10 restricted free agents the Flyers could target with an offer sheet

The 2025 NHL offseason hasn’t officially started, but it is already being billed as “the summer of offer sheets.”

While the idea of offer sheets is always exciting in principle, they rarely come to fruition — well, at least until last offseason. Last August, the St. Louis Blues took advantage of the seldom-used avenue, tendering offer sheets to two of Edmonton’s top young restricted free agents, center Dylan Holloway and defenseman Philip Broberg. The cap-strapped Oilers ultimately elected not to match the short-term, bigger money deals, and the Blues struck gold as both players thrived in a new situation with elevated roles.

» READ MORE: Who’ll join the Flyers with the No. 6 pick? Here are 8 options for Danny Brière and Co. in June’s draft.

So why all the noise about something that was quietly frowned upon and had occurred only 10 times — twice successfully — this millennium before last summer?

While teams will note the massive payoff for the Blues’ boldness, there are several other factors at play. First, with the NHL salary cap rising $7.5 million next season and scheduled to jump at least $25.5 million over the next three seasons, the offer sheet is about to lose some of its punch, as teams will have more money available to match these types of tenders in the future. You’ll remember Nashville matching the Flyers’ $110 million bid for Shea Weber in 2012, or Vancouver matching a less talked-about Philly offer sheet for a young Ryan Kesler in 2006.

The NHL releasing its salary cap projections more than one year out also allows teams to plan their future payrolls like never before. But while next year’s cap jump will provide some relief to teams, it won’t be enough to clear up every team‘s books. Add in a very weak unrestricted free agent class outside of Mitch Marner, and the offer sheet suddenly becomes even more attractive for teams looking to add.

So what about the Flyers? As they look to add a top-six center and potentially a goalie to push or share time with Sam Ersson, the offer sheet route might be the Orange and Black’s most realistic chance at bolstering its roster. The Flyers also own all of the 2026 draft picks required in terms of compensation if they were to tender an offer sheet to a restricted free agent. (Teams can only use their own original draft picks as part of offer sheets.)

Flyers general manager Danny Brière has also admitted that he thinks the team is ready “to shift a little bit from subtracting from the roster into trying to start to add and help the team.” That would suggest the Flyers don’t plan on being part of the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes, a notion that would cause most teams to pause about parting with their first-round picks.

“It is a tool that we are going to look into,” Brière said last month about offer sheets. “We will consider it.”

Here’s a look at 10 players the Flyers could target with an offer sheet and what the draft compensation would be for each.

Evan Bouchard, D, Edmonton Oilers: One of the top offensive blueliners in the NHL, Bouchard has averaged 16 goals and 75 points over the last two seasons, amassing 61 power-play points in that time. While Bouchard’s defensive game often leaves a lot to be desired, the 25-year-old would single-handedly solve a lot of the Flyers’ issues with the man advantage given his big shot and vision. It’s extremely unlikely that Bouchard gets out of Edmonton, but in addition to $10 million-plus, an offer sheet would cost two future first-round picks, a 2026 second, and a 2026 third. That’s too steep.

Noah Dobson, D, New York Islanders: A year removed from a 70-point season, Dobson hits restricted free agency after posting 10 goals and 39 points. In theory, the 25-year-old blueliner checks a lot of similar boxes to Bouchard, as he has size (6-foot-4, 200 pounds), can skate, and knows how to quarterback a power play. But he also comes with defensive concerns and is probably more of a 50-point player than a 70-point one. Dobson would give the Flyers’ power play a significant boost, but even at the ceiling of the third threshold ($9.36 million annual average value), he would cost next year’s first-, second-, and third-round picks.

Matthew Knies, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs: While Knies doesn’t address either of the Flyers’ two biggest needs, he’s the type of power forward that the Flyers historically love and that every NHL team is trying to get its hands on. The 22-year-old tallied 29 goals and 58 points this season and has another five goals and seven points in 10 playoff games. At 6-3 and nearly 230 pounds, Knies has terrific speed (89th percentile in top speed according to NHL Edge), a lethal shot, and plays with physicality (182 hits). The Leafs also have some cap decisions to make, with Marner due somewhere between $11 million and $13 million a year. Brière recently said you have to “overpay” for RFAs, but there’s some logic to an $8.5 million-$9 million-a-year offer sheet for Knies, especially given his unique skill set and age. While Knies’ camp has said it isn’t interested in offer sheets, an accepted one would mean sacrificing a team‘s top three draft picks in 2026.

» READ MORE: In hiring Rick Tocchet, the Flyers would be getting a ‘great communicator’ and a coach players ‘want to play for’

Gabe Vilardi, C, Winnipeg Jets: The Flyers and Vilardi, 25, would seem to be a match, as the cerebral playmaker poses a dual threat as a goal scorer (27 goals) and passer (34 assists). A deft puckhandler and good decision-maker, Vilardi has played mostly wing at the NHL level but came up as a center. At 6-3, 216 pounds, he does some of his best work below the goal line and as a net-front presence. Vilardi was a key cog on the league’s top power play (25 points), and thinks and processes the game at an elite level. If the Flyers are comfortable with him sliding back to the middle, Vilardi might be a worthy offer sheet candidate, even for the price of the team‘s top three 2026 picks. Would a $7.5 million-$8 million AAV tender be enough to pry him out of Winnipeg?

