Flyers Off-season Preference vs. Prediction Part Two: Forwards

Okay, let’s do this again, I am putting this right AT THE TOP of the page to avoid any confusion.

There are two parts to every objective I would like the Flyers to complete this off-season. The objectives in this article are related to…you got it, FORWARDS! Under each objective, I will include an opinion on my preference and my prediction. Are you ready to rock? Im ready to rock.

In the first part of this series, I discussed my preferences versus predictions in terms of defensemen, while also disclosing my first two priorities/objectives of the Flyers off-season. Number one was to get an elite, top pairing defensemen. Number two was to sign or trade for a top six defensemen. Ladies and gentleman, I present to you, NUMBER THREE!

3. Flyers Sign or Trade for a Top 6 Scoring Forward

• Jack Eichel

Yup, lets get the biggest fish in the sea out of the way. Jack Eichel is the crown jewel of this off-season, but at what price? He is scheduled to have back surgery that has never been performed on an NHL player. That’s A LOT to give up for A LOT of uncertainty. But hey, what the hell, franchise players like Eichel never become available.

The Flyers should do their due diligence at the VERY least. If the Flyers do get Eichel, there’s no doubt that I would be excited. I would go as far as cover myself in peanut butter and do cartwheels around the Wells Fargo Center until opening night.

However, there has to be assumptions that Eichel will not play this season due to the severity of his surgery. Make it happen, Chuck? Let’s just hope that he doesn’t need surgery and if he does, he can return as the same caliber player.

Do it, Chuck.

• Sam Reinhart

Buffalo Sabres forward, Sam Reinhart, is a name that has come up frequently as being available over the last several months. In Part One of “Preference vs. Prediction”, I had Sam Reinhart coming over in a trade with Rasmus Ristolainen. Reinhart has the flexibility to play center or wing.

Reinhart has scored at least 22 goals in each of the last 4 seasons, including 25 goals in a COVID shortened season and has been one of the only consistent players on the Buffalo Sabres in each of the last 4 seasons. As an RFA this off-season, the opportunity for a sign and trade could be in effect. Reinhart is entering his age 26 season and would provide the Flyers with a much-needed scoring touch. It is a very heavy yes from me.

• Johnny Gaudreau

Oh, heavens. What do have we here? What are we even doing? Really…we’re doing this AGAIN? Well, I mean…allegedly.

Gaudreau’s name has surfaced once again and fans seem to be enamored with the idea of bringing the hometown boy back to Philadelphia (he’s really from South Jersey, but we claim him). However, I am not one of those people. If Calgary chooses to chew some of his salary cap, I can be more easily convinced.

Gaudreau is currently making $6.75 million AAV, and becomes a free agent next off-season. So first off, you run a risk at a rental, and secondly, in an off-season where you already have to worry about Giroux, Couturier and Farabee…cap space will be tight.

Gaudreau is still a productive player, however, despite not reaching 20 goals in each of the past two seasons. He’s an offensive threat that can create offense but we need a consistent finisher.

• Matthew Tkachuk

There was a rumor a few weeks ago that Tkachuk could be made available this off-season and what we learned from the past is rumors are always true *wink*. However, if he were to be made available… I mean…come on. This guy would be a Philadelphia dream. He’s nasty, physical, he’s got finishing ability, incredible amount of skill, can play in all situations, and goes balls to the wall night in and night out.

This is a guy who’s effort and motor are never in question. Tkachuk is entering his age 24 season, has a current cap hit of $7 million AAV, and will be an RFA next offseason (again…think Giroux, Couturier, Farabee). However, I would feel a lot more comfortable trading for Tkachuk than Johnny Hockey.

Tkachuk has hovered around 50 points in each of his first five seasons and has scored at least 23 goals in three of the five. He scored 16 goals in a COVID shortened season.

• Viktor Arvidss…

Awww sheeet, already missed one. Oh well, have fun in LA, Vik (Can I call you, Vik? No? Alright, well I did).

