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Nolan Patrick Re-Signs With Philadelphia Flyers

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Philadelphia Flyers forward Nolan Patrick has accepted his qualifying offer of $874,125 according to PuckPedia, meaning he will sign a one-year contract for the total. Patrick was a restricted free agent without arbitration rights and could not sign an offer sheet, essentially taking any leverage he had away.

That’s not to say Patrick really could have demanded much more, even though he did find some success as a young player. The 22-year-old missed the entire 2019-20 season with a migraine disorder, one that the Flyers supported him throughout. He’s been back skating for months and is hopeful to be ready for the start of the season, but until that actually happens it is impossible to tell how he will respond.

A one-year deal at the reduced salary was the obvious choice for the Flyers, who still don’t exactly know what they have in Patrick. Selected second overall in 2017 behind New Jersey’s Nico Hischier, the big WHL forward scored 13 goals in each of his first two NHL seasons. While that wasn’t an outstanding total for such a highly drafted prospect, it also proved he could handle himself at the NHL level and established himself as a core piece in Philadelphia.

Now, more than a year and a half removed from his last NHL game, Patrick will have to re-establish himself completely and prove he can still be that core piece that the team believed in. He’ll be a restricted free agent again next offseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Tyson Foerster

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The Philadelphia Flyers have done some quick paperwork with their top draft selection, inking Tyson Foerster to a three-year entry-level contract. Foerster was selected 23rd overall in last week’s draft and received some effusive praise from his general manager Chuck Fletcher:

Tyson obviously has a lot of offensive gifts. He can shoot the puck tremendously well. Goal scorer. Playmaker. Great hockey sense. Really good size. He’s got a lot of attributes. I think the good thing about Tyson was very good with self-awareness, of his strengths and the areas that he needs to improve. He’s worked very hard on those areas during the pause. We expect he’ll continue to develop into a pretty good player.

Foerster, 18, is a big, talented winger from the OHL that scored 36 goals in his second year of junior and earned himself a chance to join what has become a strong prospect group in Philadelphia. He’ll be headed back to the Barrie Colts should the OHL ever get their season off the ground, but is now officially part of the Flyers organization.

The three-year contract will not kick in this season unless Foerster somehow makes the NHL team out of camp, and even then he would have to play in ten games before losing his slide eligibility. That’s very unlikely at this point, meaning this deal won’t actually expire in 2023, but rather 2024 or even 2025.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Erik Gustafsson

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Another top free agent defenseman is off the board. After being linked to several of those blue liners who have been signed or traded so far this off-season, the Philadelphia Flyers have found their man. The team has announced a one-year, $3MM contract with Erik Gustafsson. At No. 19 overall, Gustafsson was the second-ranked left defenseman among PHR’s Top 50 UFA’s.

Gustafsson, 28, has a high ceiling and a low floor, making the one-year term on his deal a smart play by the Flyers. In 2018-19, Gustafsson was an offensive dynamo, recording 17 goals and 60 points for the Chicago Blackhawks. He logged 22:35 of ice time per night in 79 games, was one of the top power play quarterbacks in the league, and even accumulated high totals in blocked shots and hits. However, he regressed substantially this past season. Gustafsson played in 66 games between the Blackhawks and Calgary Flames, managing only six goals and 29 points. His ice time fell off, his power play efficiency declined, and he was ineffective defensively. Following the trade to Calgary in particular, Gustafsson failed to score a goal in the regular season or postseason, saw limited even strength ice time, and was a complete non-factor defensively.

Gustafsson may return to form in Philadelphia, but that will likely rely heavily on his opportunity on the power play. With a number of talented defensemen with offensive instincts, Gustafsson may need to fight for a spot on the top unit, especially if Shayne Gostisbehere – also a power play specialist – remains on the roster. If his performance does not warrant such a role, it will cap his offensive potential. Gustafsson will likely need to be sheltered defensively as well, another reason why the Flyers have to hope that his offense returns.

