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Philadelphia Flyers center Morgan Frost Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Free-agent focus: Philadelphia Flyers

Originally posted on Pro Hockey Rumors
By Brennan McClain | Last updated 6/7/23

Free agency is less than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July, while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Key restricted free agents

F Morgan Frost – In a season to forget for Philadelphia, Frost was one of the few bright spots on the team. Receiving around a two-minute bump in average ice time per-game under new head coach John Tortorella, Frost became one of the better offensive players on the roster.

Playing in 81 games during the regular season, the young forward posted 19 goals with 27 assists, putting him fourth in team scoring. Playing in Tortorella's system, Frost also performed very well defensively, earning 37 takeaways and a Corsi For % of 51.4.

The team has already kicked off its rebuild by trading Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday morning. Players like Frost, Joel Farabee and Owen Tippett figure to lead the way for the next contending Flyers’ team. This summer, Frost will likely receive a short-term offer from the Flyers, given that new general manager Daniel Briere has plenty of work ahead of him in cultivating a winning team.

D Cameron York – York seemingly forced Philadelphia’s hand when it came to calling him up full-time this season. In 20 games played for their AHL affiliate (the Lehigh Valley Phantoms), York scored one goal and 11 assists, strong numbers for a 22-year-old.

Although not playing a full season this year in the NHL, the University of Michigan product performed very well for the Flyers, scoring two goals with 18 assists in 54 games. For a team that finished 23rd in the NHL in GA/G, York also finished with a solid net rating of -1.

Already averaging over 19 minutes a game this season, York should only receive more playing time next season following Philadelphia's trade of Provorov. York’s youth, edgework, vision and overall hockey sense should have the Flyers’ considering him a building block for the future.

Other RFAs: F Kieffer Bellows, F Noah Cates, F Evan Barratt, F Olle Lycksell, D Ronald Attard, D Wyatte Wylie, G Ivan Fedotov

Key unrestricted free agents

F James van Riemsdyk – Almost shipped to the Detroit Red Wings at the 2023 trade deadline, van Riemsdyk should not be expected back in Philadelphia next season. Playing out the entirety of the five-year, $35M contract he signed with the Flyers back in 2018, van Riemsdyk’s age should place him outside of Philadelphia’s plans moving forward.

Unfortunately, the forward dealt with a slew of injuries over the life of this contract. That trend held for the 2022-23 season. Only managing to play in 61 games this year, van Riemsdyk scored 12 goals with 17 assists, most of those coming at the beginning of the season.

There are plenty of teams that will be looking for some offensive depth this summer. Interestingly enough, the most likely landing spot for van Riemsdyk might be a Metropolitan Division rival of the Flyers, the Washington Capitals. Already employing his brother, Trevor van Riemsdyk, on defense, the Capitals could surely use offensive help after finishing 20th in the league in GF/G during the 2022-23 season.

F Brendan Lemieux – Acquired at the 2023 trade deadline from the Los Angeles Kings, Lemieux arguably played his best hockey of the season in Philadelphia. Only taking the ice in 18 games for the team down the stretch, Lemieux scored two goals with four assists while throwing in 52 hits.

Given the nature of his game and that he would fit into almost every team’s lineup, Lemieux may not be a bad option for the Flyers to retain moving forward. Primarily playing on the fourth line – and likely getting a relatively low-priced contract on the open market – Lemieux is not a player who would be take away minutes from Philadelphia’s younger contributors.

As the Flyers navigate their rebuild, Lemieux is the type of player who can still provide something exciting for fans. Not a highlight-reel player by any means, Lemieux did participate in six fights this season, something that will always breed crowd excitement in NHL.

Other UFAs: F Jackson Cates, F Maxwell Willman, D Louis Belpedio, G Troy Grosenick

Projected cap space

Entering the offseason, the Flyers have around $6.8M in cap space. The team will likely use a majority of this to retain Frost and York, but should have plenty more available when those moves are said and done.

Although losing $900K in the Provorov deal, additional trades should be expected in Philadelphia this summer. It would not be surprising for the team to move on from some of their other higher-priced contracts, such as those of forwards Kevin Hayes and Travis Konecny. Briere will have plenty to do to ensure the team's long-term cap health, as Philadelphia still has five players signed beyond the 2025-26 NHL season.

*Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

This article first appeared on Pro Hockey Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

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