Now, he\u2019s set to enter the final year of his contract, one that pays $5.1MM.\u00a0 There was a time when it looked like that deal was well above market value but now, it almost feels like a small bargain.\u00a0 Ristolainen is back to logging over 20 minutes a night with a willingness to get into the shooting lanes to block shots.\u00a0 At 31, he\u2019s still young enough to command another multi-year deal; AFP Analytics suggests<\/a> a four-year contract worth a little over $6MM could make sense.\u00a0 In this market, that feels like a reasonable move for the Flyers to make which would presumably take him out of that trade speculation.<\/p>\n On the other hand, there is an expectation that the trade market will be more robust this year so maybe now is the time to get a trade done.\u00a0 The acquiring team would get a full year out of Ristolainen while if they need to move money to make room, it\u2019s generally easier to do so now than this time a month from now, for example, or in-season.\u00a0 Making a move now could open up a spot for the Flyers to look for a replacement in free agency if one didn\u2019t come back as part of the trade package.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t a decision they necessarily have to make over the next week or two.\u00a0 But there are some options for Briere to investigate that could help shape their planning so if he hasn\u2019t been doing so already, it will be time for him to start.<\/p>\n New Deals For Key RFAs<\/p>\n The Flyers have made a pair of notable moves with Anaheim in recent years, bringing in a pair of core players in defenseman Jamie Drysdale<\/a> and forward Trevor Zegras<\/a>.\u00a0 Their bridge contracts \u2013 ones that took a long time to get done when they were still with the Ducks \u2013 are now expiring, leaving them both as restricted free agents with arbitration rights this summer.\u00a0 With over $32MM in cap space per PuckPedia<\/a>, all options will be available to the team in these discussions.<\/p>\n As for Zegras, the change of scenery last summer worked probably better than the Flyers would have hoped for.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t just rebound after a rough 2024-25 year; instead, he put up a career year offensively, one that saw him produce 26 goals and 41 assists in 81 games to finish one point behind Travis Konecny<\/a> for the team lead.\u00a0 That flipped in the playoffs with Zegras leading the way, one point ahead of Konecny.\u00a0 While playing down the middle didn\u2019t exactly work, the 25-year-old made things work on the wing and now it looks like he has a chance to be a fixture for a while.\u00a0 AFP Analytics pegs<\/a> a five-year deal surpassing the $8MM mark in AAV which would be a multi-million-dollar jump from his expiring contract.<\/p>\n The challenge here is if the Flyers aren\u2019t ready to commit these types of pricey deals or the two sides are too far apart.\u00a0 Both Drysdale and Zegras are two years away from UFA eligibility.\u00a0 If talks don\u2019t go well and Philadelphia files for arbitration, both players could (and likely would) elect two-year awards to take them to the open market, giving them a bigger hammer in negotiations.\u00a0 So, Briere\u2019s options might be a one-year second bridge contract or the long-term pact.\u00a0 They have a lot to work through over the next couple of weeks with these two.<\/p>\n Search For An Impactful Offensive Center<\/p>\n Last offseason, Briere certainly attempted to address the center position.\u00a0 He brought Zegras in, who was a natural middleman but again, that didn\u2019t go so well in Philadelphia.\u00a0 Meanwhile, he brought Christian Dvorak<\/a> over in free agency, signing him to a one-year deal that looked like an overpayment at the time.\u00a0 He wound up having a career year himself, picking up 51 points while signing a new five-year deal that was only slightly cheaper than the $5.4MM he made this season.\u00a0 Both moves worked out rather well for the Flyers.<\/p>\n However, the need for an impactful offensive middleman still remains.\u00a0 Zegras might be a top-liner for them long-term but it will probably be on the wing.\u00a0 Dvorak did about as well as expected in a top-line role but that\u2019s not the best fit for him in the long run.\u00a0 After being a third-liner for most of his career, he\u2019s probably not going to be the offensive anchor either.\u00a0 Meanwhile, Noah Cates<\/a> is more of a secondary producer while Sean Couturier<\/a>\u2019s best days are behind him at this stage of his career.<\/p>\n The Flyers have amassed a decent prospect pool of centers as well.\u00a0 Jett Luchanko<\/a> has already had a couple of brief NHL looks while Jack Nesbitt<\/a> and Cole Knuble<\/a> have some upside as well.\u00a0 But, again, none of them really profile as legitimate number one options either.<\/p>\n As has been well-documented, there isn\u2019t exactly a surplus of established high-end centers out there on the trade market while there aren\u2019t any in unrestricted free agency.\u00a0 But we saw the impact of raising the ceiling at that position last summer, even with Zegras landing on the wing.\u00a0 Doing that again will be easier said than done but it would certainly give them a significant boost heading into next season.<\/p>\n Find Power Play Help<\/p>\n 32nd, 30th, 32nd, 32nd, and 32nd.\u00a0 This is where the Flyers ranked in terms of power play percentage over the last five seasons.\u00a0 Cumulatively over that span, you can probably guess where they rank as well.\u00a0 This isn\u2019t just a short-term sort spot but rather a long-term problem.\u00a0 Over that time, most of the roster has turned over but it hasn\u2019t gotten any better.<\/p>\n On the back end, none of their blueliners are necessarily prototypical quarterbacks with the man advantage.\u00a0 Drysdale, Cameron York<\/a>, and Travis Sanheim<\/a> all have some offensive skill but haven\u2019t been able to succeed with any sort of consistency.\u00a0 Whether it\u2019s shopping at the top end of the free agent market or looking for someone who fits a little lower on the depth chart but could anchor a power play unit, that would certainly help.<\/p>\n Up front, obviously, a top center would move the needle.\u00a0 Zegras showed some promise with the man advantage this season and they\u2019ll be hoping that Matvei Michkov<\/a> can take a step forward.\u00a0 So there\u2019s a bit of cause for optimism for some internal improvement, at least.\u00a0 But they need to find a way to get more out of players like Owen Tippett<\/a> (seven power play points) and even Konecny (14).\u00a0 An extra creative player or a true shooting threat could open up some options.<\/p>\n Making the playoffs in spite of having the worst power play in the NHL is pretty good.\u00a0 But counting on a repeat with those struggles would be asking a lot.\u00a0 Accordingly, shaking up the power play personnel to try to give those units a lift could certainly pay some dividends.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Hannah Foslien-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The offseason is now in full effect following Carolina\u2019s Stanley Cup title.\u00a0 Accordingly, it\u2019s now time to 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<\/a>Drysdale has the longer tenure with Philadelphia, having been acquired back in early 2024 as part of the return for Cutter Gauthier<\/a>, who made it clear he had no intention of signing with the Flyers.\u00a0 While his first impression wasn\u2019t great, he has turned things around since then.\u00a0 Specifically, he was largely healthy this season, something that hasn\u2019t been the case too frequently over his six-year career.\u00a0 Drysdale chipped in with 32 points while logging 21:33 per game, a career-high in ATOI.\u00a0 Is that enough for the Flyers to commit long-term?\u00a0 If so, AFP Analytics\u2019 projection<\/a> is a six-year pact worth a little under $7.3MM per season.\u00a0 He\u2019s shown that he can be a legitimate top-four defender and this contract would certainly pay him like one.<\/p>\n