Given their fair amount of cap flexibility, the Flyers could take the risk on Gustafsson to fill out their blue line. On offensive ability alone, he may end up being a bargain or at the very least a valuable specialist. However, there is just as good a chance that his power play dependency and lack of a complete game could make $3MM hurt down the line if the Flyers are looking to add. Again, a one-year flier was the way to go in this case.

Flyers Sign Zayde Wisdom To Entry-Level Contract

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The Philadelphia Flyers have worked quickly to sign a recent draft selection. The team has announced that 2020 fourth-round pick Zayde Wisdom has signed his entry-level contract. It is a three year deal with an $826K cap hit and the following salary breakdown, according to CapFriendly:

2020-21: $700K base salary and $92.5K signing bonus ($70K minors)
2021-22: $750K base salary and $92.5K signing bonus ($70K minors)
2022-23: $750K base salary and $92.5K signing bonus ($70K minors)

Wisdom, 18, is likely to return to the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs, in which case his ELC could slide. Playing another year or two in junior doesn’t mean that the Flyers don’t see the skilled forward as a promising prospect though – in fact, quite the opposite. Philadelphia traded up to the top of the fourth round to select Widsom, who finished second in goals and points for the Frontenacs last season, improving greatly on his previous season’s totals.

In the Flyer’s press release, GM Chuck Fletcher again reiterated the team’s excitement to have Wisdom. “Somewhat surprising to us, Wisdom was still available in the late third and we scrambled to try to pick up an extra pick there to select him,” said Fletcher. “I think he’s got an understated skill level. His hands are pretty good. He has a good shot. He has good instincts. He goes to the right places on the ice. When you combine that with his relentless pursuit of pucks, his ability to forecheck and finish checks, it’s a pretty attractive package.”

 

Flyers Sign Derrick Pouliot

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The Philadelphia Flyers have added some defensive depth to their system, announcing (Twitter link) the signing of defenseman Derrick Pouliot to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K.

Pouliot, 26, is a cautionary draft story for those who believe their top-10 picks are destined to be impact players at the NHL level. In 2012, after Alex Galchenyuk was taken third overall by the Montreal Canadiens, seven consecutive defensemen were taken. All of them came with huge potential and huge expectations, and many—Morgan Rielly, Hampus Lindholm, Matt Dumba, and Jacob Trouba specifically—lived up to them. Pouliot, unfortunately, did not.

Picked eighth overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Pouliot was a high-flying defenseman from the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. He had just scored 76 points in 94 games, won gold with the Canadian U18 team and was named to the CHL Top Prospects Game. He would make it to the Memorial Cup the following season and win the CHL Defenseman of the Year award in 2013-14. Things would take a sharp downturn when he hit the professional ranks however, with Pouliot struggling as a young player for the Penguins.

While he did rebound some with the Vancouver Canucks, Pouliot still has just 202 NHL games under his belt and has registered just 48 points. He spent last season in the minor leagues with the San Antonio Rampage, playing just two games for the St. Louis Blues.

Still, as a depth defenseman for the Flyers, you could have done worse. The team won’t be expecting him to log regular minutes on the NHL blue line, instead only recalling him when there is an injury. He can help the Lehigh Valley Phantoms whenever the AHL season gets underway, or be another layer of NHL experience behind their regular lineup.

Philadelphia Flyers Issue Qualifying Offers

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The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that Nolan Patrick, Mikhail Vorobyev and Philippe Myers have received qualifying offers, keeping their negotiating rights in the organization. Nathan Noel, the team’s only other pending restricted free agent, did not receive an offer and will become an unrestricted free agent on Friday.

The decisions made today shouldn’t surprise anyone, but that doesn’t mean the work is finished for GM Chuck Fletcher and the Flyers front office. Patrick in particular is a very interesting case to follow as he becomes a restricted free agent this offseason. Because he has been limited so much by injuries, Patrick is not actually eligible to sign an offer sheet and without arbitration rights is at the mercy of the Flyers. They don’t need to necessarily work out a multi-year deal with the top draft pick, though perhaps they could get some savings if they do.

