Now that the offseason is in full swing for the Flyers, the first order of business for them from now until late June, when the Draft and free agency are set to take place, is addressing potential free agents.
GM Ron Hextall has already spoken about many of these players, but the hard work is still to be done. Completing deals with the players he wants to keep in the Orange and Black while walking a fine line on financing is a difficult task, especially since the Flyers will need insurance in the event that some of their young prospects still aren't ready for the leap to the NHL as many expect.
Here is the list of Flyers free agents, both restricted and unrestricted, and the stay or go plan the Flyers should take for all of them.
Restricted Free Agents
Brayden Schenn – After a career year, make no mistake about it, Brayden Schenn is going to get paid. The Flyers will almost certainly lock up Schenn, likely for the long-term, after his output of 26 goals and 59 points. As one of the team's top scorers, trailing only Wayne Simmonds, the Flyers top priority prior to the Draft and free agency, when they'll be looking to potentially add, is keeping Schenn.
Nick Cousins – There was a lot to like about Nick Cousins in the much smaller sampling of his play as compared to other players on the roster who are what they are. Cousins is a hard worker, constantly trying to better his game. He showed touches of scoring that could make him a very solid bottom-six forward down the road. While the Flyers shouldn't jump the gun on his development, a safe two-year deal in the NHL should be the reward of a solid rookie season with a lot of growing left to do.
Jordan Weal – Once he was acquired, the Flyers had a piece they did not want to chance losing on waivers for nothing. If the Flyers aren't opening up a spot for a player like Travis Konecny this offseason, they should potentially look for a place to play Weal. A four-game look at him during the season is far too short to evaluate what the Flyers have in him. He deserves every chance to play and show if he's capable of bringing a very strong offensive ability at the AHL to the next level.
Radko Gudas – The Flyers are certainly going to look to make a new deal with Gudas, and again, this may potentially be long-term. Gudas became a very reliable defenseman down the stretch of the season and was as physical as they come. Once he started to display his smarts instead of goonish behavior that landed him in hot water with the NHL's Department of Player Safety and the Flyers front office, he was as valuable as they come. With players like Sam Morin, Robert Hagg and Travis Sanheim still a year or so away and spots opening up with expiring contracts next season to Mark Streit and Nick Schultz, the Flyers could hold onto Gudas with Michael Del Zotto as the veterans on a young, up-and-coming blue line.
Brandon Manning – As well as Brandon Manning played filling in for injured defensemen throughout essentially the entire season, the Flyers plethora of blue liners and potential addition of Ivan Provorov could leave Manning the odd man out. Manning has played the seventh defenseman role before and may have to again. He is a more than serviceable replacement, potentially even a third-pairing player on a lot of teams, but finding a spot in the top-six for Manning with the potential addition of Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere, Del Zotto, Gudas, Streit, Schultz and Andrew MacDonald all already on the roster tells you exactly where he stands at this moment.
Unrestricted Free Agents
Sam Gagner – If the Flyers have to open up a spot for a player like Konecny or Weal, this may be how they do it. Sam Gagner became a nice bottom-six forward toward the end of the season. After having five points in his first eight games of the season, Gagner went pointless over his next 13 games in the NHL from Nov. 23 to Feb. 4. This included a trip to the AHL to rebuild confidence and refine his game. He came back playing mainly as a depth player and on the second power-play unit, and had a stretch where he picked up eight points in 13 games. But he had just two points in the final 15 games and two more in the six-game series with the Capitals, fading down the stretch. As much as he deserved the chance this season, his cap hit was simply too much for his production. The Flyers would be better suited seeing what they could get out of Weal or Konecny at a much smaller cap hit.
Ryan White – Here's the thing with Ryan White: don't read into the numbers. Yes, White had as much production as Gagner did this season and more goals — 11 goals and 16 points for White as compared to eight goals and 16 points for Gagner — but in a fourth-line role and fill-in on the power play, that will likely not be sustained. But White should still return because of his camaraderie with the rest of the fourth line of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Chris VandeVelde. This is the only line for the Flyers offense that remained consistent throughout the season, and White was easily the most productive of the trio in the offensive zone. He's another player that has to watch his physical side because it got him into trouble at times, but that gritty edge that he brings was lacking from other players. To take more of that away from a team that desperately needs as much as it can get would only hurt them moving forward. That said, White doesn't have the same long-term future with the Flyers that Schenn or Gudas seem to, but for now, he's a necessary piece for the Flyers to keep.
Evgeny Medvedev – As Hextall has already said, Medvedev is not on the Flyers radar for a return. The 33-year-old Russian blue liner got lost in the shuffle due to his struggles to adjust to the North American game, and as Manning started to succeed and Gostisbehere took the NHL by storm, Medvedev was left watching more than playing.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
