- CapFriendly clarified (Twitter link) that the conditional third-round pick that the Hurricanes will receive from the Flyers this year as part of the Anthony DeAngelo trade is the best of Philadelphia’s three third-round selections, not the lowest as originally believed. Accordingly, Carolina will pick up Philadelphia’s own pick, slotted 71st overall. The Flyers still owe the Hurricanes one more selection as part of the swap, their 2024 second-round choice.
Flyers Rumors
Lukáš Sedlák Signs Multi-Year Extension In Czechia
After making a short-lived attempt at an NHL return earlier this season, veteran Czech forward Lukáš Sedlák has signed a five-year contract extension with HC Dynamo Pardubice in the country’s top league, as announced today.
Sedlák played for three different teams in two different leagues in 2022-23. The 30-year-old forward signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche in free agency but played just three games before the team placed him on waivers on October 18, 2022. The Philadelphia Flyers claimed him the following day, where he recorded eight points in 27 games over two months before mutually terminating his contract with the team. This paved the way for him to play professionally in his home country for the first time, where he excelled down the stretch with 27 points in 24 games.
Sedlák had previously spent three seasons in the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2016 to 2019. However, after seeing his ice time and role steadily decrease, Sedlák headed overseas for the 2019-20 campaign, beginning a successful three-year stint with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk.
Now, Sedlák will likely play out the remainder of his career at home. He hasn’t played in a Czech league since his draft year, splitting time between the Czech U18 and U20 levels in 2010-11. He played in North America from then onwards, including two seasons in the QMJHL and three in the AHL before earning his full-time opportunity with Columbus.
In a translated statement, Sedlák expressed excitement about the opportunity:
I am very happy for the [past] six months in Pardubice and I am glad that I can continue here. I think that we got on very well with the people in the cabin and around, and I hope that we will continue our cooperation, work even better and achieve some successes. I hope to restore the confidence of the management and at the same time meet the expectations of the fans, fulfill what they expect from me and be an important part of the team. Wearing the Pardubice jersey is unreal. The way hockey fans live and push us forward exceeded all my expectations. It’s great for us players that we can rely on them every game.
Pardubice also agreed on five-year contract extensions with former Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomáš Hyka and netminder Roman Will, who appeared in one game with the Colorado Avalanche in the 2015-16 season.
Barring a very unexpected return, Sedlák wraps up his NHL career with 18 goals, 17 assists, 35 points, and a +6 rating in 192 games. He’s currently representing Czechia at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship.
Flyers Hire Keith Jones As President Of Hockey Ops
May 11: The Flyers have made it official, hiring Jones and removing Briere’s interim tag.
May 10: Sportsnet is reporting that the Philadelphia Flyers are set to name Keith Jones as President of Hockey Operations. Elliotte Friedman first broke the news this evening that will see the long-time broadcaster Jones move from the studio to the boardroom. Earlier today Frank Seravalli had reported that the Flyers were down to two options: Ed Olczyk and Keith Jones, with the Flyers electing to go with the latter over the former.
The Flyers are expected to make a formal announcement on Thursday at which time they will also drop the interim tag from Daniel Briere’s general manager position. Jones and Briere will take over from Chuck Fletcher who was fired March 10 as the Flyers were on the cusp of missing the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
Jones has been in broadcasting booth or between the benches since 2005 and is currently employed by the NHL on TNT as well as local Philadelphia broadcasts on NBC Sports Philadelphia. He is also a former Flyers player having been with the team for parts of three seasons from 1998-2001.
Jones, Briere, and company have a tall task in front of them. As mentioned earlier the Flyers haven’t made the playoffs in three seasons and have won just a single playoff round in the last 11 years. It’ll be interesting to see the path the Flyers go down and whether Jones and his management group elect to embrace the rebuild that the Flyers have desperately needed for the past half decade. The Flyers don’t have a particularly good prospect pool and haven’t been able to cash in on any of their pending free agents at the last two NHL trade deadlines. Their NHL roster is saddled with several bad contracts, and they are lacking in top end talent. If they do go for a rebuild, it will be long and painful and something that the Flyers organization haven’t had the stomach to do for quite some time.
