As we head into the final month of a regular season that will end with likely no playoffs in Philadelphia, the look over to next season and what that team can look like has started. But before there can be any additions or upgrades on certain positions in the lineup, there has to be subtractions. There could be a whole lot this summer.
The Flyers are still keen on ultimately improving for next season — maybe the most obvious statement of just about every single sports team ever — so there will be no mass exodus. Instead, it’s going to be somewhat carefully removing some more veteran players in favor of cheaper and younger options; players who could be actually still on this team when they’re good again.
Let’s take a brief look at just who the current players are who could be on their way out, for one reason or another, and not playing for the Flyers next season.
Rasmus Ristolainen
As trade rumors swirled for the last few months and teased us with the thought of the Flyers actually moving Ristolainen at the trade deadline, and getting a decently sized package in return for his services, only for him to end up staying in Philadelphia, it feels like the time has come. It may not happen if the Flyers are really firm on getting that prized first-round pick for the 31-year-old defenseman, but the asking price should theoretically be more palatable for most teams considering Ristolainen will be an unrestricted free agent after next season — one fewer playoff run for the large Finn.
Trading Ristolainen this summer just feels like the most obvious thing the Flyers are going to do, or try to do. Not only would they be getting some meaningful assets back that could be used for upgrades elsewhere, but the Flyers would be clearing up a spot on the roster that one of David Jiricek or Oliver Bonk could rightfully take with an impressive training camp. And even if neither really shine, Jiricek is going to require waivers next season, so he’s going to be on the roster regardless and would need that space cleared up.
Sam Ersson
Okay, maybe we lied that the most obvious thing the Flyers are going to do this summer is trade Ristolainen. The real truth is that even as bloggers who show up at every game, we can guarantee that there will be a new goalie in the Flyers’ crease.
Sam Ersson was really on his last chance heading into this season and even though he’s still fairly young for a netminder at 26 years old, an overwhelming amount of evidence has stacked up to prove that he’s just not capable of being an NHL-level goaltender. Since being forced into the starting role a few years ago, to even not really being able to manage being Dan Vladar’s backup this season, Ersson has essentially bought his own ticket out of Philadelphia.
We’re already seeing countless reports that the
Flyers are looking for a major upgrade to potentially be equal to Vladar in between the pipes for next season. The writing is all over multiple walls.
Nick Seeler
Nick Seeler certainly does not pose a problem being on the Flyers roster. He’s a perfectly serviceable bottom-pairing defenseman who, if there are some younger blueliners that make the jump up to the NHL, could certainly take a step back in his role and be more of an extra and rotate in and out of the blue line.
But, with two more years left on his contract and his no-trade protection expiring on July 1, it wouldn’t be impossible to see the Flyers moving on. It would be somewhat of a risk, but they could certainly think that they could get something equal to what Seeler has brought this season in younger players like a Ty Murchison, and give some opportunity to a potential longer-term player.
We wouldn’t classify this move as likely, but it’s certainly possible.
Garnet Hathaway
While we’re projecting that Seeler’s role will be limited to being a rotation guy next season, we’ve already seen that happen to Garnet Hathaway. The ever-present fourth-liner was very solid in his spot last season but after going virtually the first half of the season without a point and not really doing anything noteworthy on the ice, he has been dropped down to a player who may or may not be in the lineup on any given night.
Could he really just ride out the final year of his contract next season in the exact same spot? Well, he certainly could but it’s hard to imagine him even getting in most games with the rise of Denver Barkey and Tyson Foerster back. But again, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if for next season Hathaway essentially replaces what Nic Deslauriers was this season for the Flyers.
Sean Couturier
This one is tough. It depends on a whole lot of other things happening, but there might just be a world where the Flyers button up, come to the table with knife and fork in-hand, and eat the rest of Sean Couturier’s contract this summer.
It’s not likely, since he is still the captain and it would mean the Flyers really wanting to turn a corner in one summer, but it isn’t impossible. Couturier still has four years remaining on his contract that carries a $7.75-million AAV, and the buyout penalty would be roughly $6.7 million for those four years and then just over $500,000 for four more. Basically, the Flyers would have to be completely fine with having the financial ghost of Couturier on their cap and only get an extra million dollars on their books for not having him on the team.
Unfortunately, the on-ice product of Couturier right now is a slow bottom-six center that doesn’t really have any offensive juice. Now, that is basically every single Flyers center not named Trevor Zegras (if he is considered one), so it’s not like he sticks out as a major problem, but it would be a big turning point for this team to pull this off. It would be like ripping off 10,000 band-aids at once for the next four years.
If the Flyers do add that top-six center, and view Zegras as a long-term pivot, then there just isn’t any room for Couturier on the roster. Barring Christian Dvorak or Noah Cates going to the wing (which is already extremely crowded), one major addition that most fans have been asking for, could force the Flyers’ hand. Or, Couturier plays an entire season as fourth-line center and we all wonder just what the end of this will look like.
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