Each day until July 1, the day NHL free agency begins, NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Boruk, Tom Dougherty and Jordan Hall will analyze some of the league's impending free agents and project their likelihood of signing with the Flyers.
Over time, general manager Ron Hextall has freed his club from its salary cap dungeon, setting the Flyers up with greater financial flexibility this offseason. The team has $21.7 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.com.
As the Flyers look to take a step forward in 2018-19, free agency will provide Hextall an avenue to fill specific holes and supplement his mix of veterans and youth. While the team hasn't been major players on the market under Hextall in the past, the GM indicated earlier this month the Flyers could be active this summer.
Hextall said the Flyers wouldn't entertain a seven-year contract on a free agent, but he expressed a desire to add a veteran or two depending on the term.
With that said, let's look at some possible fits and how/if they make sense for the Flyers.
Derek Ryan
Age: 31
Position: C
Height: 5-11
Weight: 170
Last team: Hurricanes
2017-18 cap hit: $900,000
Boruk
One quality about Ryan that’s certainly admirable is the perseverance he has shown in finally reaching the NHL. Now 31, Ryan is coming off his second full season in the league. Is he considered a late bloomer after four years in college and time spent in Europe? Not exactly.
NHL
Ryan dazzled in the SHL before eventually joining the Hurricanes when he was 29. For a player not blessed with a tremendous skill set, Ryan is an undersized center and doesn’t possess gifted speed. Playing most of last season on a line with Jeff Skinner, Ryan was able to still squeeze out 15 goals and 38 points while centering the Canes’ second power-play unit.
For the Flyers, Ryan would be slotted in as a third-line center similar to Riley Nash, who we had previously discussed. He’ll dig pucks out of the corners and has been successful in winning faceoffs (over 55 percent in each of the past two seasons). However, Ryan played very little on the penalty kill last season in Carolina and Hextall is looking for a player that can also handle that responsibility.
With teams preferring Nash as a bottom-six center, Ryan should come somewhat cheap and with little term — no more than a one or two-year deal between $1-2 million. Anything more than that would be overpaying for a player that may not come close to contributing what he did in 2017-18.
Dougherty
Ryan probably will sign with the Calgary Flames and reunite with Bill Peters, his former coach with the Hurricanes. Ryan reportedly has a few suitors and will certainly receive a raise from his $900,000 annual average value.
Fit wise, Ryan might not be the penalty-killing forward Hextall desires but he would be an upgrade at 3C. Ryan is coming off a respectable second NHL season at 31 years old. Ryan didn't make the NHL until he was 29. A feel-good story, for sure.
To land Ryan, the Flyers will have to pay a little bit. He'll come cheaper than other options such as Tyler Bozak and would bring some offense to the third line. With bottom-six forwards, term is what can hurt you in free agency.
Hello, Dale Weise.
Ultimately, I don't see the Flyers signing Ryan. I don't know if it's because they won't be interested or if he'll be below the line they've drawn. Regardless, if they can get him, I think it would be a good signing.
Hall
The Flyers would like Ryan's story. They've always been an organization that prides itself on players with work ethic and character.
Ryan's trek to his NHL debut at age 29 fits that mold. What he does well is clear — the 5-foot-11, 170-pounder is a threat to provide secondary scoring with nice offensive traits in a bottom-six role.
But Ryan might not do everything the Flyers are looking for in a depth forward and you must truly wonder if his 2017-18 season was his ultimate ceiling.
And, as Tom pointed out, it's looking like the Flames are the favorite. There's a major connection with Peters and, according to the Calgary Sun, Ryan visited the team Friday.
So I simply don't see a scenario of Ryan coming to the Flyers.