment at this point of his play for the Flyers because this hired hand did not get a chance to participate in many bouts in a Flyers uniform (due to the stoppage of play). Regardless, if Nolan Patrick is able to come back “healthy” next season the Flyers should be pretty stacked at the center position with Couturier, Hayes, Patrick, Frost, and Bunnaman.  The team also has former centers Scott Laughton and Claude Giroux around as well if needed. That’s why the Flyers will likely pass on re-signing the now 35-year-old tough guy next season.

Last but certainly not least on this list of UFA’s is Center Derek Grant, who the Flyers picked up from the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline, and what a great pickup he was indeed. Grant’s play was so good it might be viewed as one of the best pick-ups of any team at the deadline! An absolute spark plug from day one for the team, he netted 5 points in just 7 games with the Flyers before the stop in play. If the season finished out as usual, Derek might have had a shot at scoring 20 or more goals (especially seeing that he already had 15 on the campaign). These kind of results weren’t too shabby- especially coming from a guy only making $70OK this season. There is little doubt that Grant’s services will be coveted by many NHL teams when free agency commences. Although the Flyers would love to have that kind of production around next season, particularly with the uncertainty of Nolan Patrick’s return date still looming, sadly the cost will be just too rich for the Flyers’ blood to try and re-sign him. Even if the Flyers were to put an offer in to Grant this off-season, why would Derek want to come back past next season? With the previously mentioned # 2 overall pick Nolan Patrick returning, and the former OHL sniper Morgan Frost there nipping at his heels for his shot at the NHL, Grant would pass on any reasonable contract offer the Flyers could put together. He will likely instead seek out a chance to go play a larger role on a lesser team for more money.

It’s no secret that the Flyers acquired most of these future unrestricted free agents due to either Flyers’ injuries or out of the need for experience at their position. One thing is for certain: Whenever the season does reconvene and comes to a conclusion the likelihood of the Flyers re-signing these players will become clearer. More so than any season in recent memory, the prognosis from the team’s doctor will play a huge part in Chuck Fletchers’ decision-making processes. The team’s 2017 # 2 overall pick (Nolan Patrick), the team’s leading scorer (at the time he found out he had cancer- Oskar Lindblom), and the team’s future heavy-weight (Sam Morin) have all returned to the ice, but their returns to the lineup are still vastly unknown. As a result, expect Fletcher to bet on the side of these players’ youth to hurry the decision-making process along and put an emphasis on re-signing the team’s restricted free agents this off season, rather than looking outside the locker room for help. All of which we we’ll review here at Flyers Nitty Gritty in Part 2 of “A Guide to The Flyers’ Off-Season,” which is due out soon.