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More Moves Forthcoming For The Philadelphia Flyers

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The Philadelphia Flyers find themselves at the top of the news cycle today after signing defenseman Travis Sanheim to a new deal prior to arbitration. It’s an important deal for the team, as they’ve assured one of their best young players is under contract for the next two seasons.

But with his $4.675MM cap hit come some financial consequences for the Eastern Conference squad. The signing puts them roughly $650,000 over the salary cap Upper Limit of $81.5MM. While perfectly legal during the offseason, Philadelphia won’t be able to carry a full 23-man roster into the season as it stands. The good news is that the team and general manager Chuck Fletcher have two main options to become cap-compliant, but each of those carries some consequences of its own.

The easiest option would be to purely not carry the full 23-man roster with three healthy scratches. Philadelphia has three fringe players, all forwards, currently listed on the 23-man roster who aren’t waiver-eligible: Tanner Laczynski, Jackson Cates, and Morgan Frost. It’s easy enough to send one or two of these younger players down to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, creating a cap-compliant opening night roster for Philadelphia. But there’s a certain risk that comes with the convenience of the situation, most notably demonstrated last season by a similar salary cap dance performed by the Vegas Golden Knights. Since having a 22-man roster with just one of these players sent down still only leaves them with $200,000 to $300,000 in cap space, a barrage of short-term injuries could easily force Philadelphia to ice a shorthanded game roster of fewer than 18 skaters. However, if Fletcher feels as though it’s a risk he’s willing to take in order to maintain the strength of his current healthy roster, it’s still a very viable course of action for the Flyers.

The more complex and unlikely option is an additional trade. The Flyers already made one large cap-clearing transaction this summer, dealing Jakub Voracek to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Cam Atkinson. But as additional relief is needed after Sanheim’s contract, both James van Riemsdyk and/or Travis Konecny could find their way back onto the trade block. Konecny was rumored heavily to be on the move over the past few seasons after falling out of favor at times with head coach Alain Vigneault. His younger age and lower cap hit as compared to van Riemsdyk would likely make him the more attractive option in a trade for teams looking to deal. van Riemsdyk carries significant upside of his own, though, despite his age. He’s still an extremely competent scorer, potting 43 points in 56 games this season. His $7MM cap hit could be tough to swallow for some teams, though, unless it’s more of a true hockey trade like the Voracek deal.

What’s for certain is that Philadelphia will need to make a few changes before they’re ready to go for opening night. While the scale of these are unknown, Philadelphia will look to enter the 2021-22 season with a much-needed refresh to the team’s roster.

All salary cap figures come from CapFriendly.com.

Flyers Agree To Terms With Travis Sanheim

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There won’t be an arbitration hearing this year after all.  Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim was the last arbitration-bound player without a contract but that has changed as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the blueliner has agreed to a two-year deal with a $4.675MM AAV. PuckPedia reports that the structure of the deal is as follows:

2021-22: $4MM salary
2022-23: $5.35MM salary

The 25-year-old inked a two-year bridge contract two summers ago coming off a career-best 35-point season and at the time, it was expected that he’d continue his ascent and ideally become a top-pairing-caliber blueliner for Philadelphia.  That didn’t exactly happen, however.  In particular, Sanheim struggled last season, notching just 15 points in 55 games despite logging 21:53 per game (also a career-high) with some struggles in his own end.  There is no doubt that Sanheim is still a big part of their future but the exact role isn’t as certain as it appeared to be.

That’s where this deal comes in.  The two-year term basically amounts to a second bridge deal, allowing both the Flyers and Sanheim more time to assess his long-term value and role.  Notably, it also walks him to unrestricted free agency in 2023.  That’s hardly an ideal scenario for Philadelphia but when they elected to take him to arbitration earlier this month, it created the situation for this to happen as Sanheim simply could have elected the two-year term and taken his chances with the arbitrator.  They get to avoid the hearing with this contract but he’ll still be able to hit the open market in his first eligible year.

Sanheim should remain behind Ivan Provorov on the left side of a new-look Philadelphia back end that now features Ryan Ellis who was brought in from Nashville plus veteran Keith Yandle to replace the offense that Shayne Gostisbehere provided as he was moved in a cap-clearing move to Arizona.

There won’t be any more shakeups coming for the Flyers, however, at least not without matching money.  This move basically eats up all of their remaining cap space and will likely see them carrying less than the maximum of 23 skaters to start the season.  But with the changes on the back end and the addition of Cam Atkinson up front, GM Chuck Fletcher got the core shakeup he wanted and with Sanheim signing, has his full roster under contract.  Will it be enough to get back to the playoffs in what projects to be a tight Metropolitan Division?  We’ll find out soon enough once the season gets underway.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Connor Bunnaman

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The Philadelphia Flyers have signed one of their restricted free agents, inking Connor Bunnaman to a two-year contract. The deal will be one-way, but carries just a $750K average annual value.

