Well…there is going to be A LOT to talk about this offseason surrounding the future of the Philadelphia Flyers.
After a season where a lot of good was overshadowed by an epic eight-game losing streak that resulted in the team losing nine of their final 11 games, this upcoming offseason will be a pivotal moment for the Flyers front office. After making blockbuster moves last year during his first offseason, General Manager Danny Brière has a lot he needs to do this offseason.
Obviously, Brière has to draft well to keep pushing this rebuild forward. The Flyers possibly have four picks in the first two rounds (if Columbus decides they want to give up their second round pick this year instead of next year).
While the draft is exciting, fans probably won’t be seeing any of the players taken this year up in the NHL at the beginning of next season. With that being the case, Brière needs to be looking at the NHL roster closely. There is a lot of potential there, and the Flyers need to capitalize on it.
There are going to be tough decisions made this offseason regarding who stays and who goes. The question now is which players should stay, and which ones should go?
*Note: All players are in order of their position and cap hit for the 2024-2025 season. Those who are pending UFAs/RFAs will be designated as such at the end of their respected position groups.*
Forwards
Sean Couturier (C) – $7.75M AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Couturier had a weird year. After long rehabs during the previous offseasons, Couturier looked to come back strong from his injury plagued 2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023 seasons.
In the first half of the 2023-2024 season, Couturier looked like his old self. He played Selke-level defense while contributing on the score sheet. He was then named the Flyers’ captain midseason. Then he fell apart. Couturier got healthy scratched and was producing at a much lower rate than he had been in the past.
Looking at it all together, Couturier had a rough year. Being scratched as the team’s captain after coming back from major injuries probably isn’t the best feeling. He also might have realized that he is seemingly on the outside looking in at this rebuild as he recently hired a new agent.
Couturier has been a Flyer his entire career, is the current captain of this franchise, is a fan favorite and an incredible person, but sadly he just doesn’t fit the Flyers plan anymore. It’ll be tough to move him given his AAV and term (and especially with his NMC) but if Brière can get away from his contract he should. It would be a tough goodbye for everyone involved, but it’s time to move on.
Verdict: GO
Owen Tippett (RW, LW) – $6.2M AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Chuck Fletcher won a trade everybody!
Tippett is really good. He’s continuing to be a consistent goal scorer and his speed is elite. He just signed a long term deal with the Flyers this past season after proving he’s a valuable 1st or 2nd line wing on a team with playoff aspirations. Tippett is also only 25 years old. That contract is going to age like a fine wine if he continues to progress the way he did over his first two seasons in Philly.
Verdict: STAY
Cam Atkinson (RW/LW) – $5.875M AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Last year was proof that Atkinson has fallen off the cliff. When he first arrived in Philly, he was regarded as a solid goal scorer with good PK abilities and a motor that doesn’t turn off. Over these past three seasons, we’ve seen those skills fall off heavily.
However, even in a year where he was probably at his worst on the ice, he was great with the fans and media in Philly. Atkinson only has one year left on his deal, so buying him out wouldn’t be productive as that would just extend his cap hit. And even if he is in the twilight of his career, letting him spend one last season in the city won’t hurt anyone. He could still be a very valuable resource as an on-ice coach/veteran leader as well.
Verdict: STAY
Travis Konecny (RW/LW) – $5.5M AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
I don’t think a lot of people are going to like what I have to say about this, but here we go.
The Flyers should absolutely capitalize on trading a player at the peak of his career that really doesn’t fit the timeline of their rebuild, especially in a position that is overloaded already.
Now that that’s out of the way, there’s no shot Travis Konecny is not on the Flyers’ opening night starting lineup. He is the Flyers’ best player, and he wants to be here the rest of his career. My heart wants him here the rest of his career as well, but my head is telling me if there was ever a perfect situation to trade a player during a rebuild, it would be this one with Konecny (see the Timo Meier situation with the Sharks last season).
Konecny is nearing the end of his contract and reportedly looking for $10M AAV, according to The Fourth Period. Look, I love TK. He’s probably my favorite player on the team. I want him here for the rest of his career, but I don’t know if investing $9M-$10M a year in a RW is the smartest decision when the Flyers have a generational RW prospect who is reportedly looking to come over from Russia to play next season. That money can be better used to help the real areas of need: defense and center.
