The NHL offseason is in full swing and with every passing day comes a new deadline for a team to file something or submit something to the league, or just make a decision with a certain type of player. On Monday, all 32 teams had to send qualifying offers to their restricted free agents to keep their rights — the Flyers sent qualifying offers to just four of their 10 restricted free agents. Those players that did not receive qualifying offers are now unrestricted free agents but are much younger than your typical gritty veteran who is looking for a payday.
While these are not players who truly make a difference — the Chicago Blackhawks just saying goodbye to Dylan Strome and the Washington Capitals scooping him up and turning him into a solid top-six center is maybe the 99 percentile version of this — but just role players who are on the younger side so you can dream about maybe a little bit more potential.
The Flyers certainly do have a quite full roster right now, but there are some holes that we could see them filling with some of these young and new free agents.
Paul Cotter, C
This is the most obvious one, to us. Paul Cotter is a 26-year-old center who played his last two seasons for the Devils and before that, was part of a very good Vegas Golden Knights team. Last season he scored nine goals and 15 points in 79 games, and the year prior, it was 16 goals and 22 points.
Considering the Flyers are looking for more depth down the middle, so much so that they are considering bringing back Luke Glendening in free agency, Cotter could give them a little bit of that. We doubt he would ever play above Sean Couturier as the team’s fourth-line center, but as a 13th forward, or someone who is sent down to the AHL and then brought up as insurance down the middle to keep them from playing someone like Jacob Gaucher or bringing up young prospects in important games — it can make a lot of sense.
Cotter profiles as not a crazy good playdriver, as he’s had an on-ice shot attempt share above 50 percent for just one of his five seasons. But, with a big-time scoring touch for such a depth player, giving up a little bit of possession for someone that can put the puck in the back of the net, isn’t a bad idea. Even if he plays on Couturier’s wing at time, the Flyers veteran can cover a lot of that and then we can maybe have someone scoring double-digit goals on the fourth line.
Matias Maccelli, RW
This is more of a situational thing. Matias Maccelli is without a doubt the player on this list of restricted free agents who teams have walked away from, with the highest ceiling. No other player got even close to his 39 points last season for the Toronto Maple Leafs or drove play to his above-average results like he did. The only problem is that he’s a little small at 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds.
But, he’s a pure playmaker that can bring a real strong injection of offense into any lineup. Again, the only thing is that he’s small and a winger.
For the Flyers specifically, this would involve them moving out a couple wingers in separate transactions — maybe for a big upgrade on the blue line in the form of a certain Columbus Blue Jacket, or them pulling off an unforeseen trade for a top-six center. They could then turn to Maccelli, if he isn’t picked up by another team already.
Considering just how terrible the Leafs were offensively last season and how little opportunity Maccelli actually got — he rarely played in the top six and when he did, he popped — the 25-year-old left winger might be the best addition on the wing the Flyers can make this summer. And he’s free!
Vladislav Kolyachonok, LD
Vladislav Kolyachonok has been someone that a lot of teams have taken a chance on but has never really stuck. He was a second-round pick by the Panthers, was traded to the Coyotes before he really entered Florida’s organization, was claimed off of waivers by the Penguins from Utah, then signed with the Stars, and then claimed off of waivers by the Bruins last season. He’s technically played NHL games for five different organizations and he just turned 25.
But, there’s a reason why he keeps on getting a job. Kolyachonok is a 6-foot-2, speedy and mobile left-handed defenseman. Just a real solid presence on the back end and could just need some consistency to find his game. Instead, he’s always been just a bottom-pair defenseman whenever he does get his chance in the NHL. The Belarussian blueliner hasn’t averaged over 15 minutes a game since his rookie year.
For the Flyers, he’s most certainly not their idea of an upgrade on the blue line, but if he’s someone that they bring in on a league-minimum deal and try out? Then there could be something there. Rick Tocchet loves to carry eight defensemen on his rosters, so Simon Benoit can be the extra defender for some physicality and size, and Kolyachonok can be the other extra defenseman to give some more puckmoving ability to the lineup.
It is almost certainly worth a try, especially considering he grades out as a similar player to Emil Andrae but there isn’t the size concern with him.
Bobby Brink, RW
Could we see a reunion? It feels tempting. For the exact reasons we laid out for the Flyers to bring in Matias Maccelli, could they then turn to Brink instead?
It feels unlikely just because it could be awkward if they wanted to send him out again, and if they moved out Tippett or Foerster in a separate trade, it might not be as exciting if they bring back a winger fans are already knowledgeable of and we can’t really see a crazy high ceiling of him being in the middle six.
Still, he’s a hard worker and should get rewarded and the Minnesota Wild are reportedly looking to still bring him back but they were just scared of his arbitration number of $4 million and that’s why they didn’t send him a qualifying offer. By the time I’m done writing this sentence he could be brought back to St. Paul.
Jordan Harris, LD
This feels more like pure AHL depth, but Jordan Harris is an interesting option. He certainly grades out as someone with maybe a little bit more ability to step into the Flyers blue line than Ty Murchison or Hunter McDonald if Philadelphia runs into injury trouble, and that’s kind of the mindset in bringing him in.
The 25-year-old defenseman barely played last season — just eight games for the Boston Bruins and four games for the Providence Bruins — but he previously showed some solid potential when he was in the Montreal Canadiens organization just a couple of years ago.
As a flier to give a prospect like Spencer Gill a little bit more of a stable force to play next to for his first pro season? It could certainly be worse.