Bunnaman, 23, has played 39 games for the Flyers to this point, but has just one goal and three assists. The fourth-round pick posted plenty of offense in his first year in the AHL, but even that has disappeared in recent seasons. If he’s to ever be an impact player for Philadelphia, it’ll have to come on the defensive side of the puck as a bottom-six checking center. A full-time position even in that role seems unlikely this season, but he’ll still probably play a good number of games as an injury replacement or rotating into the fourth line on occasion.

The fact that Bunnaman is waiver-eligible now doesn’t really make much of a difference, since he will likely clear if sent to the minor leagues. Perhaps the Flyers will use him in a similar role as last season, bouncing up and down between the AHL and NHL whenever needed. In fact, signing for the minimum actually could help his case when it comes to NHL playing time. Many of the other Flyers’ depth forwards are carrying slightly higher cap hits, meaning if they get into a crunch, the difference between $925K and $750K could be very important. At the very worst, he has secured a good paycheck for the next two years even if he’s in the AHL.

Philadelphia has just one restricted free agent left to sign–Travis Sanheim, who is scheduled for an arbitration hearing later this month.

Olle Lycksell Loaned To Sweden

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It’s back to Sweden for young forward Olle Lycksell, who has been loaned back to Vaxjo of the SHL for the 2021-22 campaign. Lycksell signed his two-year entry-level contract with the Flyers in May and will burn the first year regardless of where he plays.

Now 21, Lycksell was actually a sixth-round pick of the Flyers back in 2017 and would have seen his exclusive draft rights expire if he didn’t sign before June this year. The undersized forward has done well enough in his three-plus years at the SHL level that he was worth a contract slot though, especially after a promising 2020-21 campaign with Farjestad BK. He matched his goal and point totals–nine and 21 respectively–from the year prior, but did it in just 46 games this time. That progression is encouraging, though he’s obviously not ready for the NHL at this point.

This is a flier by the Flyers, hoping that Lycksell finds a way to overcome his size weakness and show he can put up big numbers in his fifth professional season. Though there could potentially be a place for him in Philadelphia’s bottom-six because of his positional versatility, the scoring ability will have to be there if he’s not bringing any size or physicality. With excellent hands and puck skills, perhaps he breaks out this year and really shows he can be a dominant offensive player in the SHL, but until that happens, an NHL roster spot is still a distant thought.

Philadelphia Flyers Extend ECHL Affiliation

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The Reading Royals and Philadelphia Flyers have announced an extension to their affiliation agreement, continuing a partnership that began in 2014. Along with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, Reading and Philadelphia form the “closest geographical chain of affiliates in professional hockey,” giving the organizations some obvious benefits. The agreement, which covers just 2021-22 also includes an option for the 2022-23 season.

Flyers Sign Samu Tuomaala

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The Flyers have signed one of their picks from the 2021 draft class, announcing that they’ve inked winger Samu Tuomaala to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 18-year-old was the 46th-overall pick last month and is the first player from Philadelphia’s draft class to sign.  Tuomaala spent most of last season in Karpat’s junior league, notching 15 goals and 16 assists in 30 games although he did get into five games at the top level as well.  He also boosted his draft stock with a strong showing at the Under-18s, leading Finland in scoring with five goals and six assists in seven games, good for a tie for fifth in tournament scoring.

Tuomaala is already signed in Finland for next season and since he wasn’t a first-round selection, Philadelphia will have to either keep him on their NHL roster or send him back.  Where that will be remains to be seen as he could go to Karpat or to OHL Sudbury who drafted him in the CHL Import Draft.  The loan is almost certain to happen in which case his entry-level deal will slide a year meaning that Tuomaala will still have three years left on his contract this time next year.

Snapshots: Stalberg, Wisdom, Schedule

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After a long, productive professional career, Viktor Stalberg is hanging up his skates. The 35-year-old forward last played in the NHL during the 2016-17 season and has been suiting up in Switzerland for the last several years. Originally selected 161st overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2006, the Swedish forward took the unusual route (especially 15 years ago) of playing for the University of Vermont to continue his development, passing up the opportunity to play pro hockey at home.

After three years in the NCAA, he signed and quickly stepped into the Maple Leafs lineup, recording nine goals in his rookie season. A few years later he would be hoisting the Stanley Cup overhead with the Chicago Blackhawks. In all, he played for the Maple Leafs, Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Ottawa Senators over an eight-year NHL career spanning 488 regular season games.