Philadelphia Flyers President Search Reportedly Down To Two Candidates
According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Philadelphia Flyers have reportedly narrowed their search for a President of Hockey Operations to two candidates: former NHLers Keith Jones and Eddie Olczyk.
Both men currently work as analysts on regional broadcasts, with the former helping call Flyers games for NBC Sports Philadelphia and the latter paired with John Forslund for many Seattle Kraken broadcasts. They are also both analysts for Turner Sports’ national broadcasts of NHL games. Seravalli also reports that an announcement of the team’s choice is expected to come in the next few days.
The Flyers have been searching for someone to run their hockey operations department in a similar structure to what the Montreal Canadiens employ with Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes, and the Vancouver Canucks employ with Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin, to name a few. The arrangement involves pairing an experienced hockey mind as the President of Hockey Operations, typically managing general strategy and the whole of the hockey operations department, with a less experienced name to handle the day-to-day duties of general manager.
The Flyers already have former NHL star Daniel Briere installed in the general manager role, and have been widely reported to be looking for an experienced hand to help guide him, as Briere does not have extensive experience in the role of GM. Jones, 54, does not have any prior executive experience but has deep ties to the Flyers’ organization and is a highly recognizable face for the team’s vast fanbase.
As evidenced by his long career as a broadcaster, Jones’ abilities as a communicator could be something the Flyers value. Given that they plucked their current head coach out of the television ranks (John Tortorella was working for ESPN before he was hired as the Flyers’ bench boss) it is not wholly surprising that they could now fill another major front-facing organizational role with someone with television experience.
Olcyzk has similar experience, having served as a color commentator for U.S. national broadcasts for both NBC and now Turner Sports. Olczyk does also have some non-broadcasting experience on his resume since retiring from the NHL, having served as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ head coach from 2003-04 until being let go midway through 2005-06.
Like Jones, Olczyk is a familiar face for many Flyers fans whose skills as a communicator would be leaned on as the Flyers continue what has been a difficult re-tooling process.
Chicago Blackhawks Win 2023 NHL Draft Lottery
One of the most highly anticipated nights on the NHL calendar has finally arrived as the annual NHL Draft Lottery was held to determine which team would have the honor of selecting first and second overall at the 2023 NHL Draft. The 16 teams that failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs all had a chance to win the lottery, though teams can only move up a maximum of ten slots, so the bottom 11 teams in the NHL standings all had a chance of landing the top draft pick.
The results are now in and the Chicago Blackhawks have won the first overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft. They had the third best odds entering the night, but jumped ahead of the Anaheim Ducks and the Columbus Blue Jackets to win the top pick. The Ducks won the second overall pick and will now step to the podium second at the draft after entering the lottery with the best odds at winning the first overall pick. The Blue Jackets had the second best odds of winning the lottery, but have dropped to third overall.
The now official order of the first 16 picks in the 2023 NHL Draft will go as follows:
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Anaheim Ducks
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- San Jose Sharks
- Montreal Canadiens
- Arizona Coyotes
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Washington Capitals
- Detroit Red Wings
- St. Louis Blues
- Vancouver Canucks
- Arizona Coyotes (via Ottawa Senators)
- Buffalo Sabres
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Nashville Predators
- Calgary Flames
The prize for winning the first overall pick is a big one this season. Connor Bedard is slated to go with the top selection at the 2023 NHL Draft and he promises to be an exceptional NHL player.
Bedard will not turn 18 years old until July, but he did lead the WHL in goals, assists and points this past season. He scored 71 goals, 72 assists and 143 points in just 57 games. He was away from the team for a few weeks around Christmas to suit up at the World Juniors where he brought his world-class skills to the biggest stage yet. He was named MVP of the tournament after scoring nine goals and 23 points in just seven games, helping Canada claim a gold medal.
Adam Fantilli is likely to be the second player off the board at the draft, but he is an exceptional consolation prize. He won the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey during his freshman season. Fantilli scored 30 goals and 65 points in just 36 NCAA contests, showing he is ready to take the next step to the NHL immediately after being drafted.