• Vladamir Tarasenko

Oh boy, if this was four years ago, I would be freaking out right now. I have always thought Tarasenko was a great under-appreciated, pure goal scorer. Unfortunately, over the past few seasons Tarasenko has been almost non-existent due to injury.

The latest reports say he wants out of St. Louis. Personally, I do not believe Tarasenko is what he used to be.

He carries a MASSIVE $7.5 million cap hit, has two more years left on his deal, and is entering his age 30 season. Im very interested to see where he ends up, but I know it will not be with the Flyers. Would I take him? Sure, but for what?

Definitely not at the full $7.5 million cap hit with a mush shoulder.

• Gabriel Landeskog/Alex Ovechkin

It is almost a joke to even include these guys.

I almost didn’t include Landeskog at all for the same reason as The Great 8, because they aren’t leaving.

Don’t romanticize this idea because it isn’t happening. Gabriel Landeskog is staying in Colorado and Alex Ovechkin is staying in Washington. Case closed. Stamp it. Even if they were leaving, it wouldn’t be to Philadelphia.

• Zach Hyman

A consolation prize if there ever was one. Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of Hyman. He has yet to eclipse 40 points in his career while logging minutes with Marner, Matthews, Tavares and Nylander. He’s a fine player, I wouldn’t call him elite, however. He’s another two-way middle six forward thats seeking around $6 million a year. I am out on Hyman.

Preference:

1. Jack Eichel
2. Matthew Tkachuk
3. Sam Reinhart
4. Johnny Gaudreau
5. Vladimir Tarasenko
6. Zach Hyman

Prediction:

As I said before I think that Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen will be traded to Philadelphia, the package I would assume, at a baseline, would be:

Morgan Frost, 2023 1st round pick, Zayde Wisdom, and a 2nd round pick for Rasmus Ristolainen and Sam Reinhart.

I think that guys like Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk will get traded eventually, but I do not think it will be this off-season. I think there’s potential for Gaudreau to be moved at the Trade Deadline, but not to the Flyers. I think Tkachuk will eventually be traded to the St. Louis Blues at some point and I think Gaudreau will be traded to a team in the Eastern Conference, dare I say to the Metropolitan Division.

Jack Eichel, ladies and gentlemen, will not be heading to Philadelphia if you ask me. I would believe he goes to the New York Rangers or the Los Angeles Kings if I were to pick two teams. It would be great, yes, but I still doubt Chuck’s ability to acquire a player of Eichel’s caliber.

Vladimir Tarasenko will 100% be traded this off-season as he has already requested a trade. I would say that whoever misses out on Jack Eichel, will most likely pursue Tarasenko. Think Rangers, Kings, and hey, never count out Colorado.

As for Zach Hyman, I believe that some team will pay him around his asking price of $5.5 million to $6 million, I just do not think it will be the Flyers. At least, I hope not.

4. Flyers Offer-Sheet a Lucrative RFA Forward

• Patrik Laine

Yes, we’re doing this again. The Flyers were at the fore-front of Laine rumors entering the 2021 season and obviously nothing materialized as Laine was eventually traded to Columbus. Patrik Laine is one of my favorite players in all of the NHL, and the FINN can flat out SNIPE.

With the exception of last season, Laine has scored at least 28 goals in each of his first four seasons and has recorded at least 50 points in that span. If you want my ideal depiction of what the Flyers absolutely need, it is 100% Patrik Laine. Columbus would be heinous to not match any offer for him, but it doesn’t hurt to get a little naughty and slide an offer in.

Laine is currently at a $6.75 million AAV and I would expect that number to increase.

• Anthony Beauvillier

What a playoffs this guy had.

Anthony Beauviller stood out every time he touched the ice in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Beauviller will be entering his age 24 season but has yet to break out or eclipse 40 points since entering the NHL. Beauviller is a guy that can appear anywhere on the ice at a given moment. He’s explosive and would be a good fit as a player on Philadelphia’s second line.

Beauviller had a $2.1 million cap hit last season and I would expect a bridge deal somewhat similar to what Travis Sanheim got.