The thought process with TK is this: If he will sign a sub-$9M AAV contract for six to eight years, pull the trigger. If not, let him play the season out and if the team is out of playoff contention by the trade deadline…well…it’s probably time to say goodbye.
Verdict: STAY (No Extension over $9M AAV)
Joel Farabee (LW/RW) – $5M AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Ok, Farabee is in a weird position. He keeps getting better each year he been a Flyer, but his ceiling doesn’t seem to be as high as originally thought. He is the right age to be a part of this rebuild, but again in a position of abundance for the Flyers. He has nights where he looks like he can be a great 2nd line wing on a Stanley Cup team, then other nights you have no idea if he ever stepped foot on the ice.
He has a reasonable cap hit that won’t make it difficult to do salary cap gymnastics if it came to it, and is under contract for four more years. He’s well liked in the locker room, and his ability to be put on any of the first three lines and just mesh is valuable.
Farabee’s name is out there in trade talks, with Carolina and Florida both interested. I doubt he gets moved, and I don’t think it would be smart to at this point unless you get a young player with that has the potential to be a 1st or 2nd line center back (Nečas or Lundell anyone???).
Verdict: …STAY?
Ryan Johansen (C/RW) – $4M AAV
(Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
If Johansen is still hurt, I’m going to guess he won’t play a single game on the NHL roster next year. If Johansen is not hurt, I’m going to guess he won’t play a single game on the NHL roster next year. No need to buy him out, his contract will be over after the season is done.
Verdict: STAY (-ing up in Allentown possibly)
Scott Laughton (C/LW) – $3M AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Man, this hurts to say, but I think the writing is on the wall with Laughton.
His name has been floated in trade rumors for the past year and a half, his exit interview was extremely emotional, and he did not get the captaincy after being the only member on the team for the entire 2022-2023 season (and half of the 2023-2024 season) to have a letter.
My gut is telling me Brière told Laughton he had one last run with the Flyers this year during trade deadline. The condition, however, was that he would be moved this offseason (my guess is Toronto with Rasmus Ristolainen, but I’ll dive deeper into that later).
I love Scott, his rookie jersey was one of the first ones I owned. He was a fan favorite in Philadelphia, the entire locker room loved him, he always did work in the community, and he’s been here through the darkest days of the Flyers organization. I’ll be really sad when he’s not on the opening night roster.
Verdict: GO 🙁
Noah Cates (LW/C) – $2.625M AAV
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After an injury derailed most of his season, Cates came back and continued the trend on defense we saw from him last season. He is a perfect 3rd/4th liner. He got into the gritty areas, his defensive hockey IQ is off the charts, and he was starting to get his shots to finally go in the net towards the end of the season.
You need guys like Cates on a team. He should be kept around as long as you can keep him for.
Verdict: STAY
Garnet Hathaway (RW/LW) – $2.375M AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
If you were to look in the hockey dictionary under the word “Flyer”, you would find a picture of Garnet Hathaway. He’s a scrappy, gritty, hard-nosed workhorse that fit right in on this team from day one. He will hit anyone and anything and is an amazing forechecker and penalty killer.
The Cates-Poehling-Hathaway line was a perfect line for the Flyers last year. No way you break that up.
Verdict: STAY
Morgan Frost (C) – $2.1M AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
The breakthrough finally happened. After years of speculation on if Frost would take that next step, he did. After a rocky start to the season, head coach John Tortorella and Frost sat down and had a conversation. We don’t know what was said in that meeting, but whatever it was energized Frost and he finished the season with 30 points in his final 44 games.
Frost might have the highest ceiling of all the forwards on the roster, and the flashes he showed this season paint the picture as to why. If he can play consistently, Frost could be a point per game player in his best season. He is a fine 2C right now, and could blossom into a high-end 2C if he works on his wrist shot and stays consistent in his point production.
Verdict: STAY
Ryan Poehling (C/LW) – $1.9M AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Dear Pittsburgh,
Thank you. Thank you for not giving Ryan Poehling a qualifying offer. By not doing that the Flyers were able to sign their 3C for the foreseeable future. Poehling is a great 3C. He’s great on the penalty kill, he’s speedy, and he can score when needed.
After signing a one-year prove-it deal, the Flyers rewarded Poehling with a well-deserved two-year contract extension. His extension also might be more writing on the wall for Laughton.
Again, the Cates-Poehling-Hathaway line was a perfect line for the Flyers last year. No way you break that up.
