The Philadelphia Flyers still have ground to gain after breaking into the post-season for the first time in the last six seasons. General manager Daniel Briere sat down with Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer to build on that achievement next season. He broke down the Flyers’ plans facing multiple in-season additions and pending contracts – but Philadelphia’s top item will be adding a top-six center.
The forward market is slim this season but Philadelphia could find a meaningful addition in a former star. Claude Giroux has yet to re-sign with the Ottawa Senators despite sharing his hopes to play a 20th season. A return to Philadelphia would reasonably be Giroux’s top option if he’s seeking a move. Giroux was the core of the Flyers lineup through the 2010s. He routinely received votes for the Hart and Selke Trophies while leading Philadelphia through their most recent stretch of consistent playoff appearances. Once a century scorer, Giroux potted a career-low scoring pace with 49 points in 82 games with Ottawa this season. Philadelphia will have to take that dip into account, though they could also find a bit of potential by returning the 39 year old to a daily center-role, rather than the rotating role he has filled with Ottawa since 2022.
Philadelphia could also entertain offer sheets – though Briere made sure to point out the relationship consequences that offer sheets bring. Multiple top, young centers are set to become restricted free agents if not signed by July 1st, including Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, and Adam Fantilli. The Flyers could find more realistic – and cheaper – options to fill center minutes in Connor McMichael, Mavrik Bourque, or Cole Sillinger. The compensation for a signed offer sheet between $4.68MM and $7MM is one first-round pick and one third-round pick.
Also on the list of pending RFAs is breakout Flyers forward Trevor Zegras. Briere praised the versatility that Zegras brought to Philadelphia en route to a career-high 26 goals and 67 points in 81 games. In fact, the desire to add another center is designed to shoulder the load asked of Zegras and Noah Cates. Briere said that he is not worried about negotiations with Zegras, and that Philadelphia plans to bring both he and defenseman Jamie Drysdale back into the fold. They should have more than enough cap space to fit both back in, with a projected $37.5MM per PuckPedia.
Briere was also confident about Daniel Vladar‘s spot with the team, calling him their MVP and leader through the 2025-26 season. He wasn’t as confident in speaking to negotiations with Samuel Ersson, who posted a save percentage below .900 for the fourth NHL season in a row. The Flyers would be left with prospects Carson Bjarnason and Alexei Kolosov in competition for the NHL backup role if Ersson was left on the wire, unless they sought out veteran experience on the free agent market. While the skater market is thin, there would be plenty of options for goaltending, with Frederik Andersen, Connor Ingram, Kaapo Kahkonen, and Cam Talbot all currently set to hit free agency.
Philadelphia has wind behind their sails thanks to confident steps up from Zegras, Drysdale, Matvei Michkov, and Cam York. Still, the Flyers will need a little more certainty to repeat the 98-point season that landed them in the top-three of the Metropolitan Division. Properly weaponizing their cap space this season could land Philadelphia with that certainty. That challenge will now sit with Briere and his front office, as they look to achieve a checklist of items this summer.
Could the Flyers – with their cap space, seek out a veteran option in goal to tandem with Vladar?
Demko or Lank in Vancouver? More likely the latter…but still – better than the other two options listed
(rubs his forehead) Giroux is still a decent player, but imagining that Briere would be looking at a 38 year old in decline as the answer to lineup holes is pretty farcical.