• Brady Tkachuk

Wouldn’t it be something if the Flyers traded for Matthew Tkachuk and then signed Brady as an RFA? Oh boy, one can dream. Will absolutely not happen, but we do not think rationally here. Brady plays a similar role to that of his brother, Matthew.

Brady is hard-nosed player who plays like an energizer bunny, and is suited for all situations around the ice. Brady will be entering his age 22 season and has scored at least 40 points in each of his first two NHL seasons. During a COVID shortened season, Brady was still able to record 36 points.

Preference:

1. Patrik Laine
2. Brady Tkachuk
3. Anthony Beauviller

Prediction:

From 2021-24, the Flyers currently have all their draft picks. Which means that they have the compensation to offer any of the top RFA’s. However, what they do not have is cap space. The Flyers could move players with inflated contracts such as Jake Voracek, Shayne Gostisbehere, and James Van Reimsdyk, but most of that cap space should be used to bulk up the blue line and to re-sign guys like Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier and Joel Farabee.

If I were to predict, and in this climate of GM’s not tendering RFA’s, I would say that all of the aforementioned RFA’s stay in their place. Chuck Fletcher does not possess the will to slide an offer sheet to an opposing RFA and I would put 10% down on a nice piece of land on it.

With that being said, I think Patrik Laine signs an offer sheet elsewhere but Columbus will ultimately match any and all offers for him. I would expect Laine to sign for 7 or 8 years at around $9 million a season. I expect similar bridge deals for both Brady Tkachuk and Anthony Beauviller with Brady’s probably being a little more lucrative. Beauvillier at $3 million-$3.5million at 2-3 years back with the New York Islanders and Brady Tkachuk back with the Ottawa Senators at $5 million a year for 2 to 3 years.

5. Add Veteran Leadership on a Minimum Deal

• Zach Parise

I have been enamored with Zach Parise since his early days with the New Jersey Devils and was crushed when the Flyers didn’t sign him in the 2013 offseason, but am I envious of that massive contract? Absolutely not. If you are wondering which GM signed both Parise and Ryan Suter to those lovely deals and guessed Chuck Fletcher…well…well you would be right.

Parise is 36 and has been rumored to be potentially bought out of the final 4 years of the 13 year/$7.5 million contract ol’ Chuck signed him to and if that were the case, I would love to have Parise as a bottom six player in Philly. Parise brings intangibles like leadership and could be a new voice inside the locker room as well.

• Ryan Getzlaf

Talk about a slam dunk if the Flyers have this 36 year old as their 3rd or 4th center. The only things standing in the way is his willingness to move to the east coast and take the veteran minimum salary. Getzlaf has also been the captain for the Anaheim Ducks for the past 11 years. Will he choose to move elsewhere? It is a mystery thus far but he is a UFA this season and I would love the Flyers to pursue him.

• Corey Perry

THE WORM. Anyone who watched the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs knows that Corey Perry still has a scoring touch and a piss and vinegar attitude to go with it. Perry is obviously not the same 30-50 goal scorer that he used to be, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not still effective. Perry has found success playing with Montreal’s young players like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

Perry is a guy you can stick on your 3rd and 4th lines and still be able to make himself noticeable with chippy play.

Preference:

1. Ryan Getzlaf
2. Zach Parise
3. Corey Perry

Prediction:

Just a disclaimer: all of these are contingent on accepting the veteran minimum deal of 1 year/$750k in my scenario. I do not think Getzlaf will sign a contract like this, although, I would love him to sign with the Flyers. However, even if he does sign for cheap, he will most likely want to stay on the west coast, just a hunch.

I believe that Zach Parise will get bought out of his contract from the Minnesota Wild. He was a healthy scratch for a portion of last season and tensions seem to be at a breaking point. In regards to location, I truly can’t even offer a guess. All I can hope is that it is not the Penguins, Capitals or Bruins.

I can easily see Corey Perry returning to Montreal to run it back again. He was a very effective player for them and was well worth the minimum contract. He may have played himself into another million dollar deal.

6: “Let’s Play With Some Jam”. Add Toughness and Sandpaper to the 4th Line.