Verdict: STAY
Tyson Foerster (RW) – $863,333 AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
The Flyers have something here with Foerster. In his first full season with the Flyers, he showed the type of player he can be in the NHL. He was AWESOME defensively, and he potted 20 goals in 77 games. He did not finish top three in Calder voting, but his play should have put him in that conversation.
As a rookie, there is only room for him to grow, and he just seemed to get better and better as the season went on. If he keeps developing, he should be the Flyers’ RW2 for the next 10+ years. The Flyers have a sneaky young core that they can build around, and Foerster is a huge piece of it.
Verdict: STAY
Olle Lycksell (RW) – $787,500 AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
When Lycksell was up last season, he really didn’t do much. He played in 18 games and didn’t feel like he contributed in any of them even though he had a goal and four assists. This wing room is pretty logjammed and Lycksell definitely is not one of the best 10 wings in the organization. The best decision might just be for Lycksell to stay in the AHL and be a B-level prospect thrown in a trade for a center or defenseman.
Verdict: STAY (-ing up in Allentown)
Bobby Brink (RW) – RFA
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Hmmmmmmm. This one is tough. Brink is a good hockey player with an incredible hockey IQ. His problem is he’s still a work in progress at 22 years old, isn’t that big, isn’t fast, and the reoccurring theme of a logjammed wing room the Flyers have made it difficult for him to crack the roster. He was up and down from the AHL all season and did show flashes in the NHL of being a good middle-six winger.
Brink might be most valuable as a trade asset this offseason to bring in a center or a defenseman. I think he is just the odd man out with a wing room of Konecny, Foerster, Tippett, Farabee, and Michkov if/when he comes over.
Verdict: GO (Trade)
Denis Gurianov (RW/LW) – UFA
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
The idea of Gurianov is much better than the on-ice product of Gurianov. His mix of size and speed makes coaches feel like they can fix him, when in reality he probably just won’t ever be what he showed in Dallas that one season.
In all honesty, I think Brière made the Allison for Gurianov trade just because he knew Ivan Fedotov was coming over and needed some Russian blood in the organization to help him transition. With Michkov probably coming over, Fedotov already settled in, and Alexei Kolosov (I know he’s Belarusian but Russian is a major language there) here as well, the need for Gurianov as the “Ambassador” for the Flyers and their Russian players isn’t there anymore.
Verdict: GO
Tanner Laczynski (RW/C) – UFA
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
At this point Laczynski is a career AHLer. He’s already 26 years old, hasn’t showed much in the NHL when he’s been up, and, again, the Flyers’ wing room is overcrowded.
Verdict: GO
Defensemen
Travis Sanheim (LD/RD) – $6.25M AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Sanheim took the Blues situation last offseason personally this year and had the best year of his career while also logging the most minutes of his career. His 10 goals and 44 points were the most of his career in either category, he was a solid partner for, like, six different defensemen this year, and he wants to be here.
Last season, everyone was wondering if the contract Chuck Fletcher gave Sanheim was worth it, and if he would even make it to the start of that contract. This season showed that he’d be a perfect 2nd pair defenseman for a contending team as long as he plays consistently.
Verdict: STAY
Ryan Ellis (RD) – $6.25M AAV (LTIR)
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
It sucks that a top-three all-time leader in points per game (min. four games played) for the Flyers had a career-ending injury. In all seriousness, I think he would’ve done really well here in Philadelphia and wish him nothing but the best. I hope he’s around the team more this season to help develop Drysdale; they have the same build and I would love for Drysdale to play the same style of hockey Ellis did at his peak.
Verdict: Is it really a STAY if he never plays again?
Rasmus Ristolainen (RD) – $5.1M AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
What’s really frustrating about Ristolainen is that the Flyers actually fixed him. In his first season here with Alain Vigneault and Mike Yeo, it was the version of Ristolainen we saw in Buffalo. Once Tortorella and Brad Shaw showed up, Ristolainen actually became a very reliable 2nd/3rd pair RD.
What makes this so frustrating is after his military service this past offseason, he just was hurt all the time. He started the season on IR, he came back and played really, really well, then got hurt again and was on IR for the last two months of the season. We still don’t know what’s wrong with him, but the fact he wasn’t put on LTIR makes it seem that his situation will be solved.
