{"id":111993,"date":"2021-06-22T09:30:14","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T13:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=111993"},"modified":"2021-06-18T10:28:30","modified_gmt":"2021-06-18T14:28:30","slug":"2021-philadelphia-flyers-offseason-primer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2021\/06\/22\/2021-philadelphia-flyers-offseason-primer\/","title":{"rendered":"2021 Philadelphia Flyers Offseason Primer"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a shortened and hectic offseason approaches, Last Word on Hockey is looking ahead towards how teams will deal with the reality of a flat salary cap. In terms of building a franchise, the offseason is the most crucial time of the year for front offices. However, due to COVID-19, the short-term future of how this operates has seen sweeping changes. This series attempts to examine what choices teams may have to make. We\u2019ll operate going from worst to best. Today\u2019s piece focuses on the Philadelphia Flyers<\/a> offseason.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Philadelphia Flyers Offseason Primer<\/b><\/h2>\n

Pending Free Agents<\/b><\/h3>\n

The 2020-21 season did not go as expected for the Philadelphia Flyers. After a run to the second round last year, the team failed to even qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. As a result, the Flyers off-season should be active as they try to address the defensive issues that dragged them down. But before general manager Chuck Fletcher can focus on bringing in new players, he needs to manage the Flyers\u2019 in-house free agents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Relative to other teams, the Flyers actually don\u2019t have many free agents. Samuel Morin<\/a>, Brian Elliott<\/a>, and Alex Lyon<\/a> are unrestricted. Even more important are the team\u2019s restricted free agents, many of them young and promising. Starting goalie Carter Hart<\/a> falls into that category, along with Travis Sanheim<\/a>, Nolan Patrick<\/a>, and Carsen Twarynski<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Salary Cap Outlook<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Flyers will have a decent amount of cap space due to the small size of their free agent group. <\/span>CapFriendly<\/span><\/a> predicts a cap hit of around $69 million, leaving the team $12 million to work with. That should be more than enough to sign their in-house free agents. However, if the Flyers are looking to test the market for defencemen, they may need to accrue extra space through the expansion draft or trades during the off-season.<\/span><\/p>\n

Major Likely Departures<\/b><\/h3>\n

Nolan Patrick<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n

It\u2019s far from certain, but out of the Flyers\u2019 free agents, Nolan Patrick is the most likely to be moved. He had an extremely rocky season, recording just nine points through 52 games and a -30 plus-minus to boot. While the team may be willing to give him more time, it seems like Patrick <\/span>doesn\u2019t want to be in Philly<\/span><\/a> anymore. And if he truly is done with the Flyers and the team <\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span><\/i> move him, they could easily end up with a disgruntled, uncooperative player on their hands. At this point, letting him go over the offseason – whether in a trade package or a relinquishing of rights – may be the best option.<\/span><\/p>\n

Major Likely Re-signings<\/b><\/h3>\n

Carter Hart<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n

Re-signing Carter Hart should be the easiest decision Chuck Fletcher makes this offseason. Yes, his .877 save percentage and 3.67 goals-against average were among the league\u2019s worst. But Hart\u2019s season was far more challenging than it should\u2019ve been thanks to a number of factors: shaky defence, mental fatigue, and injuries<\/a>. This was the first season that he\u2019d recorded below a .910 save percentage. If anything, that should indicate that his underwhelming performance was more an anomaly than the norm. Coupled with the fact that Hart is still incredibly young and the Flyers don\u2019t have any better options in net, he should be a no-brainer to bring back.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a previous article, we constructed a <\/span>detailed projection<\/span><\/a> of Hart\u2019s contract. If we\u2019re basing our estimate on that, his cap hit would probably end up at about $2.8 million (comparable to young New Jersey Devils<\/a> goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood\u2019s latest contract). That would bring the Flyers to around $9.2 million in cap space.<\/span><\/p>\n