The 2023 NHL Draft will be held in Nashville, Tennessee on June 28.
Offseason Checklist: Philadelphia Flyers
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those that were eliminated early. It’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Philadelphia.
The Flyers were hoping that John Tortorella would come in, shake things up, and help get them back into the playoff picture. While the new bench boss made some waves, they dealt with several key veterans missing the season and they weren’t able to really get into the mix for a spot in the postseason, coming up short for the third straight year, the first time that has happened for them in nearly three decades. One change of note was made late in the campaign and this offseason will likely bring more of those.
Finalize Front Office
When Chuck Fletcher was fired shortly after the trade deadline, it was decided that his job would be split into two positions, a GM and a team president. Decisions will need to be made on both fronts for who will be in those roles.
On the GM side, Daniel Briere was named to the interim post when Fletcher was let go. He is the presumptive favorite to remain in that role and considering he hasn’t been on the job that long, there isn’t much of a body of work to go off of. However, Briere has been considered an up-and-coming executive for a few years now and it seems like only a matter of time before the interim tag is lifted.
As for who will be the president, that’s a search that’s likely to take some time. Assuming Briere remains as GM, Philadelphia will likely want someone with front office experience to provide a complementary skill set. Veteran GMs Ray Shero and Doug Wilson have been suggested as possible candidates while Dave Poulin, Scott Mellanby, and Emilie Castonguay are also believed to have been under consideration. There are likely others involved as well. Finding the right person to work with Briere to lead this new direction will be critical.
Start The Shakeup
For me, the next step with this organization is: You don’t start adding players until you subtract them. I think there needs to be some subtraction.
This isn’t a quote from a disgruntled fan or reporter, nor is it one from Briere or his predecessor. No, it’s a quote from Tortorella about seven weeks ago. Of course, that came after the trade deadline so there wasn’t anything that could be done on the subtraction front at that time. Now, some of those moves can be made beyond letting free agents like James van Riemsdyk hit free agency this summer.
At the top of the list appears to be Kevin Hayes. The veteran center got off to a strong start this season, hovering near the point-per-game mark which helped him make it to the All-Star Game. However, he saw his playing time slip in the second half which also featured a change in position and the end result was a final few months that were rather unproductive. Speaking with reporters after the season, Hayes indicated that he thinks he’ll be on the move in the near future. He would certainly fit in on many teams but with three years remaining on a contract that carries an AAV of over $7.1MM, not many of those squads will have the cap space to take him on. Accordingly, it seems likely that Philadelphia will have to pay down some of the deal, take back some matching money, or both to help facilitate a move.
Then there’s blueliner Anthony DeAngelo. After a strong showing in Carolina in 2021-22, he received a two-year, $10MM deal from the Flyers to be a big part of their back end. Instead, he languished defensively and was a healthy scratch for the final five games of the season. The 27-year-old has made it clear that he wants to remain with the Flyers but he isn’t seeing eye-to-eye with Tortorella, it doesn’t do anyone any favors for him to be a high-priced scratch at times next season. Speaking of underachieving blueliners, Rasmus Ristolainen is a contract they’d likely like to get out of but with four years left at $5.1MM, such a move might be hard to make.
There was some hope the coaching change last summer would help put Ivan Provorov back on an upward trajectory to get him back to the form he showed early in his career. That didn’t happen, even with his playing time being dropped a bit to the lowest it had been since his rookie campaign. Is he part of the long-term future on the back end still? With two years left on his deal at $6.75MM, there should be interest in him if Briere looks to make a bigger shakeup.
Decide Hart’s Future
A few years ago, Carter Hart made an immediate impact in the pros and after his first two seasons, it looked as if the Flyers had their franchise cornerstone in place between the pipes. But things haven’t gone as well since then over the past three seasons. Accordingly, with a shakeup believed to be on the horizon, some have wondered if the 24-year-old could be included in that, especially in a relatively weak UFA market at the position. Alternatively, is the time right to try to lock him up long-term when his asking price would likely be lower now compared to next summer if he has a better showing in 2023-24?