Sadly, I think he’s more valuable right now as a trade piece to a team that needs a steady right hand defenseman. That team most likely is Toronto as there was some interest there this past trade deadline with both him and Laughton. I think the Flyers make a move on draft night and send both Laughton and Ristolainen to Toronto for their first round pick.
Verdict: GO
Nick Seeler (LD/RD) – $2.7M AAV
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A lot of whining happened this season (especially from a certain duo in the hockey community) when Seeler signed his contract extension.
Firstly, Seeler deserved that contract. He completely revitalized his game and turned into a top 10 3rd pairing defenseman this year on his pair with Sean Walker.
Secondly, he isn’t even making $3M next season. His contract is for four years, and he’s only 30. He’s just a bridge defenseman to pair with Drysdale next season and maybe the season after. All he’ll have to do is be the rock on the back end so Drysdale can be a rover on offense.
Thirdly, he has an edge to him that resonates with Flyers fans. That man never takes a shift off. He goes balls to the wall every single time he steps on the ice. Oh, have I mentioned he led the league in blocked shots per game (min. 60 games played) this season?
Seeler stays. No if’s, and’s, or but’s.
Verdict: STAY
Jamie Drysdale (RD) – $2.3M AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Drysdale wasn’t great this year, but let’s take a step back and put his season in perspective. He got blindsided with a trade midseason during the Cutter Gauthier saga, had to learn an entire new system with no prior knowledge of playing it, and got injured as he seemed to be ramping up production.
His defensive partners were a revolving door of players, so he never got fully comfortable, but with an entire offseason of training and working with Tortorella, Shaw, and Seeler, we could see Drysdale take a massive leap forward. Remember everyone, he’s only 22 years old (that’s younger than both Cam York and Yegor Zamula).
Verdict: STAY
Cam York (LD/RD) – $1.6M AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Speaking of Cam York, I think he was sick and tired of the Cole Caufield talk surrounding him the past two seasons. He came into the league and was good. His play this year slipped, probably due to increased ice time, playing all 82 games, and natural sophomore slumping, but he’s shown us he can play heavy minutes and be good at it. The Flyers should look at locking him up with an eight-year extension when he becomes eligible for one this offseason.
Verdict: STAY
Ronnie Attard (RD) – $850,000 AAV
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I really liked what I saw from Attard this season when he was called up to play. He got thrust in a difficult situation with all the injuries and trades while trying to keep the team in a playoff position. The Flyers playing him and Adam Ginning on the 3rd pair was not the reason they collapsed, and that’s actually a really good thing. I think he has a real shot to be the 3rd pair RD on opening night next season.
Verdict: STAY
Yegor Zamula (LD/RD) – RFA
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I had such high hopes for Zamula. I thought he’d be a really good 2nd pair defenseman and a good power play QB when he was called up. That did not happen. He’s still really raw. You can see there’s talent in there. It takes time for defenseman to develop, but there are only so many roster spots, and if he doesn’t show any progress during camp… you can only keep a 7th defenseman around for so long.
Verdict: STAY…for now…maybe…
Adam Ginning (LD) – RFA
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What sucks is this is a ultimatum for the Flyers. If they don’t give him an NHL contract and have him on the roster to start next season, he’s going to go back to Europe. The Flyers love having veteran defensemen on the roster to help the young guys (Staal, Johnson, Prosser, Braun) but you have to be careful that it doesn’t end up blocking Ginning’s place on the team.
I think a 3rd pair of Ginning and Attard next season would be a very solid 3rd pair. They’re already comfortable with each other after playing together both in the NHL and AHL. I think you keep him on a one year deal and see if he can develop an offensive game.
Verdict: STAY
Marc Staal (LD) – UFA
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What’s really funny about Staal is that this season was actually one of his better seasons analytically over his past three or four seasons. What makes that funny is he was still awful this year. He didn’t even play much this year, yet he still found ways to be exposed on the ice. He was a great defenseman for many years, but it’s probably time to hang up the skates.
Verdict: GO
Erik Johnson (RD) – UFA
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If you told someone at the beginning of last season that the Flyers would have Erik Johnson on the roster at the end of the year, they probably wouldn’t have blinked an eye. They probably would’ve thought he had been claimed off waivers, or was a salary match in a trade where the Flyers were selling. The Flyers BUYING Johnson was not on anyone’s radar, but it happened.
Johnson was fine this year. He made some crazy plays at the end of some games where he just threw his body on the ice like a starfish, but he didn’t really have much of an impact besides being an extra body for when all the defensive injuries happened. He’s a nice guy and a Stanley Cup champion, but he should not be on the roster next year.
