On the eve of free agency, the Philadelphia Flyers seemed poised to be active participants for the first time in years. Not since the Paul Holmgren era have the Flyers so heavily linked to potential UFAs. That is in large part thanks to current general manager Chuck Fletcher, who seems to have made it his mission to completely revamp the roster from top to bottom. He was extremely unhappy with how the season unfolded and realized the current group couldn’t return for yet another mediocre run. He shipped off Shayne Gostisbehere, Jakub Voracek, Phil Myers, Nolan Patrick, Robert Hagg, a first-round pick, 2 second-round picks, and a seventh-round pick to gain Ryan Ellis, Cam Atkinson, and Rasmus Ristolainen. On top of all that, he added Keith Yandle on a one year deal worth 900K, which was yet another shrewd move to add more depth to his defense.
Even after making all those trades, Chuck Fletcher wasn’t shying away from letting everyone know what else needs to be addressed come Wednesday. He will be in the market for a more reliable backup goalie who can play at least 30-35 games and a bottom 6 forward, most likely a third-line center. The way he orchestrated his trades can lead us to believe that he won’t be wasting any time once the free agency window opens up. For all we know, he might even have a contract or two locked up before the clock strikes 12, ala James van Riemsdyk.
As usual, cap space is an endless problem facing the Flyers. They currently have a little under 11 million in free cap space but have yet to re-sign notable restricted free agents Carter Hart, Travis Sanheim, and to a lesser degree David Kase and Connor Bunnaman.
Suffice to say, Travis Sanheim will get a slight bump from the 3.25 million he recently came off of. As for Carter Hart, his pending deal is more up in the air because of his potential but partially also due to last season’s inconsistency. Not many rumors have been leaked for either player but if they both take shorter-term deals/bridge deals, the Flyers should have under 5 million left to spend. Teams can spend 10% over the salary cap during the off-season but they have to become cap compliant before the regular season starts.
After all the trades that Chuck Fletcher completed, the largest piece missing this off-season has become finding the right back-up goalie. The Flyers have had Brian Elliott for years and even though he played above average at times, his caliber of play wasn’t enough to extend him once more this off-season. Once Elliott plays more than 20-25 games, you start to notice the cracks. His rebound control, his positioning, and his reflexes all go downhill once he reaches a certain amount of games. The NHL has become a league where 1A/1B tandems are spreading like wildfire and after the season the Flyers just had, it’s painfully obvious that they need to find the right goalie to back up Carter Hart.
Luckily for the Flyers, they have an assortment of riches to choose from this summer. The likes of Phillip Grubauer and Linus Ullmark, who are both expected to get paid handsomely this year, can be almost expected to be counted out of the Flyer’s cards. Both Grubauer and Ullmark are starting goalies and aren’t looking for short-term deals, both of which don’t check off any boxes for the Flyers. The best route would be between the trio of Jonathan Bernier, Jaroslav Halak, and James Reimer. All three veterans have played their parts in successful tandems, understand their current role and position, and wouldn’t break the bank.
Playing for the Detroit Red Wings was no easy task but Bernier made the best out of a difficult situation and had pretty good peripheral stats. His 9-11-1 record was a lot better than his counterpart’s record of 8-15-8. His 2.99 G.A.A isn’t desirable but considering the defense playing in front of him in Detroit, it could look different with another team. He did have a .914 save percentage, which exemplifies stability of some sort in an otherwise wretched season. Bernier’s negotiating rights were dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Alex Nedeljkovic but it’s recently come out that the Hurricanes offered him a low offer. One would expect him to hit the open market if the offer doesn’t increase.
The crease in Carolina was supposed to belong to Petr Mrazek this past season, but due to injuries, it lead James Reimer and Alex Nedeljkovic to get more ice time. James Reimer posted a 15-5-0 record with a 2.66 G.A.A and a .906 save percentage. His peripherals weren’t eye-popping, especially considering how stout the Hurricanes defense was, but it’s still well above average for a backup goalie. He did also have a run as a starting goalie with the Toronto Maple Leafs. With Mrazek, Bernier, and Reimer all pending UFAs, the Carolina Hurricanes have to decide who they intend to extend before Wednesday. Mrazek is still upset with being supplanted in the playoffs by the surprisingly departed Nedeljkovic, Bernier was low-balled an offer, and Reimer was expected to move on anyways. If Bernier is no longer an option, Reimer would fit nicely behind Carter Hart.
Jaroslav Halak has been around the league for a long time and wherever he’s gone, good hockey has followed. He’s had a few years where he was the clear-cut number one goalie but for the most part, he has played in tandems. Most recently, he was backing up Tuukka Rask, and even though his numbers were a bit pedestrian, his last three years in the gold and black should speak for itself. As the backup in Boston, he played in 90 games, went 49-23-14, and posted a 2.40 G.A.A and a stellar .918 save percentage. At 36 years old he may still have a few years left in the tank and would provide the veteran leadership that the Flyers crave and Hart desires.
Other options could include Laurent Brossoit, Antti Raanta, and Braeden Holtby, but the latter would have to be a trade unless the Vancouver Canucks buy out his contract. Whatever the case may be, the Flyers should have Bernier, Halak, and Reimer at the top of their list. Unless a bidding war ensues, they should be able to comfortably sign one of them at a relatively cheap cost. Because there are so many available this summer, the cost of acquisition might not be as high as in previous seasons. The demand is always high for a reliable backup goalie but there should be enough to satiate every team’s needs.
Fletcher has been aggressive over the last few weeks and there is little doubt that his newfound attitude will change come Wednesday. Many can argue that he overpaid for his new acquisitions but a change was necessary and the new players will have large roles to play for the present and future. He hasn’t shied away from his demands and we know that he’s in the market for a top backup goalie and more depth pieces upfront. It’s debatable but this seems to be the off-season where everything is going Philadelphia’s way and it shouldn’t be any different once the free agency window opens up.
