We are now officially just one month away from training camp, and the Philadelphia Flyers, for all intents and purposes, look to be done adding to their roster for now. That said, injuries always happen, and internal competition is never a bad thing
Free agency opened a month ago, but the Flyers overall did very little, signing veteran fourth-liner Noel Acciari and a slew of AHL players, headlined by journeyman Zach Aston-Reese and former first-round pick Nolan Foote
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With their overall lack of additions, the Flyers figure to be one of the more active teams around the NHL with PTO signings ahead of training camp
I know what you’re thinking, and maybe this isn’t possible after the whole Cutter Gauthier debacle with former head coach John Tortorella, but Kevin Hayes is a serviceable depth option as an offense-first, top-nine forward
Hayes, 34, is in the twilight years of his NHL career, and he is no longer attached to the albatross $7.142 million cap hit that helped accelerate his previous departure from the Flyers three years ago
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Unsuccessful stints with the St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins leave Hayes a free agent, but advanced data shows a player who is still effective relative to his role when given a chance
If there’s no bad blood between the veteran forward and the Flyers, there could be a fit here, particularly in the event of an injury
It’s worth noting, too, that Hayes scored 13 points in 19 games the last time the Flyers made the playoffs before this past year–2019-20–and there is an element of familiarity with a number of current Flyers players
Hayes scored four goals, four assists, and eight points in 28 games with the Penguins last year
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No. 2:Luke Glendening, C/RW
Continuing with the theme of center and forward depth, Luke Glendening has seemingly been replaced by Acciari, who joined the Flyers on a two-year pact at the start of free agency last month
Still, the Flyers were big fans of the 37-year-old, the versatility he brought, and the fire he played with in his short time in Philadelphia
Down the stretch and in the playoffs, Glendening, who was claimed on waivers from the New Jersey Devils, emerged as an integral piece on the Flyers’ fourth line next to Sean Couturier, especially after Nikita Grebenkin suffered what ended up being a season-ending injury
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Glendening, often used as a faceoff and matchup specialist, scored two goals, three assists, and five points in 18 regular season games with the Flyers, posting a +4 rating and winning 57.2% of his draws
In 10 playoff games, Glendening scored one goal and was a +3, but won only 48.7% of his faceoffs
Flyers Rank Below Average in NHL Contract Efficiency Once AgainDespite a handful of new signings, the Philadelphia Flyers are still average at best at conducting their contract negotiations
If the formerly undrafted veteran remains unsigned as training camp draws closer, and wants to continue his NHL career, a reunion with the Flyers on a PTO basis makes perfect sense for both sides given the fit
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No. 1:John Klingberg, RHD
One thing the Flyers made clear heading into the offseason was their desire to add to and upgrade the defense
To this point, though, they haven’t really done that
Left-shot bruiser Simon Benoit was brought on in the Joseph Woll trade, replacing a superior puck-mover in the younger Emil Andrae, and that was it
Talented trade deadline addition David Jiricek is poised to take on a bigger role and have a chance at finally establishing himself as an NHL regular, but the Flyers have done little to insure themselves in the event that this doesn’t happen
Top prospect Oliver Bonk is even less experienced at the NHL level, and there are no guarantees either youngster can run a competent power play at this level
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That’s where John Klingberg comes in
Klingberg, 33, was once one of the NHL’s premier offensive defensemen, but injuries contributed to a rapid decline at both ends of the ice
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After extensive time off the ice due to surgeries and rehab, Klingberg played 56 games for the San Jose Sharks last season, scoring 10 goals, 17 assists, and 27 points, including five goals and nine points on the power play
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This would have played Klingberg second to only Travis Sanheim in goals among Flyers defensemen, and second in points behind Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale
Additionally, the Flyers, as a team, had only three power play goals from defensemen: one each from Sanheim, Drysdale, and Cam York
While Klingberg ranked at or near the bottom in many qualifying metrics among the 30 defensemen who played at least 165 minutes on the power play last season, he did, however, rank eighth in scoring chances per 60 minutes
It’s unlikely Klingberg is the answer for the Flyers’ power play at this stage in his career, and he may not end up being an upgrade at all, but the Flyers could do worse than to give out a PTO and see if there’s anything left in the tank worth taking a chance on