Mason McTavish, C, Anaheim Ducks: While McTavish, 22, has yet to fully deliver after being the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft, several things about his profile could intrigue the center-needy Flyers. First and foremost, he plays a heavy game that revolves around a combination of power and skill. The 6-1, 219-pounder posted career highs in goals (22), assists (30), and points (52) this season while splitting time between center and wing. McTavish doesn’t have great pace, but he has a tireless motor, plays with some snarl, and boasts a high-end shot.

While he has bounced a bit between center and wing due to his defensive struggles, McTavish is exactly the type of young center with pedigree that the Flyers should consider. Given McTavish has fallen below some of the prospects in the Ducks’ deep pipeline, Anaheim might flinch at paying him top dollar with new contracts coming down the pike for the likes of Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and several young defensemen. To potentially land McTavish, an offer sheet would likely need to fall in the $7.5 million-$8.5 million AAV range, and that would mean the Flyers would need to be willing to part with their top three 2026 picks.

Marco Rossi, C, Minnesota Wild: While Rossi is a restricted free agent, all signs point to Minnesota letting him walk this summer. The final nail in the coffin likely came with Rossi being demoted to the fourth line in the Wild’s first-round playoff series. Rossi figures to be a player the Flyers will look hard at, as he is a former top-10 pick who posted a line of 24 goals, 36 assists, and 60 points in his age-23 season. Rossi’s calling cards are his playmaking, hockey sense, and responsible two-way play, and while his size (5-9, 182 pounds) isn’t ideal for a team like the Flyers that already has so many smaller forwards, he plays a bit bigger and is a willing competitor at both ends of the ice. Rossi’s next contract figures to be $5 million-$6 million, and thus would cost the Flyers their first- and third-round picks in 2026.

Ryan McLeod, C, Buffalo Sabres: Another young center who blossomed with an increased role after a change of scenery, McLeod jumped from 12 goals and 30 points to 20 and 53 this season. The 25-year-old, who was earning $2.1 million this past season, is due for a significant payday given his two-way value. One of the league’s fastest skaters (96th percentile in 20-mph speed bursts), McLeod has good size at 6-3, 188 pounds, kills penalties, and has the defensive capabilities to play a shutdown role. McLeod’s next deal will probably fall in the middle of the $4.68 million-$7.02 million bucket, meaning the compensation would be 2026’s first- and third-rounders.

Joel Hofer, G, St. Louis Blues: It’s no secret that the Flyers are looking for a goalie, and after Lukáš Dostál (Ducks would likely match), Hofer probably would be the second-best veteran RFA option. The 6-5 netminder, who turns 25 in July, has a .907 career save percentage and has started 55 games over the last two seasons while partnering with Jordan Binnington. The Flyers’ best bet at landing a proven No. 1 would come via the trade market, but offer-sheeting Hofer at around $3 million and the compensation price of a 2026 second-round pick could be a worthy gamble if they elect to go the tandem route.

Mavrik Bourque, C, Dallas Stars: Top-six centers are rarely available, so acquiring a young player who has the ceiling to be one is often more feasible. Offer-sheeting Bourque, 23, would represent that type of move, as the 2020 first-rounder has found opportunities limited on a deep Dallas team. The AHL’s top scorer last season with 77 points (26 goals, 51 assists), Bourque scored 11 goals and posted 25 points in a depth wing role for the Stars this season, his first full one in the NHL. A playmaking center with high hockey IQ, his days in Dallas seem numbered, and a one-year tender for $3 million to $3.5 million — and a 2026 second-round pick as compensation — probably gets Bourque to Philly. It is worth noting that Holloway, who tallied 63 points this season (26 goals, 37 assists), had just 18 points in 89 career games before being offer-sheeted by St. Louis.

Jack Quinn, RW, Buffalo Sabres: Another player who wouldn’t necessarily plug a hole, Quinn is the type of young talent that teams might target. The No. 8 overall pick in 2020, Quinn has yet to pop at the NHL level, partially due to a litany of injuries. The 23-year-old is a pure goal scorer — he scored 50 in his last season of junior — and has an elite shot that can beat NHL goalies clean. Quinn, who had 10 of his 15 goals after Jan. 1, feels like he’s close to a breakout. The Sabres have several RFAs they have to worry about with Bowen Byram, JJ Peterka, McLeod, and Devon Levi, so Quinn, who has five goals in seven career games against the Flyers, could be the odd man out. A potentially successful offer sheet would probably cost between $3.5 million and $4 million, plus a 2026 second-rounder.