Keys to the offseason for the Philadelphia Flyers
Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski of ESPN: Looking at some offseason questions and decisions for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Will forward Nolan Patrick and Oskar Lindblom be able to play a full season? Patrick has been out since April 2019 with a migraine disorder. Lindblom was able to play in their last two games. Patrick is a pending RFA.
A decision on their other RFAs – The Flyers have about $9 million in cap space with RFAs in Robert Hagg, Philippe Myers and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. They may try to move James van Riemsdyk and his $7 million cap hit, but there may not be much of a market for him.
Veteran depth – Derek Grant, Nate Thompson, Tyler Pitlick Justin Braun and Brian Elliott are all UFAs. They may not have a lot of salary cap space available for some veterans.
Keys to the offseason for the Vancouver Canucks
Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski of ESPN: Looking at some offseason questions and decisions for the Vancouver Canucks.
Make a decision on pending UFA goaltender Jacob Markstrom – The Canucks relied on the 30-year old free agent to bail them out during the season. He had a career year. The goalie market is crowded this offseason which gives the Canucks a bit of leverage. Thatcher Demko filled in when Markstrom was injured. The Canucks have to keep in mind that Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes need big, new deals after next season.
Decisions on their other pending free agents – Defenseman Chris Tanev had a good season playing with Hughes. Both sides would like to work out a deal. Other free agents include Tyler Toffoli, Jake Virtanen, Adam Gaudette and Troy Stecher. The Canucks have around $13 million in cap space left with 16 players counting against that number.
Augment the core – Bringing in some veterans with playoff experience and Stanley Cup rings would be beneficial to their young players. Fitting in those players under the cap won’t be easy. Can they find a taker for Loui Eriksson?