Hart has one year remaining on his bridge deal, one that carries a $3.979MM AAV with a qualifying offer of $4.479MM in the 2024 offseason. For a starting goalie, that’s a more than reasonable rate. A long-term agreement would likely push that price tag past the $5MM mark at a minimum, likely closer to $6MM. Is that something that the Flyers are willing to pay? If not, the idea of a trade starts to look a little more palatable.
The challenge with moving Hart is that there isn’t a clear-cut replacement in the system. Samuel Ersson did alright in his first taste of NHL action but it’s a 10-start sample size. Felix Sandstrom has underwhelmed in his 25 NHL contests. They had high hopes for Ivan Fedotov but after required military service prevented him from coming to North America this season, it’s fair to wonder if he’s ever going to cross the pond. Without a top-end prospect in place, moving Hart would carry some risk unless they’re getting another young goaltender in return.
With Hart being signed for another year, Briere (assuming he remains as GM) can kick the can down the road and defer this decision to next season. But if it’s determined that Hart is going to remain Philadelphia’s goalie of the present and future, extension discussions should pick up soon; he’s eligible to sign one as of July 1st. On the flip side, if they’re going to shop him, Hart with two years of control probably has more value than Hart with one year of control a year from now. With that in mind, determining Hart’s future with the franchise becomes an important part of their summer.
Re-Sign Frost
A year ago, Morgan Frost was still looking to establish himself as a capable and consistent NHL forward. That resulted in him taking a one-year, $800K bridge deal. It’s safe to say that Philadelphia got good bang for their buck on that agreement as the 23-year-old finished fourth on the Flyers in scoring with 19 goals and 27 assists in 81 games.
Frost is now a restricted free agent once again but still does not have salary arbitration eligibility. Since he played just two games in the 2020-21 campaign, that year doesn’t count toward the four years required to gain that eligibility. That gives Philadelphia a little more leverage here.
Are they ready to give Frost a long-term deal? That doesn’t seem likely at this point. Instead, another bridge agreement makes sense here that buys both sides a longer look to see if he can become a consistent top-six fixture. This time around, that deal should check in around three times his one from last year, even without arbitration rights. Frost is three years away from UFA eligibility so they could opt for a two-year pact here as well which would push the cap hit a bit higher while giving both sides some certainty. It’s not as pressing of an issue as some of the more prominent RFAs around the league but Frost is the most prominent player that the Flyers will want to re-sign.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Flyers Sign Yegor Zamula To Extension
The Philadelphia Flyers have announced they have signed defenseman Yegor Zamula to a 1-year, $775K contract extension. Zamula was scheduled to be a restricted free agent at the end of this season, finishing out his entry-level contract that was signed back in 2018.
An undrafted player coming from the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL, Zamula did not make his Flyers organization debut until the 2020-21 season. In that season, he managed to suit up in two games for the Flyers, scoring zero points. Primarily playing for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Zamula played in 26 games, garnering six assists.
Last season, Zamula would fail to score again for the Flyers in ten games but did manage to suit up in 58 games for the Phantoms, scoring four goals and 25 assists. This year went much better for Zamula in the NHL, skating in 14 games for Philadelphia, and adding four assists. Once again playing a majority of his games in Lehigh Valley, Zamula managed to score one goal and 18 assists.
East Notes: Flyers, Schmidt, Phillips
The Philadelphia Flyers are searching for a president of hockey operations to join the organization and Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic laid out the criteria the team is looking for to fill the role. O’Connor mentions that the team will be looking for a president of hockey operations to lead their management team while Daniel Briere, a relative youngster in the front office, will be the team’s general manager. With that in mind, the criteria the organization are using to fill the vacant position are experience, strong communication skills and a smart hockey mind. That last one should go without saying, but the team always wants someone who can communicate better with season ticket holders and fans, as well as someone with experience to help Briere along as he learns his new role as well.