If Patrick is healthy, he has already proven his worth in the NHL. The second overall pick in 2017 played in the NHL as a teenager, scoring 13 goals and 30 points in his rookie season. While that certainly didn’t blow the doors off the building, holding your own as a center in the league at that age is still impressive. Patrick returned in 2018-19 and once again posted 13 goals and 31 points in 72 games, but unfortunately, those would be the last games he played to this point. All of 2019-20 was lost to a migraine issue, and though Patrick has been skating for months it’s still hard to know if he’ll actually be ready to start next season.

If he is, perhaps the Flyers could try to lock up several of his RFA years right now at a bargain bin price. If there is still doubt in his ability to stay on the ice, a one-year deal makes a lot more sense.

Free Agent Focus: Philadelphia Flyers

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With free agency now just a few days away, teams are preparing for a frenzy of action.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  The Flyers will be entering free agency with a relatively light list of players needing new contracts but they will have a few to retain or replace.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Nolan Patrick – Technically, his designation is simply unsigned as because he missed all of this past season, he doesn’t have enough service time to technically become an RFA (that’s eligible for an offer sheet).  It’s safe to say that Patrick will be tendered an offer, especially since GM Chuck Fletcher expressed optimism that he’d be able to return next season.  However, after two relatively quiet seasons and now an entire year away from the game, it’s safe to say that the 2017 second-overall selection is heading for a cheap short-term contract until he can show that he has fully recovered from his migraines and is ready to become a part of their core forwards.

D Philippe Myers – The 23-year-old hasn’t yet played a full season with the Flyers but he has already become an important part of their back end and logged just over 20 minutes per night in the playoffs.  The sudden retirement of Matt Niskanen just opened up an even bigger opportunity for Myers to seize next season as he now stands as their top right-shot defender.  With that in mind, it may make sense from his perspective to take a short-term contract and hit arbitration coming off of what should be a career year.  From Philadelphia’s perspective, they’d be wise to try to lock him up long-term now before the cost inevitably goes up.  They now have the cap room to do such a move without significantly affecting their cap situation with Niskanen’s $5.75MM set to come off the books.  For a player with just 87 career games played (regular season and playoffs), this is quickly becoming an intriguing contract.

Other RFAs: F Nathan Noel, F Mikhail Vorobyev

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Tyler Pitlick – After a down season with Dallas in 2018-19, the change of scenery helped Pitlick as he posted the second-best offensive numbers of his career despite the pandemic wiping out a month of the regular season.  He can kill penalties and play with some edge in a bottom-six role and even with a flattened cap likely hurting the role player market, he should be able to land a deal that’s a bit higher than the $1MM he made over each of the last three seasons.

F Derek Grant – Very quietly, Grant put up 15 goals this past season, the most in his career and fourth-most among pending UFA centers.  Of course, considering that accounts for more than half of his career total, no one should be expecting a repeat in 2020-21.  But what he can provide at the very least is some strong work at the faceoff dot and an ability to play the penalty kill.  That sounds like a prototypical fourth-line center but Grant’s offensive success this season should help him stand out amongst the crowd.

F Nate Thompson – The 36-year-old came over from Montreal as a depth addition but wound up playing a largely regular role after being acquired.  Thompson has played in 13 NHL seasons and has posted a faceoff percentage that’s better than 50 in all of them.  That’s his calling card and at the very least, it should help him earn an end-of-roster spot with someone for next season with a chance to play his way back into a regular spot on the fourth line.

Other UFAs: F Kurtis Gabriel, D Andy Welinski, D Reece Willcox

Projected Cap Space

Following Niskanen’s retirement and the recent re-signing of Justin Braun, the Flyers have a little under $73MM in commitments to 18 players.  With Myers being the only notable player in need of a new deal at this time, Fletcher will have an opportunity to venture into the free agent market or take on a bit of money in a trade to give Philadelphia a boost heading into next season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Justin Braun Signs With Philadelphia Flyers

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The Philadelphia Flyers will be without Matt Niskanen after the veteran defenseman decided to retire a year before his contract expired, but they are bringing back some more experience on the backend. Justin Braun has signed a new two-year contract with the Flyers that will carry an average annual value of $1.8MM. Braun was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Friday.

