The Flyers’ window of exclusive negotiating rights with prospect Wyatt Kalynuk has passed, making the blueliner a free agent, tweets The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor.
Kalynuk, 23, was selected by Philadelphia in the 7th round of the 2017 draft out of the University of Wisconsin. The southpaw defenseman played the past three seasons with Badgers, totaling 25, 25, and 28 points, respectively. Since the Flyers could not come to a contract agreement with Kalynuk, he’s officially unencumbered, and, as O’Connor notes, he’s ready to see what’s out there. That said, the Flyers are still interested in bringing Kalynuk aboard, and he’s not eliminating them from the running just yet.
In profiling the class of potential free agents from college, major juniors, and Europe, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman listed Kalynuk as the third-best potential option. As such, he should definitely garner some interest on the open market.
At the time of the article’s publication in February, Pronman wrote, “Kalynuk, a seventh-round pick in 2017, looks like he has a chance to be a great value selection if the Flyers can sign him. Kalynuk is different from your usual late round college selection who is usually too slow or too small. Kalynuk has NHL size and speed. He’s a fantastic skater with a high skill level with a game that should translate. The minor quibble in his game is his decision-making can run you the wrong way at times.”