Well, the Flyers’ offseason has begun, and the O&B Puckcast has officially completed its ninth season and 300th episode.
The big question on the minds of many fans right now is: what’s next for the Flyers this summer?
This was a step-forward season for the franchise — one in which they privately hoped to make the playoffs, even if publicly they vacillated a bit on expectations.
Having accomplished that goal, the Flyers’ biggest on-ice needs became pretty clear to most fans, especially those who follow the team closely. In this piece, I’d like to discuss the three major areas of concern and how the Flyers may attempt to address them.
The biggest bugaboo for the Orange and Black has been what is simply the worst power play in the league over the last five or six years. On our show, I’ve jokingly called it “The Curse of Joey Mullen” because it feels like ever since Ron Hextall fired the power-play coach — with a rather dismissive statement, no less — the team has struggled with the man advantage ever since.
It would seem the Flyers either need a center or a defenseman capable of quarterbacking the power play. At this juncture, it may actually be easier to find a defenseman who can do that, even if he’s somewhat limited defensively, than it would be to acquire a true top-six center. Of course, nothing is ever that easy.
The Flyers already anticipate changes on defense, owing to the fact that Rasmus Ristolainen probably has more market value than he’s ever had as a Flyer. He’s coming off a relatively healthy season, experienced postseason hockey for the first time in his career, and is finally entering an off-season without rehab hanging over him. He may not be here next year.
Based on his performance, I think Ristolainen earned the right to be viewed as a legitimate top-four defenseman on a good team. For the Flyers, he was asked to play on the top pairing, but potential suitors likely see him more in that secondary role. Nevertheless, at age 31, with one year left on a very manageable $5.1 million cap hit, his value may be at a career peak. Ristolainen could potentially return a late first-round pick or an intriguing prospect.
It remains to be seen how the Flyers shuffle their defense corps, however, especially since Emil Andrae appears to have fallen a bit out of favor, while younger players like Oliver Bonk and David Jiříček may be vying for at least a sixth-defenseman spot out of training camp.
In several conversations with Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff, he has mentioned Bowen Byram of the Buffalo Sabres as an ideal trade target. Byram is known for his power-play ability, particularly his puck handling and mobility. The Sabres are well stocked on defense, and with only one year remaining on his contract, the Flyers may feel they have the assets to make something work.
A player like Cam York could potentially be part of a deal, and Buffalo could also have interest in one of the Flyers’ wingers — especially with Alex Tuch potentially approaching free agency. Flyers GM Danny Brière has shown a tendency to operate under the radar, so almost anything feels possible.
Free-agent options on defense could include Tampa Bay’s Darren Raddysh, who more than doubled his previous career-high point total this season at age 30 (who could also be a ‘one-hit wonder’), or Washington’s John Carlson, who may have lost some mobility at age 36 but still produced offense at his usual 60-point pace from the blue line. Carlson would also bring Stanley Cup pedigree and could buy the Flyers time on a short-term, high-AAV contract.
Of course, the Flyers have needed a top-six center for quite some time — especially as Sean Couturier, because of age and the accumulation of injuries, is no longer ideally suited for that role on a nightly basis. To his credit, Couturier appeared to embrace more of a bottom-six assignment during the playoff run and was quite effective in it.
It may be tempting to think the Flyers could make a splash for centers like Auston Matthews or Robert Thomas, or even dream about Connor McDavid somehow becoming available. But based on Danny Brière’s recent interviews, it sounds more likely the Flyers would target more of a second-line center in the 60-point range rather than swing for a true superstar.
Part of that rationale may stem from the organization’s belief that elite wing talent is already in place or on the way. Brière hinted at that possibility in comments to Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Still, the Flyers have enough uncertainty down the middle that fans should absolutely expect the team to seriously explore the market.
Offer sheets for RFA’s such as Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson or Columbus’ Adam Fantilli sound intriguing on paper, but they feel impractical in an era of a rapidly expanding salary cap. Add to that the fact that rival GM’s tend to have long memories, and the Flyers probably don’t want to invite retaliation involving players like Matvei Michkov or Porter Martone years from now.
One trade target we’ve discussed on our show is Matty Beniers of the Seattle Kraken. Seattle has multiple center prospects coming, while also needing additional scoring on the wing. It’s just an idea, but there’s reason to believe Beniers — drafted second overall in 2021 — could flourish offensively playing with stronger wingers in Philadelphia.
The downside? He’s never topped 57 points, and he’s left-handed. The Flyers could really use a right-handed center.
Regardless of who they pursue, I fully expect the Flyers to be active on the trade market for both a center and a defenseman. Realistically, though, they may only be able to land one major piece this off-season, which is part of why I think acquiring a defenseman is ultimately more likely.
The rationale is simple: the Flyers do have center prospects in the pipeline, including Jett Luchanko, Jack Berglund, and Jack Nesbitt, who will officially attend the University of Michigan. Berglund, in particular, is expected to compete for a roster spot in training camp, though many believe he’ll return to the SHL if he doesn’t make the team.
In general, however, the Flyers still do not appear to have a clear-cut future top-six center in the system. The organization may choose to wait and evaluate how these young players develop before spending major assets to acquire someone externally.
The third major need for the Flyers is more optional — specifically, determining whether they want to further solidify the backup goaltender position.
Dan Vladar’s play certainly earned him the number-one job entering next year. The question now becomes whether the Flyers are fully comfortable with Samuel Ersson settling into more of a 30-to-35 game backup role after an inconsistent season overall, despite stronger play later in the year.
If the organization wants additional insurance, Toronto’s Joseph Woll is one name that has surfaced in trade chatter given the Maple Leafs’ current three-goalie situation. The challenge, of course, is that Woll has a well-established injury history.
Heaven knows Flyers fans have seen enough seasons derailed by goaltending over the years to understand why depth at the position matters.
So there you have it — that’s what’s on my mind as we enter the off-season and approach the NHL Draft.
It should be an exciting summer. A lot could be on the table, including moves that surprise us, because Danny Brière tends to operate that way. Overall, though, I expect the Flyers to focus aggressively on the needs we just discussed.
We look forward to coming back to you beginning in June for Season 10 of the O&B Puckcast.
Thanks for all the support through our first nine seasons — and until next time:
Let’s Go Flyers!
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