Potential Off Season Acquisitions

This was going to be a blog on potential acquisitions to fill out the Flyers roster. The cap had other ideas. It was announced on Friday that the cap would be $69 million, rather than the $71 that it was expected to be. The Flyers are currently over $200,000 over cap. Once Chris Pronger is put on the Long-Term Injured Reserve, the team will have about $4.7 million in cap space. As per the current CBA, teams can go over the cap in the summer by 10%, so the Flyers still have some space to fill out the holes in their roster.

The Flyers need two forwards, unless they want to play Jay Rosehill every game. He only played 34 games last season, so it seems like he is not a regular player in the team’s eyes. With the departure of Hal Gill to free agency and Erik Gustafsson to the KHL, the team also needs a seventh defenseman that could potentially see significant time due to injuries.

Up front, the top six is looking like Claude Giroux, Jake Vorachek, Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn, Vincent Lecavalier, and one open slot, assuming that newly acquired RJ Umberger will play on the left wing with Sean Couturier and Matt Read. The Flyer have Michael Raffl, The final players currently signed are wingers Rosehill and Zac Rinaldo. As they play a similar role, it seems unlikely that both will be dressed for the same game. Recently signed Pierre-Eduoard Bellamere was signed to a one-way contract, having previously played in the Elitserien. He is expected to fight for a roster spot.

Scott Laughton, the Flyers top prospect is also expected to fight for a roster spot. A smart, two-way center, he has nothing left to prove in the OHL. With the Flyers depth down the middle, he could potentially be a fourth line center. The Flyers like to develop their prospects in the AHL, and will most likely do the same with Laughton. Expect him to play at least half a season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, like Claude Giroux, until injuries or trades open up a spot for him with the big club.

First up, the only free agents left, restricted or not, that will likely be resigned are Jason Akeson and Tye McGinn, both of whom received qualifying offers. Both have spent short stints up with the big club. They are in a similar spot, as they will be 24 by the start of the season. This season could be a make or break, where they develop into NHL regulars or become career minor league players.

Externally, there are several possibilities. With the current cap situation, the options quickly dwindle. The players that the Flyers can afford will not likely be game-changers; more likely, they will be flawed players. These players will either be lacking in a major aspect, one-dimensional, or reclamation projects. A few forwards available are unrestricted free agents Milan Michalek, Dustin Penner, Brian Boyle, Mason Raymond, and Peter Mueller. Defensively, the available players are even fewer; UFA TJ Brenna is one option, while RFA Jonathan Blum is another.

Up front, Brian Boyle is riding a strong playoff run with the Rangers. He is looking for about $2 million a season and an increased role. He would fit with the Flyers as the perfect 4^th line, penalty kill specialist that they usually sign, however he has priced himself out of the Flyers’ range with his demands.

Milan Michalek and Dustin Penner are both are on the downswing of their careers. Michalek was stagnant in Ottawa until the put him on a like with Ales Hemsky when they acquired him. He was a scoring left winger with speed; something that the Flyers need. He has never scored less than 17 goals when playing a full season. However, the question is: is he still a 15-20 goal scorer? At only 29, he still has some gas left in the tank, but Ottawa’s not resigning him raises red flags. He could be a good player until some prospects are ready, but he may go to Arizona, to play with his brother.

Penner is big. More accurately, he is huge. He would be the biggest player on the Flyers, with only Luke Schenn and Nicklas Grossmann in his weight class. Like those players, his skating and speed are not good and will not get better. The 31 year old also has conditioning concerns. Despite this, he has talent. In half of his 8 NHL seasons he has scored more than 20 goals. He is the most recent player to change teams via an offer sheet, so he was coveted by other teams at one point.

Mason Raymond is player that the Flyers could target. Capitalizing on a try-out contract offered by the Maple Leafs last season, Raymond earned a guaranteed contract this time around. He is a speedy, offensive left winger that could play a scoring role or checking role, depending on the team’s need. This is the type of player that needs to be a high priority for the Flyers.

On the defensive side of the puck, the Flyers need a seventh defenseman. They could also use a top-six defender if they move out some salary in Grossman, Schenn, or Andrew Macdonald. Their defense is severely lacking offensive-minded players. Only Mark Streit at 36 and Kimmo Timonen at 39 can be considered offensive-minded. The Flyers tried to solve this when they signed Shea Weber to an offer sheet, but Nashville matched it. With the majority of front-loaded signing bonus paid out, Nashville have no reason to trade him and less of a reason to trade him to the Flyers.

If the Flyers want to go the offer sheet route again, they could sign Jonathon Blum of the Minnesota Wild. He is buried in their depth chart and has been surpassed by more talented, more recently drafted players. He has been tendered a qualifying offer by the Wild, so they would be entitled to compensation. The former Nashville first round pick has yet to establish himself as an NHL regular, however he has the talent. He is more NHL ready than the Flyers prospects and could be the type of low-risk/high-reward player that could make a difference.

Local player TJ Brennan is a UFA, most recently with Toronto. He has been a force in the AHL, scoring 25 goals as a defenseman. It is disturbing that he has been unable to crack the NHL roster of three different teams, including the powerhouse Florida Panthers. The former Moorestown, NJ resident was a high pick in his draft year, going 31^st overall. He could also be a low-risk/high-reward player that would not require a large cap hit.

Unless the Flyers make a massive trade, their options are very limited. Expect a quieter free agency from the Flyers. There are rumors about Evander Kane and Dustin Byfuglien from Winnipeg, but they would require multiple pieces going the other way, most likely including Brayden Schenn and Braydon Coburn. Ryan Johansen from Columbus is unhappy with his team and their contract offer. The Flyers tried to acquire him in the Jeff Carter trade, but the Blue Jackets were unwilling to part with him. He wants a long-term deal, while the team wants a bridge deal. The Flyers like to make a splash, but the best move may be the smaller move this season.