The Philadelphia Flyers believe that their new head coach, Rick Tocchet, will help them attract key players and free agents in the coming years, but what does that look like in practice? And will any Vancouver Canucks be among them?
The Canucks, after having already lost J.T. Miller and Tocchet this year, are staring down the barrel of a long and grueling rebuild if they cannot rally behind and keep captain Quinn Hughes beyond his contract expiry date of July 1, 2027.
Therefore, we could be seeing a lot of changes in Vancouver over the coming months and years. The Flyers, as an up-and-coming team and one of the NHL's youngest, can take advantage of some of the roster turnover out West.
The Flyers have $2.5 million in cap space at the time of this writing, and while they will have to re-sign integral youngsters like Cam York, Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, and, potentially, Jakob Pelletier, they will also have Cal Petersen, Tony DeAngelo's buyout, and Andrei Kuzmenko's salary retention coming off their books this summer.
In short, between the cap space and draft capital, the Flyers will have sufficient breathing room to be active in the NHL trade market and in free agency.
Who, or what, can the Flyers get with that? And which connections between Tocchet and the Canucks should be tapped?
No. 1: C Pius Suter, C, UFA 2025
The Flyers' center depth is looking mighty thin these days to say the least. Behind Sean Couturier is a pending RFA in Cates and Ryan Poehling, who was reportedly on the table for a trade with the New Jersey Devils a few months ago.
After them, options include Latvian journeyman Rodrigo Abols, 18 year old prospect Jett Luchanko, and rookie Karsen Dorwart.
That's where the 28-year-old Pius Suter comes into play.
After losing Scott Laughton in the Toronto Maple Leafs trade that ultimately yielded Nikita Grebenkin and a 2027 first-round pick, the Flyers could opt to find another veteran center with tantamount positional versatility in Suter.
Suter scored 39 goals and a total of 75 points in two seasons under Tocchet in Vancouver, and his 25 goals this past season were a career-high by a country mile.
Flyers Offseason: Dream Marco Rossi Trade Scenario Just Became a Real PossibilityIf the Philadelphia Flyers are still assessing the trade market for their highly coveted top-six center, they will be privy to the fact that Marco Rossi is increasingly likely to be traded by the Minnesota Wild this summer.
The Swiss forward can play center and wing and filled in as the Canucks' No. 1 center after Miller was traded to New York and Elias Pettersson went down with a season-ending oblique injury.
That's the kind of value the Flyers should be hunting for in free agency, but the center market will invariably heat up as soon as Sam Bennett signs his next contract.
Suter carried a $1.6 million cap hit this season and could potentially triple that on the open market with his career year.
No. 2: Thatcher Demko, G, UFA 2026 or Trade
If nothing else, the Flyers are the one NHL team that constantly strikes out at the goaltender position in the ugliest and most heartbreaking ways possible.
Don't ask us what Sergei Bobrovsky is doing this week.
Sam Ersson has yet to finish a campaign in the big leagues with a save percentage over .900, and newcomers Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov have struggled to adapt to the North American style of play despite showing occasional flashes of brilliance from time to time.
After two seasons, the Flyers still have no idea if Ersson is an NHL starter or if Fedotov or Kolosov can even be serviceable goalies at this level over a full year.
This makes Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko, eligible for an extension on July 1 and a 2026 free agent, an attractive trade target or potential future free agency addition.
Yes, Demko did have a career-altering knee injury, and yes, Demko's .889 save percentage this season was objectively awful.
But, after regaining some of his pre-injury form and finding his game conditioning, the 29-year-old posted a .907 save percentage across his final 10 appearances of the season, allowing just 22 goals and shutting out the visiting Colorado Avalanche at home with a 25-save effort on Feb. 4
Demko has one year remaining on his contract at a $5 million cap hit and could potentially bargain for a raise after July 1, but beggars can't be choosers.
Flyers GM Teases Potential Top Pick Ahead of 2025 NHL DraftPhiladelphia Flyers general manager Danny Briere is not ignoring the possibility of selecting Caleb Desnoyers sixth overall at the 2025 NHL Draft in June. In fact, he's embracing it.
If the Flyers are desperate enough for a starting goaltender, Demko is the ultimate low-risk, high-reward option for them in their current situation, especially if a new goalie prospect is to be introduced to the NHL in the coming seasons.
No. 3: Aatu Raty, C 10.2 (c) RFA, Trade
Canucks center prospect Aatu Raty is a 10.2 (c) RFA this summer, meaning he cannot be the recipient of an offer sheet. That doesn't mean Tocchet and the Flyers shouldn't try to acquire him via trade, though.
Let's face it: the Canucks are desperate to remain competitive and need concrete roster players. The Flyers, on the other hand, are more apt to take risks on this kind of player, as they have already with Pelletier, for example.
The Canucks should be open to draft picks and/or roster players to either use or flip as part of a bigger deal for a bigger fish, and the Flyers should be square to the task on the other end of the deal.
Vancouver desperately needs speed in its lineup, which Raty doesn't have a lot of. Would a swap for a player like Poehling or Pelletier do the trick?
Tocchet will have his hands full with the number of wingers the Flyers already have, while Raty could be due for a breakout NHL season in a 3C role out of the gate.
Raty, a big, heavy center with average skating ability, a strong shot, and satisfactory puck skills, could be a nice change-of-pace option for the Flyers down the middle, and it wouldn't hurt for him to spend a few years picking Couturier's brain while playing under a familiar friend in Tocchet.
Raty showed up for the Canucks when they needed it the most this season, and a bigger opportunity with, say, the Flyers, could be all he needs to take the next step in his pro career.
OTTAWA — In many ways, it’s fitting that the only local player on the Ottawa Charge would score the first PWHL Finals goal in the city.