It’s no secret that the Flyers could add some scoring punch, or add toughness and grit. So who’s left via free agency for the Flyers to take a gamble on in these particular areas of needs within their system?
Mike Hoffman
A prolific goal scorer, who has a good pair of hands. Hoffman can shoot with the best of them. He would definitely provide a goal scoring touch that the Flyers could use immediately.
Hoffman is good for 20-30 goals per year. I mean just in the past two seasons alone he has tallied 65 goals (36 in 2018-19, 29 in 2019-20). He would be a great addition to the Flyers lineup offensive wise. With still being left on the market maybe Flyers’ General Manager Chuck Fletcher could get his services for under $5 million a year. Fletcher has indicated that he doesn’t want to add players with term this offseason, and that is what Hoffman is looking for.
His weakness, however is defense. Hoffman focuses more on the offensive side of the game, as opposed to defense. Could Head Coach Alain Vigneault get Hoffman to hone in on his defensive skills? Maybe, anything is possible, but the question remains would Fletcher like to lock up Hoffman long-term.
Anthony Duclair
Again another player that knows how to put the biscuit in the basket. Duclair tallied 23 goals last year, and has potted 31 goals in his last 87 games played for that matter. He has good speed, to top off with a scoring touch.
Duclair is speedy enough, but he tries to be too flashy in rushes. He’s not a selfish player, as he can dish the puck with the best of them, but sometimes he tries to do too much thus forcing an unnecessary turnover. Combined with this being his sixth NHL team since the 2014-15 season, I would think Fletcher would steer clear from Duclair.
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Matt Martin
Martin is a pest, and one player that every fan hates but would love to have him on your team. He can pot some big goals, but he is good with his craft of getting under the opponents skin.
In a previous article, I wrote about him being an under the radar signing that Chuck Fletcher could make if he came cheap enough. Yes, Martin wants to stay in Long Island, however, it is now October 30 and Martin has yet to re-sign. Martin made $2.5 million last season, maybe Fletcher could sign him to a one-year $1.5-2 million deal.
The 31-year-old in Martin would add some physicality and toughness to the Flyers lineup. Gone are the days that Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny would be in the box for five minutes for fighting. Enter Martin, a player that would stick up for any one of his teammates, and do so admirably.
Corey Perry
Perry most likely wants to stay in the Western Conference, and probably wants to re-sign with the Dallas Stars eventually. However, the longer he is on the market the more uncertainty he is faced with. There is a lot of money uncertainty right now due to Covid-19, especially with the uncertainty of fans in the arenas when the season begins with the target date as of now being January 1, 2021.
If Fletcher makes an attractive offer to Perry, then the Flyers could steal Perry from the Stars or other teams that are looking to add toughness and grit into their lineup. As I previously wrote, Perry can pot big goals, and go pound for pound with the best of them. Perry is a 6’3, 206 pound juggernaut that isn’t afraid of anyone. He is unliked throughout the league for sure by most fans, as he is a pest. However, he can pot big goals and draw penalties at key times.
The Flyers lacked toughness and grit in the 2020 playoffs, and we saw some Flyers players being pushed off the puck, losing forecheck battles thus giving their opponents more time puck possession wise. The thing is a team would have trouble scoring if they don’t have the puck. This is what we witnessed this past playoffs. Who knows maybe Fletcher will add one of these players on this list, as he may have one more left in the tank this offseason.
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