  • Philadelphia Flyers prospect Zayde Wisdom has undergone shoulder surgery and will be out indefinitely. The 19-year-old forward played 28 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season when the OHL failed to hold a season, and impressed everyone with an excellent 18-point campaign. Wisdom was a fourth-round pick of the Flyers in 2020, but has already shown an ability to score at the minor league level. He would be one of the players that could potentially become eligible to return to the AHL next season on a one-time exemption, even though he would normally be required to return to the CHL. That obviously also now depends on his recovery from shoulder surgery.
  • The league has announced the start times for the 2021-22 regular season, which will kick off with a banner raising in Tampa Bay on October 12 before the Lightning take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. That game will be followed by the Seattle Kraken’s first contest, taking on the Vegas Golden Knights in the late slot. The regular season will conclude on April 29.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Carter Hart

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The Philadelphia Flyers have locked up their young goaltender, signing Carter Hart to a three-year contract. The deal carries an average annual value of $3.979MM. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff provides the full breakdown:

  • 2021-22: $3.2MM salary + $279K signing bonus
  • 2022-23: $3.6MM salary + $379K signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $4.479MM

Hart, 22, was absolutely brutal this season, recording an .877 save percentage in 27 appearances for the Flyers. That was a huge reason why Philadelphia fell out of contention early, though the rest of the roster also seemed to have down years. At any rate, the team obviously still believes in their young netminder, giving him one of the biggest second contracts ever for a goaltender his age.

There are lots of reasons to believe that Hart can turn things around. Not only was he one of the most successful netminders in CHL history, winning the Del Wilson Trophy as the WHL’s Goaltender of the Year in three straight seasons, but his early NHL career was also outstanding. In his first two seasons, Hart posted a .915 save percentage in 74 appearances, going 40-26-4 for the Flyers. It was easy to crown him as one of the league’s best up-and-coming goaltenders, a calming presence in the Philadelphia net.

Now, as the team commits a rather hefty sum to the young netminder, Hart will need to get back to that previous performance. The team won’t be able to go anywhere without a return to form, especially given who they brought in as a backup this year. Martin Jones, who was once a strong starter in the league, has posted an .896 save percentage in each of the last three seasons. Unless he experiences a career turnaround, the team won’t be able to rely on him to carry the load should Hart struggle.

This deal also means that Hart will be left with an expensive qualifying offer in 2024. That $4.479MM offer will be a high price if he fails to return to previous form, especially as he will also be arbitration-eligible at that point. Because he started his career so early, Hart will actually be on track for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2025, after he completes seven seasons in the NHL.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Front Office Notes: Penguins, Flyers, Maple Leafs, Rangers

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Once a model organization for goaltending performance and depth, the Pittsburgh Penguins play in net has largely gone downhill since the departure of goaltending coach Mike Bales in 2017. His replacement, Mike Buckley, watched as young starters Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry suffered through struggles and was unable to right the ship. The Penguins have decided that it is time for a new voice, especially after failing thus far in free agency to add a veteran mentor for Jarry. The team has announced that Buckley has been relieved of his duties and former Pittsburgh keeper Andy Chiodo has been hired as his replacement. Though new to the job, Chiodo has been with the organization in a development role since 2018. He has also previously worked as a goalie coach in the OHL and Canadian college ranks. Chiodo was considered a high-IQ goaltender during his playing days and will look to take his knowledge of the game and use it to improve the Penguins’ young, inconsistent net.

  • Across the state, the Philadelphia Flyers have made some new additions of their own. The team announced that ten new names have joined the organization, five in hockey operations, two to the Flyers’ coaching staff, and three to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ coaching staff. The headliner of the group is veteran executive Mike O’Connell, named Senior Advisor to the General Manager. A former GM of the Boston Bruins, made infamous as the architect of the Joe Thornton trade, O’Connell has quietly made a very positive difference for the Los Angeles Kings for the past 15 year in various roles in scouting and player development. O’Connell contributed to two Stanley Cup champions and has now helped to draft and develop arguably the best prospect pipeline in the NHL. Among the other front office hires were Pro Scout Nick Beverley, who has spent the past 16 years with the Nashville Predators and Amateur Scout Matt Bardsley, a former GM of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. In Lehigh Valley, the team named two assistants to Ian Laperriere’s staff, former WHL coach Jason Smith former ECHL coach Riley Armstrong.
  • While the New York Rangers have lost some big names from their front office this off-season, they just poached a notable name for themselves. The Toronto Sun’s Lance Horsby reports that Toronto Maple Leafs Director of Amateur Scouting John Lilley has decided to leave the team to become Director of Player Personnel in New York. Lilley has been with Toronto since 2006, including the past three years as leader of amateur scouting and therefore the Maple Leafs’ drafts. His new title means even more responsibility with the Rangers, though Lilley will still be in charge of amateur scouting and will run the draft. The Maple Leafs have not named a replacement.

Flyers Reportedly Pull Out Of Vladimir Tarasenko Talks

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Thomas notes that Tarasenko has expanded his list of teams he’s willing to go to and at this point, he’s willing to go pretty much anywhere to get the change of scenery he so desires.  In terms of potential suitors, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period suggested in a recent appearance on the NHL Network (video link) that the Islanders, Rangers, and Devils are in the mix but others that had interest such as the Flyers have since dropped out.  Of those three, New Jersey has the cleanest cap situation to make a move for Tarasenko without needing any sort of salary offset.

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