Flyers Eyeing Defensive Depth Addition

There hasn’t been much in the way of change on Philadelphia’s back end from the group that finished last season.  Emil Andrae was moved to Toronto (and has since been dealt to Columbus) while Simon Benoit was added in that same June swap.  And, well, that’s it for changes.  That is, at least for now.

Both David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period and Daily Faceoff’s Anthony DiMarco report that the Flyers are believed to be eyeing a defensive depth addition.  The team has seven blueliners on its active roster to start the season although youngster David Jiricek didn’t have a great training camp and his spot could stand to be upgraded.

It should be noted that they have a near-ready option in the minors as well, Oliver Bonk.  The 2023 first-round pick played his first professional campaign last season, notching 19 points in 46 games with AHL Lehigh Valley while scoring a goal and picking up his assist in a late-year NHL debut.  He also got into one postseason game against Carolina.  For now, he’s back with the Phantoms where he can play top minutes but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him back up with Philadelphia before too long or when injuries strike.

DiMarco notes that if GM Daniel Briere is able to add a defender, it’s likely to be one with some size, something that sounds similar to the Andrae-Benoit flip this offseason.  The team has Cameron York and Jamie Drysdale on the smaller side already and doesn’t appear to be interested in adding another smaller player to the mix.

Looking at the free agent market, there isn’t much left after Logan Stanley signed earlier this week.  Veterans Jeff Petry, Nick Leddy, and Ben Hutton (who didn’t secure a contract off his PTO with Ottawa) remain unsigned with Travis Hamonic and Brendan Smith also out there.  But none of those players profile as someone who could unseat someone in Philadelphia’s top-six defense group.  That likely has them looking at the trade market, which could take a bit of time to materialize as teams do any final evaluations or an injury situation dictates that a move is needed.

Cap space won’t be a concern if Briere finds a blueliner to make a move for.  Per PuckPedia, the Flyers enter the season with over $12MM in cap space; only five teams league-wide have more room than that.  Now, it’s just a matter of waiting for the right rearguard to become available.