O’Connor continues to list a handful of potential candidates who include Ray Shero, Doug Wilson, Scott Mellanby and Dave Poulin. Shero surely has the experience required thanks to his resume as an assistant general manager, general manager and senior advisor roles dating back to 1993. He is also the son of Fred Shero who coached the Flyers to their two Stanley Cup wins. Wilson was the general manager of the San Jose Sharks for nearly two decades giving him plenty of experience in this type of role. Mellanby has been working in front offices since 2012 when he was a director of player personnel and later an assistant general manager for the Montreal Canadiens. He also played for the Flyers for the first five years of his playing career. Poulin’s experience involved both working as the Toronto Maple Leafs vice president of hockey operations for five seasons as well as extensive experience working games as an analyst, which checks off the communication and experience boxes.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned one of their prospects, per a team release. Roman Schmidt saw his OHL season end when the Kitchener Rangers were eliminated from the postseason by the London Knights, but his season is not over yet as Schmidt will join the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. The Lightning’s third round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft scored 28 points in 64 games and provided a big, physical, defensive presence for the Rangers using his 6-foot-5 inch and 216 pound body to win battles and protect his crease. The Crunch currently lead their Best-of-5 Division Semifinal series with the Rochester Americans 2-0.
- Detroit Red Wings prospect Ethan Phillips has found a new college hockey team for the upcoming season. According to Mark Divver of NHL.com, Phillips will leave Boston University and transfer to Western Michigan for the 2023-24 campaign. The Red Wings fourth-round pick in 2019, Phillips scored four goals and 11 points in 29 games last season.
Snapshots: Castonguay, Flames GM Search, Canucks Free Agent Needs
In the latest edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet gives an update on a vacant general manager search. He had previously speculated that the Philadelphia Flyers GM search included discussing the possibility of speaking with Emilie Castonguay, who is the assistant general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.
Now, it sounds like Castonguay will not be going anywhere. While her name did come up as the Flyers cast a wide net to begin their hunt for a new GM, Castonguay is happy where she is currently and is not looking to move on from the Canucks to replace Chuck Fletcher in Philadelphia. This past season was her first full season with the Canucks after being hired midway through the 2021-22 season.
- Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 discusses the possibilities for the next Calgary Flames general manager and points out one very likely candidate. Steinberg says the team isn’t looking for a veteran retread for the job as they have Don Maloney in place as an experienced executive after naming him the team’s President of Hockey Operations. Steinberg discusses Flames assistant general manager Craig Conroy, the most likely candidate. The 51-year-old has been in the Flames front office since 2010, acting as a special assistant to the GM or the assistant GM.
- Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet breaks down the Vancouver Canucks biggest needs this offseason, pointing to a big hole down the middle. While the team has Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller at center, there is really not an ideal third-line center on the team. He suggests the team will need to address this in free agency, possibly by signing Ivan Barbashev, Pius Suter or Max Domi, none of whom will come cheap. He also discusses the team’s need to move out a pricey winger like Brock Boeser or Conor Garland in order to create the cap space to fill that need down the middle.
Justin Braun Announces Retirement
Veteran defenseman Justin Braun has officially announced his retirement from the NHL after 13 seasons, the NHL Alumni Association said today.
A seventh-round draft pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2007, Braun would go on to play over 800 games, 607 of which came in a Sharks uniform. Braun would spend nine seasons with the Sharks, where he established himself as a reliable stay-at-home defenseman. He was then traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2019, where he spent the next three seasons before a short stint with the New York Rangers in the 2021-22 season. However, Braun would return to Philadelphia to finish his career.
Over his 13-year career, Braun scored 199 points and played in over 100 playoff games with San Jose. He was known for his strong defensive play, physicality, and leadership qualities, which made him a valuable asset during his time in San Jose.
Braun would routinely average over 20 minutes per game in San Jose but saw a decreased role during his time in Philadelphia. Things evaporated for Braun this season, unfortunately, as he registered just two assists in 51 games and played under 15 minutes per game. With his role decreasing quickly, the writing was on the wall for the 36-year-old Minnesota product.
His best season undoubtedly came at the age of 30 in 2017-18, recording career highs in assists (28), points (33), average time on ice (21:20), and hits (143).
Despite his late selection, Braun currently ranks third in games played among defensemen from the 2007 draft, sitting only behind Kevin Shattenkirk and Ryan McDonagh. He provided incredible value for the Sharks throughout his career and would likely go in the first round of most redrafts.