Let’s keep it honest here, this isn’t exactly the sexiest free agent class in NHL history. The biggest names in this shallow pool are either players in their prime who are secondary scoring threats, like Brock Boeser and Sam Bennett, or aging former stars who are looking for a final payday and a chance at either stability or Lord Stanley, like Brad Marchand, Jamie Benn, and our glorious king Claude Giroux.
The Flyers aren’t necessarily going to be in the market for those veteran pieces; that type of deal really wouldn’t make sense for either side, but that former category could be very interesting in theory. Finding a sneaky deal for a scoring winger or depth centerman wouldn’t necessarily hurt, and with Rick Tocchet coming in as a brand-new head coach, there could be a bit of an appetite to add a piece of two to try and jumpstart what is hopefully an era of contention.
There are some Tocchet-type targets available in the free agent market that could really make a difference in the immediate future.
John Tavares
Probably the most provocative name on this list, the former Leaf captain has been stripped, deprioritized, and continues to tumble down the Toronto lineup. A divorce may not be inevitable, but after another playoff failure and the subsequent firing of Brandon Shanahan, it may just be time for the two parties to go their separate ways.
Tavares continues to put up steady goal and point totals year-over-year, with last year’s 38 goals being his best since he joined the Leafs in 2019. His 74 points in 75 games speaks for itself, and would have placed him just behind Travis Konecny for the Flyers team lead last season.
As he’s started to slow down and lose some of the dynamic ability he possessed earlier in his career, Tavares has begun to make his bread around the net front. His great hand-eye, instincts, and natural goal scoring talent have allowed him to transition into something like the best version of James van Riemsdyk. But unlike JVR, who was largely useless away from the net front during his second tenure, Tavares is still able to move and create plays independently, just not at the same level as he could in his prime.
TD PASS FROM CHRIS TANEV TO JOHN TAVARES 🔥 pic.twitter.com/cn4I79VcKt
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 7, 2024
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It isn’t like this makes sense for a long term fit, but if you could front load a two year deal for Tavares, it wouldn’t hurt to have another consistent 65+ point scorer.
Brock Boeser
A familiar face from Tocchet’s travels in Vancouver, Boeser may be a prime target for a change of scenery. Caught amongst the drama between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson with a team that just never found a rhythm, Boeser took a step back from his 40 goal form he found in 2023-24. 25 goals and 25 assists in 75 games isn’t bad, but it also wasn’t exactly the offensive explosion he would’ve been hoping for before hitting the open market. Boeser has scoring talent, but he also has only hit the 30 goal mark once over his eight year career. If he truly is just another middle six option, it isn’t the sexiest option on the market, even with this year’s free agent class being a little thin.
However, Tocchet’s arrival increases the chances, however low they were, of the Flyers getting Boeser in the door. Tocchet was Boeser’s coach for much of his career, and his best year as a Canuck came when Tocchet was at the helm. While it doesn’t necessarily make sense on the face for the Flyers to consider bringing in another middle six forward, especially one on what would likely be a pretty long term deal, if Tocchet believes he can tap into that peak Boeser production, maybe the option gets considered.
He would definitely provide a jolt to a notably limp power play, and the Flyers do seem like they are trying to focus on depth as an organizational strength, in the absence of any true gamebreakers at forward outside of Matvei Michkov.
Dan Vladar
DAY 564: Our search continues. Despite extensive exploration, a goaltender eludes our grasp.
Kidding aside, Vladar is one of the few goalies that are somewhat intriguing as a presumed running mate to Samuel Ersson. The 27 year old is presumably leaving Calgary after being supplanted by rookie sensation Dustin Wolf. Vladar didn’t have a fantastic last season in Calgary, posting a 2.80 goals against average with an .898% save percentage. His goals saved above expected of 0.9 ranked 37th among goaltenders with 15 or more games played, which put him around middle of the pack. Very unimpressive, but at the same time, Samuel Ersson’s goals saved above expected was an atrocious -19.0, which was dead last amongst that same group of 66 goaltenders.
Vladar could push Ersson and take some of the weight off his shoulders, and it wouldn’t cost a fortune to do it. Low-risk, potential for some positive reward. Tocchet will likely want some other option in-between the pipes to help bolster his team’s chances of not looking desperate at the position once again.
With a change of scenery, there could be more to Vladar than his past numbers have shown, and after the merry-go-round that occurred behind Samuel Ersson last season, there would be some merit to grabbing a goaltender that could be at least a competent NHL backup.
Pius Suter
Suter hits unrestricted free agency after his best season in the NHL and a 25 goal, 46 point campaign with the Vancouver Canucks. The Swiss forward had been a scarily consistent scoring option up until last year, scoring 14 goals in three of his four other seasons, with the outlier year being 2021-22, where he rocketed his total up to 15. But last year offered a bit more opportunity to Suter after the Canucks jettisoned J.T. Miller midseason. In the 31 games post-Miller trade, Suter put up 12 goals and 23 points, equaling the same point total that Suter had in the 50 games prior. If he can more closely emulate his second half rate of production, there could be some value to be had in bringing him in.
Like Boeser, Suter is another player that Tocchet coached in Vancouver, and after some injuries at the end of last season, Suter ended up playing as the de facto number one center for a depleted Canucks squad that didn’t have many other options. For a team that doesn’t have many centers, he can offer another middle-six option that can flip from wing to center depending on whatever is needed at the moment. He can play in all three situations, and has some flexibility in his game.
🗣️ PIUS SUTER WITH THE SHOT! pic.twitter.com/tiFVDQrB08
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 28, 2025
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If Tocchet feels as if Suter made a good impression under his leadership, it could be a more sensible concession to the new coach rather than swinging big for Boeser; who would likely need more years, and would definitely need more money.