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Right here, right now is the Flyers<\/a> tomorrow. <\/p>\n Or at least that was always the plan: The 2026 offseason would be a big one for the Flyers. <\/p>\n But as general manager Danny Bri\u00e8re<\/a> said at his end-of-season media availability a week ago, the plans may have detoured. \u201cWe thought there\u2019d be more guys available for free agency this year, and there\u2019s actually less,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n So, what does the summer hold for the Flyers as they try to build on their playoff appearance? The Inquirer breaks down everything you need to know as they head into the offseason.<\/p>\n Who is under contract for the Flyers in 2026-27?<\/p>\n The following players are expected to play at the NHL level next season for the Flyers and are under contract.<\/p>\n Forwards (12): Denver Barkey, Alex Bump<\/a>, Noah Cates<\/a>, Sean Couturier<\/a>, Christian Dvorak, Tyson Foerster<\/a>, Garnet Hathaway, Jett Luchanko<\/a>, Travis Konecny<\/a>, Porter Martone<\/a>, Matvei Michkov<\/a>, Owen Tippett<\/a>.<\/p>\n Defense (4): Rasmus Ristolainen, Travis Sanheim<\/a>, Nick Seeler, Cam York<\/a>.<\/p>\n Goalies (1): Dan Vlada\u0159.<\/p>\n Despite substantial injuries to several players, including Tippett\u2019s sports hernia and internal bleeding that kept him out of the second-round playoff series loss to Carolina, all are expected to be ready to go for training camp in mid-September. This year, the training camp schedule will include only four preseason games.<\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: Flyers full injury report includes broken bones for Travis Konecny, Cam York, Noah Cates, and Christian Dvorak<\/a><\/p>\n Also under contract for next season are forwards Jack Berglund, Alex \u010ciernik, Devin Kaplan, Cole Knuble, Noah Powell, and Riley Thompson; defensemen Oliver Bonk, Jackson Edward, Spencer Gill, Helge Grans, David Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek, and Ty Murchison; and goalies Carson Bjarnason and Aleksei Kolosov, who all could vie for roster spots.<\/p>\n Bonk, Murchison, and McDonald each made their NHL debuts this season, with Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek making his Flyers debut in Game 82. Bonk and Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek are strong contenders to break camp with the Orange and Black come September, with the latter needing to clear waivers to be sent down. Gill will turn pro in 2026-27, and Berglund, Edwards, Knuble, Powell, and Thompson got a taste of the American Hockey League at the end of the season with Lehigh Valley.<\/p>\n Garrett Wilson, who spent the end of the season with the Flyers, is signed to an AHL contract for next season. Kolosov signed a one-year extension<\/a> on May 15, and of the NHLers, Foerster, Hathaway, Michkov, Ristolainen, and Vlada\u0159 will be restricted or unrestricted free agents on July 1, 2027. They can be signed to an extension at the start of free agency this summer.<\/p>\n Whom do the Flyers still need to sign?<\/p>\n NHL level<\/p>\n Andrae, Drysdale, Ersson, Grebenkin, and Zegras are all restricted free agents who are arbitration-eligible. They must receive qualifying offers at a minimum set by the collective-bargaining agreement.<\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: Who should the Flyers retain for next season? Read expert opinions and vote in Stay or Go<\/a><\/p>\n The two players who are expected to sign in the near future are Zegras and Drysdale. <\/p>\n According to Puckpedia, Zegras\u2019 minimum is set at $5.75 million, which he made this past season, but the expectation is that he will get a raise and a long-term deal. The only question is whether he will get winger money or the more lucrative center contract. <\/p>\n Drysdale\u2019s number is at $2.3 million, also what he made this season, but the Flyers\u2019 most-improved players should get a raise.<\/p>\n Grebenkin, Andrae, and Ersson are not as locked in, with the latter two being more of a coin flip. <\/p>\n Bri\u00e8re mentioned at his end-of-season availability that Grebenkin, who has been dealing with an upper-body injury since late March that caused him to miss the rest of the season, could miss additional time early next year. The Russian winger is due a qualifying offer of $826,875, while Andrae is at $874,125, and Ersson\u2019s is a slight raise to $1.6 million.