Verdict: GO
Goalies
Cal Petersen – $5M AAV
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Petersen is the ultimate in-betweener goalie. In the AHL, he played well. In the NHL…he had one of the worst games I’ve seen from a goalie and was just not good otherwise. He’ll probably be the AHL starter all season next year unless Kolosov steals his spot. No need to buy him out. His contract is up at the end of next season.
Verdict: STAY (-ing up in Allentown)
Ivan Fedotov – $3.275M AAV
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Well, Danny Brière already made the stay or go decision with Fedotov. With a two-year deal, the Fedotov saga that had so many twists and turns finally came to an end with his NHL contract. Is the deal a little expensive? Yeah, probably, but that was probably what the deal was to get him to come over in the first place. Plus it’s not like the Flyers need to worry about the cap anytime soon.
He was solid when playing, but you could tell throwing him right in the middle of a playoff run on a brand new team and in a new league overwhelmed him a little bit. With a full offseason of training, he could become a monster.
Vedict: STAY (-ing. Brière stole my thunder)
Sam Ersson – $1.45M AAV
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Sam Ersson was the main reason the Flyers were in a playoff spot for a majority of the season. Unfortunatley, Sam Ersson was also the reason the Flyers collapsed down the stretch. He was just run into the ground after playing so much in the second half of the season. Fortunately, he played really well in the final three games of the season and he can hold on to that this offseason instead of the collapse. The tandem of Fedotov and Ersson is probably the biggest in hockey and they could be really good together.
Verdict: STAY
Carter Hart – RFA
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
No.
Verdict: GO (directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200 (if found guilty)
Felix Sandström – UFA
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Meh, he was just a body that was thrown into games during emergencies last season. He really isn’t an NHL goalie.
Verdict: GO
BONUS: Coaches
John Tortorella (Head Coach)
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Oh, you thought this was just players? No, no, it’s the three main coaches on the staff too.
Tortorella stays. What he did last season with this team might have had him top three in Jack Adams voting if that collapse didn’t happen. He deserves to keep developing these kids. They’ve all played better with him as their coach. For all the flack the Flyers got for hiring him, he’s proved a lot of people wrong.
Verdict: STAY
Brad Shaw (Penalty Kill/Defense)
(Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Flyers haven’t had that great of a Power Ki… sorry, penalty kill in decades. They had the 4th-best penalty kill in the league, and it was number one or two most of the season until the collapse. They also led the league with 16 shorthanded goals (next closest was Vegas with 12). Shaw had Flyers fans thinking that the Flyers had a better chance of scoring on the penalty kill than the team with the actual advantage on the power play, which is unfathomable in the NHL.
Shaw has also really helped develop the Flyers’ defensemen over his years here. Seeler, Ristolainen, Sanheim, and Sean Walker all had career years under Shaw over the past two years. He seems to be the next in line for the Flyers’ head coaching job when Tortorella either retires or moves to the front office.
Verdict: STAY
Rocky Thompson (Power Play/Forwards)
(Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
Ok, wait a second. Please stop booing and cursing at your screen.
YES, the power play was awful last year. YES, the Flyers had one of the worst power plays in NHL history last year. YES, Thompson’s power play scheme should not come back next season.
BUT…
Did you see what he did development-wise with the Flyers’ young players? Frost had a breakout year. Tippett had a breakout year. Foerster had an amazing rookie year. Farabee had the most points in his career, by a lot. Konecny’s two best seasons have been under Thompson. He might be a bad power play coach, but individually and 5v5, a good amount of the forwards are all seeming to have career years under him. I doubt its a coincidence.
It’s tough because I think he’s a very good developmental coach for the forwards, and I want him here to develop Michkov, but his power play is so unwatchable it leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I think 5v5 development is more important right now for the rebuild than the power play is, so…
Verdict: STAY (but that power play has got to get better if he wants to survive after next season)
Final Tally
Stay: 17 players, 3 coaches
Maybe?: 1 Player
Allentown: 3 Players
Go: 10 Players
LTIR: 1 Player
This final tally gives the Flyers 15/16 skaters (9 forwards, 6/7 defensemen) and 2 goalies on the opening night roster next year. With some money to work with (and the possibility of Michkov filling in a forward spot), Brière has the chance to have another busy offseason.