– Blake Coleman

One of my favorite free agents this year and hopefully a top target for the Flyers this off-season.

None other than 2x Stanley Cup Champion, Blake Coleman. Granted, Tampa Bay’s cap situation, they most likely won’t re-sign Blake Coleman. Coleman is your prototypical elite penalty killing 3rd line center. Think of a more offensively gifted Blair Betts. This guy would be perfect in our bottom six. He’s coming off of a contract in which he made $1.8 million a season and I would imagine he would be signed this off-season for around $2.5 million a year. Get him, Chuck.

• Casey Cizikas

Cizikas along with Matt Martin, was a part of one of my favorite lines to watch in the 2021 playoffs for the New York Islanders. This line went balls to the wall and thrived on adrenaline, miracle juice, and probably some killer nuclear horse piss. WOW, they were fun to watch.

Cizikas is a heavy hitter that can wear down opponents’ defense behind the red lines. He’s not the most skilled player but can surely hold his own when applying pressure in the offensive zone.

• Tyler Bertuzzi

Tyler Bertuzzi is a high energy and high intensity player but was injured for almost all of last season. Bertuzzi’s contract expires at the end of this season and at 25 years old will become an RFA at the end of the year.

In the two years leading up to last season Bertuzzi had put up 47 and 48 points, respectively, while also becoming an extremely valuable asset to a struggling PK unit for Detroit.

• Zac Rinaldo

Anybody remember this guy? I would say Rinaldo along with Jody Shelley were the last of the prototypical “tough guy 4th liners”. Rinaldo struggled with discipline during his tenure with the Flyers but would bring energy that this team lacks. Truth be told, I would’ve taken Rinaldo during either of those 7-9 goal beatdowns from the Rangers this past season, he would’ve stirred it up.

Preference:

1. Blake Coleman
2. Tyler Bertuzzi
3. Zac Rinaldo
4. Casey Cizikas

Prediction:

The Flyers 4th line has lacked an identity, much like the rest of the organization has for years. I have always said that an NHL 4th line is NO PLACE for AHL skill players and a 4th line should bring something different to the table like hits, energy, and yes, a fight or two.

Blake Coleman would be one of my top guys this offseason. So, you know what, I am going to say it. Blake Coleman will sign with the Flyers for a 4-year deal worth $3 million a season.

I would love for the Flyers to trade for Tyler Bertuzzi, however, given his $5mil AAV, it wouldn’t seem plausible to do so. I think Bertuzzi gets traded to a contending team before the end of the season.

As for Rinaldo and Cizikas. Rinaldo is an old fashioned crapshoot and I can easily see Cizikas returning to the New York Islanders on a smaller scale deal as they seem to have a mutual interest.

MY OVERALL PREFERENCE:

1st Line: Claude Giroux – Jack Eichel – Joel Farabee

2nd Line: Sam Reinhart – Sean Couturier – Jake Voracek

3rd Line: Oskar Lindblom – Kevin Hayes – Scott Laughton

4th Line: Wade Allison – Blake Coleman – Tyler Bertuzzi

Nicolas Aube-Kubel – Nolan Patrick

Konecny is involved in a trade for either Seth Jones or Jack Eichel.

Nolan Patrick signs a 1 year/$1mil Qualifying Offer.

JVR is taken by the Seattle Kraken during the Expansion Draft.

MY OVERALL PREDICTION:

1st Line: Claude Giroux – Sean Couturier – Joel Farabee

2nd Line: Oskar Lindblom – Sam Reinhart – Scott Laughton

3rd Line: James Van Reimsdyk – Kevin Hayes – Wade Allison

4th Line: Blake Coleman – Nolan Patrick – Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Konecny is involved in a trade for a defenseman.

Nolan Patrick signs a 1 year/$1 million Qualifying Offer.

Jake Voracek is taken by the Seattle Kraken during the Expansion Draft.

Can anyone spot the minor difference in those two lineups? No? Me neither. Let me know what you think on twitter, @FlyersJohnny!