Even though he can’t fill the same skates as Niskanen, this deal represents quite the bargain for the Flyers who will bring back Braun at a discount. The 33-year-old defenseman is coming off a five-year contract that carried a $3.8MM cap hit, meaning he’ll take quite the pay cut to remain in Philadelphia. The long-time San Jose Shark ended up playing in 62 games during his first year with the Flyers, recording 19 points and averaging just over 17 minutes a night.

That number could potentially increase in Niskanen’s absence, with Braun at least taking on a good amount of penalty killing work next season. He was actually statistically the team’s most effective option there, though Niskanen and Ivan Provorov logged much more short-handed time.

Regardless, Braun represents a fairly cheap option for a team looking to go on another deep playoff run next season. The Flyers were a game away from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals and could be targeting some big names with their new cap space.

Philadelphia Flyers’ Matt Niskanen Retires

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In a stunning turn of events, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Matt Niskanen has decided to retire from the NHL. Niskanen has one year remaining on his current contract and was due $5.75MM this season. That number will be removed entirely from the Flyers books, meaning they have some extra cap space to spend this offseason.

Friedman adds that the Flyers are working on re-signing Justin Braun, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. Niskanen’s retirement would move his cap hit off the books entirely, giving the team more room to maneuver this offseason.

The 33-year-old Niskanen was still a very effective player for the Flyers this season, pairing often with young star Ivan Provorov and logging big minutes for the team. In 68 games, Niskanen actually recorded 33 points, the fourth-highest total of his career and most in one season since 2016-17. Not only was he signed for another year, but he also appeared to have plenty of hockey left in him.

Taking $5.75MM off the books does have its benefits though, as the Flyers attempt to tweak a roster that came within a game of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. There is plenty of young talent on the defensive side of the puck, but the team could use some more scoring punch upfront. That’s likely exactly why the Flyers recently spoke with the Winnipeg Jets about Patrik Laine, a discussion that LeBrun believes both teams will circle back to at some point. With a chunk of cap space now freed up, perhaps that conversation takes place once again.

For Niskanen, it has been a very successful career including a Stanley Cup championship in 2018 with the Washington Capitals. The physical, two-way defender skated in a total of 949 regular season games and registered 356 points. He also racked up more than 1,500 hits and 1,100 blocked shots, laying his body on the line every night. If he’s hanging them up, it’s been a good run.

Overseas Notes: Texier, Sandstrom, Brannstrom

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have transferred the loan of Alexandre Texier from KalPa in Finland’s Liiga to Grenoble in the French professional league, where the young forward will continue playing for the time being. As Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch reports, Texier will remain in France with his family as someone close to him is dealing with an undisclosed illness.

Texier, 21, actually spent one season with Grenoble in 2016-17 before heading to Finland to continue his development. The young forward took quite an interesting path to the NHL, where he spent all of this season. Texier is still expected back in North America when the 2020-21 season begins.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers have loaned Felix Sandstrom to Vasterviks IK of the Swedish second league, where he will presumably play until things start again in North America. Sandstrom, 23, is another top goaltending prospect in the Flyers system that was the 70th overall pick in 2015. In 2019-20 he posted just an .885 save percentage in the ECHL, but there is still lots of upside in the 6’2″ netminder. Perhaps he can get things back on track in his native Sweden, where he already found success at the highest level before coming to North America in 2019.
  • Though the official announcement still hasn’t come out, Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion confirmed to reporters including Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia that Erik Brannstrom will be loaned to Switzerland until the next NHL season begins. Brannstrom is expected to play for the SCL Tigers in the Swiss NLA. Though he split time this season, the 21-year-old defenseman is expected to receive a full-time NHL role in 2020-21.

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