Travis Sanheim<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n

Travis Sanheim is another Flyer who will almost certainly be back next season. While no one on defence was great this year, Sanheim was relatively steady on the second pairing. He averaged 22 minutes per game, behind only Provorov among Flyers defencemen. At a time when the team is trying to strengthen the blue line, it would be foolish not to re-sign someone they rely upon so heavily. Evolving-Hockey<\/a> predicts a two-year contract of $4.25 million per year for Sanheim, leaving the Flyers with around $4.95 million in cap space.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brian Elliott<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n

At some point, the Flyers are going to have to move on from Brian Elliott. He\u2019s 36 years old and fresh off the worst season of his career, statistically. However, now may not be the right time to let Elliott walk. Many of his struggles this season were a result of him being forced to take on an increased workload due to Hart\u2019s regression. Elliott is a backup goaltender and is most effective when given a limited number of starts. Assuming Hart bounces back next season, Elliott could resume his typical role – and hopefully with an improved defensive corps in front of him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, it\u2019s important to consider the free agent market for goaltenders. There are very few reliable, experienced netminders with contracts less than Elliott\u2019s $1.5 million. And of those few, it\u2019s likely that most will gain value as free agents and end up more costly than him. For now, the best choice may be to sign Elliott for another year. Given his performance this season and his age, his cap hit is more likely to decrease than increase. If we assume that, at most, Elliott is extended for another year at $1.5 million, that brings the Flyers\u2019 cap space to around $3.45 million.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alex Lyon<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n

Alex Lyon hasn\u2019t proven himself to be a reliable goaltender at the NHL level yet. Still, he\u2019d be a worthwhile option to sign. Lyon won\u2019t be taking the backup position anytime soon, but he\u2019s a decent third goaltender to have around in situations where one of the top two is unable to play. Additionally, since he\u2019s fluctuated between the AHL and NHL his entire career, the Flyers could sign him at<\/span> low cost. Lyon\u2019s contract most likely wouldn\u2019t have a cap hit any greater than $750,000, which would result in $2.7 million of remaining cap space.<\/span><\/p>\n

Samuel Morin<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n

Morin is another player who has been in and out of the Flyers lineup. At six-foot-six, he’s a big defenceman who can bring grit and physicality to the bottom pairing – qualities the team\u2019s top blueliners don\u2019t necessarily have. Furthermore, the Flyers should be able to sign him for a minimum. If Morin earns $750,000, the Flyers will have $1.95 million left in cap space.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carsen Twarynski<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n

Like Morin and Lyon, Twarynski hasn\u2019t quite broken through in the NHL yet. However, if the Flyers continue to have difficulties with their forward lines, he may find himself called up for a few more games next season. Seeing as he\u2019s been playing mainly in the AHL, his value will likely decrease from his entry-level contract. Estimating a $750,000 cap hit again, the Flyers should be left with about $1.2 million to spare.<\/span><\/p>\n

Potential Free Agent Additions<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Flyers are in need of a top-pairing defenceman to partner with Ivan Provorov<\/a>. Since their experiments with in-house options this season didn\u2019t work out, they\u2019ll have to look outside of the organization. The team could acquire someone through a trade, but they could also test the free agent market.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the best-case scenario, the Flyers would somehow snag <\/span>Dougie Hamilton<\/a>, the first-pairing right defenceman for the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a>. However, it\u2019s unlikely that Philly will actually be able to get him. He has a $5.75 million cap hit, which the Flyers wouldn’t be able to accommodate unless they manage to move a player with a large contract. In addition, a large number of teams – many of whom have more cap space than the Flyers – will court him. Some tther free agents like Tyson Barrie<\/a> and Alec Martinez<\/a> wouldn’t fit the team’s needs quite as well as Hamilton, but would be easier to acquire. Seth Jones<\/a> has also been a name that’s on the Philadelphia Flyers offseason wishlist<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Overall, the Philadelphia Flyers offseason will be an active one. Chuck Fletcher will have to balance his priorities carefully as he manages the team\u2019s free agents while searching for outside players to fill out the lineup. If the Flyers navigate the offseason wisely, though, they should be able to build a strong foundation for success in the season ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n

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