<\/p>\n Notable AHLers<\/p>\n Forwards (3): Karsen Dorwart, Jacob Gaucher, Brett Harrison, Boris Katchouk, Lane Pederson, Anthony Richard, Tucker Robertson, Philip Tomasino.<\/p>\n Defense (1): Adam Ginning, Artem Guryev, Christian Kyrou, Hunter McDonald.<\/p>\n Goalies: None.<\/p>\n Aside from Ginning, Katchouk, Richard, and Pederson, who led the Phantoms in scoring, the above players are restricted free agents and would need to receive qualifying offers. All qualifying offers are due to players by June 30.<\/p>\n How much cap space do the Flyers have?<\/p>\n Time to do some math.<\/p>\n The good news is that the salary cap is rising from $95.5 million to $104 million in 2026-27. Already under the cap this past season, the Flyers will have room to play with come July 1. Even after signing their restricted free agents, they should still have a decent amount of money left over.<\/p>\n According to PuckPedia<\/a>, as of May 20, the Flyers\u2019 roster has a projected cap hit of $65,592,917 with projected space of $38,407,083.<\/p>\n That number does not include the restricted free agents or the contracts of players listed in the minors by Puckpedia, like Bonk and Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek, who likely will make strong pushes for NHL spots. <\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: Five questions for Danny Bri\u00e8re and the Flyers as they embark on their first offseason with expectations<\/a><\/p>\n Add in the minimum the Flyers need to pay Zegras and Drysdale, and the projected cap hit rises to $73,642,917. Although both should get raises, with those minimums met, it leaves just over $31 million in cap space to fill out the roster.<\/p>\n The remaining pieces could come from the Flyers\u2019 own restricted and unrestricted free agents, players elevated from the AHL, or from the free-agent market. And there\u2019s always the chaotic offer sheet, where another team tries to sign away a restricted free agent \u2014 sometimes at a cost of draft picks \u2014 and the current team must decide whether to match.<\/p>\n As of last summer, the interesting angle is also that the cap limit is expected to rise again, this time to $113.5 million in 2027-28.<\/p>\n Are the Flyers done with dead money?<\/p>\n Yes.<\/p>\n The Flyers will no longer owe any player money as the buyout of Cam Atkinson and the retained salaries of Scott Laughton and Kevin Hayes come off the books. They also traded Ryan Ellis\u2019 contract in early October to the San Jose Sharks. <\/p>\n Puckpedia lists some buried money from this season with Tomasino and Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek; however, Tomasino is a restricted free agent and needs a new contract, and Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek should be in the NHL next season.<\/p>\n Whom could the Flyers target in free agency?<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in a good spot as far as the salary cap goes, as far as our picks [go], as far as our prospects [go]. So there\u2019s a lot of upsides there,\u201d Bri\u00e8re told the media after the Flyers\u2019 season ended. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd if there\u2019s an opportunity to jump on something that could help us, yeah, it\u2019s my job to look at everything. But I don\u2019t feel that I\u2019m forced to make a move just to make a move, because we\u2019ve made it into the playoffs this year.\u201d<\/p>\n So what does that mean exactly? Well, the GM said he would like to improve \u201cprobably everywhere,\u201d but not a lot has changed from his wish list from last season, although goaltending is a little more solidified. His eyes are still on a No. 1 center, a No. 1 defenseman, and now maybe a new No. 2 goalie.<\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: A player the Flyers could pursue, an Eagles prediction, and other thoughts …<\/a><\/p>\n If the Flyers do not want to re-sign Ersson, there are several big-name netminders available as unrestricted free agents \u2014 for example, former Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky \u2014 although that doesn\u2019t mean any want to be a backup to Vlada\u0159. <\/p>\n Career backup Eric Comrie, Vlada\u0159\u2019s countryman V\u00edtek Van\u011b\u010dek, and Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner are interesting options. Several teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, and Detroit Red Wings need to move on from a goalie. Could Sam Montembeault, Pyotr Kochetkov, Devon<\/a> Levi, Sebastian Cossa, or Joseph Woll be on the block?<\/p>\n