5 Flyers Storylines To Watch During NHL Offseason: Rebuilding Timeline
The Philadelphia Flyers finished a disappointing 2024-25 season 29th in the NHL standings. They missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth straight time, and general manager Danny Briere declared…
The Philadelphia Flyers finished a disappointing 2024-25 season 29th in the NHL standings. They missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth straight time, and general manager Danny Briere declared “rock bottom” in the final weeks of the regular season.
While the Flyers don’t have recent accomplishments to boast, they finally have better flexibility to change directions away from an era defined by losing.
A stockpile of picks in the NHL Draft, a high-profile coaching search, and a long list of roster needs will keep the Flyers near the top of the headlines during the 2025 NHL offseason.
- 1. Rebuilding Timeline
- 2. Head Coaching Search
- 3. Stockpile of NHL Draft Picks
- 4. Acquiring A Center
- 5. Acquiring A Goaltender
Flyers Shifting Rebuild To Phase 2
Danny Briere and Keith Jones heavily prioritized internal player development and organizational culture during their first two seasons while waiting for better flexibility to find the top-end talent missing from the roster.
John Tortorella was a central figure in the first phase, and a new head coach will kickstart phase two.
“I think we're at a stage now where we're going to shift a little bit from subtracting from the roster into trying to start to add and help the team. The last two years there has been a lot of trying to figure out what we had under our belt, where our players are, and where we are moving forward.” -Danny Briere
The Flyers have molded their current roster into a clearer shape in recent seasons. They still have holes, especially toward the top. However, Matvei Michkov and Travis Konecny have proven their high-end capability.
Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, Jamie Drysdale, and other young players have ascended to become NHL regulars with room for additional improvement.
How can Briere mesh the internal pieces, utilize his draft capital, and work with better financial flexibility to build a playoff contender in 2025-26?
NHL Salary Cap, Moves On The Horizon
The Flyers can see their way out of salary cap jail sooner than expected. Financial commitments to players who made no contributions at the NHL level weighed the team down in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Subtracting Joel Farabee’s salary and avoiding an impending raise for Morgan Frost created the opportunity to make impactful additions to the roster.
While the Flyers will still pay Kevin Hayes, Cam Atkinson, and Scott Laughton in 2025-26, the rising NHL salary cap and the deep pockets of Comcast Spectacor will open the door for Briere to make moves in the free agent and trade markets.
The top group of unrestricted free agents available this summer doesn’t include obvious fits for the Flyers’ biggest needs. Briere won’t land John Tavares or Mitch Marner on a big ticket.
Patching the roster holes will require more creativity.
An offer sheet opens the door to steal restricted free agents from other organizations for draft pick compensation. NHL front offices have balked at the possibility in past offseasons.
However, the St. Louis Blues made some noise by signing Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway away from the Edmonton Oilers last summer. The Flyers can afford to lose some draft picks if the right player becomes available.
Related Content: Have Danny Briere, Flyers Adjusted Rebuilding Timeline?
Briere will search for a top-line center to complement Michkov and a new goaltender to solve the franchise’s seemingly constant issues in the crease.
Landing a franchise cornerstone in a trade isn’t an easy thing to do. It’s also not unheard of.
The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup in 2024 with trade acquisitions Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart at the top of their lineup. The Vegas Golden Knights did the same in 2023 with Jack Eichel and Marc Stone as top contributors.
GMs who push their teams into the NHL’s elite usually reap the rewards of one or two big moves that turn out better than anyone predicted. Danny Briere finally has the flexibility to execute a move with that level of impact.
