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Day One of Free Agency was a relatively quiet one for the Philadelphia Flyers. They were reportedly in the midst of multiple negotiations, most notably the Dallas Stars for restricted free agent Mavrik Bourque before he was traded to the Nashville Predators.
While there wasn’t major outside acquisitions, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere smartly secured starting goalie Dan Vladar and right wing Tyson Foerster to long term extensions.
Additionally, Briere was able to add important depth to his checking units in signing former Pittsburgh Penguins center Noel Acciari, along with returning winger Carl Grundstrom.
Finally, Philadelphia was able to add four players to reinforce the Lehigh Valley Phantoms roster, adding forwards Jack Studnicka, Zach Aston-Reese, and Danila Klimovich, along with defenseman Cam Dineen.
During his press coference, Briere indicated that the Flyers were likely done for the day. But he did acknowledge reports about free agent forward Claude Giroux and defenseman John Carlson still being available.
Let go by the Ottawa Senators, TSN’s Pierre Lebrun posted on X about a possible “reunion in Philadelphia” for the former Flyers captain.
But for now, let’s break down what the Flyers did on Wednesday.
Vladar
As expected and widely reported, starting goaltender Dan Vladar signed a five year contract with a $5.5 million AAV. His extension included a full no-move clause for the first two years, and a limited no-trade clause for the final three. The deal will begin in the 2027-28 season.
My thoughts on this extension you can read here. But I will add, based on the no-move, no-trade clauses and favorable cap hit, this is a very team friendly deal for a player who wanted to be in Philadelphia. The marriage between Vladar, his relationship with teammates, and the defensive system has been better than imagined.
“Tremendous leader, tremendous human being,” Briere said of Vladar. “The way he interacted in the room with the guys. He found a way to get them going and wanted more. He was huge in our locker room. I don’t expect that to change.”
And for Briere, the Flyers felt urgency in getting the extension done now, as opposed to waiting until the season was underway.
“We could have waited,” Briere said, “but if he does it another year, now you’re looking at a crazy number that we’re probably not comfortable with.”
Combined with newly acquired Joseph Woll (who has a $3.667 mil AAV over the next two seasons), the Flyers will have a steady tandem locked up for a little over $9 million in ’27-28.
Foerster
However, their next signing was on the surprising side, but a major one nonetheless.
They locked up Foerster to an eight year contract ($7.1 million AAV), beginning in the 2027-28 season. Foerster, an emerging power winger, has an outstanding all around game that bolsters any line he is on. He was the Flyers leading goal scorer when he went down with a shoulder injury that kept him out until seven games remaining in the season. He returned and gave the Flyers a boost in helping them secure their first playoff berth since 2020.
“We believe he’s a big piece and a part of our future,” Briere said. “He has grown inside the organization. The leadership part, the scoring threat that he is, the 200-foot game that he plays, the size.”
However, the biggest concern when it comes to Foerster is the health of his shoulder. He missed four months this season with the shoulder injury, finishing with 13 goals in 29 games played. Previously, he had a biceps injury and infection that hampered his summer preparations.
It’s well known that Foerster has been considered one of the Flyers untouchables, along with Porter Martone. Now he’s secured for a very long time.
“We believe he’s going to be a big-time goal scorer and overall player for us,” Briere said. “If we didn’t do it now, it’s going to cost us a lot more down the road.”
By taking the eight year extension in a rising cap world, he is taking the security that comes with it at the expense of a larger payday down the road. It’s a calculated risk for Briere and company, but one that they’re willing to make.
Acciari & Grundstrom
In Acciari, the Flyers got an upgrade for the fourth line, as the former Pittsburgh Penguin signed a two year contract with a $2.8 million AAV).
Last season, Acciari scored 25 points (13g, 12a) in 67 regular season games. He dressed in all six games of Pittsburgh’s playoff series against the Flyers. Acciari’s best offensive season came as a member of the Florida Panthers in 2019-20 (20 goals in 66 games). He’s a physically grinding checking forward and should be expected to fill in well as a replacement for Garnet Hathaway.
Additionaly, Acciari carries many of the attributes that made Luke Glendening such a valuable addition down the stretch. However he is two years younger (age 34) and should be an excellent match with Couturier. He was a difficult matchup for the Flyers, especially on face-offs during the first round series.
“Our guys did not like playing against him,” Briere said. “He completely dominated us in the face-off circle. We thought he would be a player that could really help us.”
In Grundstrom, the Flyers get back an important swing player who contributed in a variety of roles after his acquisition from San Jose. You can read more about his signing and roster impact here.
Aston-Reese & The Depth Signings
The headliners of the Flyers depth signings was checking winger Zach Aston-Reese. As the Flyers begin reforming the Phantoms forward groups, they signed Aston-Reese to a two-year contract. Next year is a one-way contract for $850,000. The 2027-28 season will be a two-way deal for $900,000 at the NHL level and $700,000 in the American Hockey League.
Aston-Reese is an option as a bottom-six depth forward and a good penalty killer. He spent the past two seasons in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, mostly with AHL Cleveland. With Phil Tomasino gone, ZA-R provides a more viable upgrade who can play at the NHL level.
Beyond Aston-Reese, Jack Studnicka also signed on for two seasons after spending time in the Florida Panthers organization. With the departure of Lane Pedersen to Los Angeles, expect Studnicka to step into his role and potentially get some NHL time if there’s injuries.
After non-tendering Christian Kyrou, the smaller statured Cam Dineen likely slots into his spot on the Phantoms power-play.
Final Thoughts on Day One
The day certainly had it’s bumpy moments. The Flyers were unable to acquire several reported targets in Bourque, as well as defenseman Darnell Nurse (traded to San Jose). However, re-upping Vladar and Foerster and adding Acciari were smart moves for the Flyers.
It’s important that Briere isn’t getting backed into a bad spot by taking on unnecessary contracts. The Predators were able to acquire Bourque because they were willing to take on Ilya Lyubuskin’s contract. The Sharks got Nurse at his full salary cap hit ($9.25 million) in their trade with Edmonton. Again, not doing that is the right call.
Finally, the Flyers general manager is still in play for Giroux and Carlson.
Of the two, Carlson seems the less likely as the Flyers are competing with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Tampa Bay Lightning for his services. If his goal is to pursue a Stanley Cup in the near future, those locations seem far more likely.
Giroux is also in the twilight of his career. He may be looking for an elusive first Stanley Cup in his next stop. However, if he wants to return to Philadelphia, they should bring him aboard.
However, this can’t be an exercise in nostalgia. It has to help push their younger core of forwards in the right direction. In a limited sheltered role where he can be used as a power-play valve, he can have alot of value.
Let’s see what happens over the next day or so.
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