Breaking down the Flyers’ free agents, available cap space, and buyout options for 2024-25

With the book closed on the Flyers’ 2023-24 season, and before the NHL officially flips its calendar to 2024-25, it’s as good a time as any to take a peek at the new ledger.

A few things are already known, like Owen Tippett, Nick Seeler, and Ryan Poehling returning after signing new contracts during the season. You can add Ivan Fedotov, who signed an extension last week, to that list. But a lot remains in flux. Will the Flyers buy out anyone? Will they offer qualifying offers to their restricted free agents, including Carter Hart? What does the trade market look like for general manager Danny Brière and how will the Flyers brass tackle free agency with the rebuild still in the early stages?

» READ MORE: 5 key questions facing the Flyers as they begin an interesting offseason

Here’s a breakdown of where things stand ahead of a busy summer:

Most of the roster is intact, with 19 of the 23 players on the NHL roster signed for next season. According to CapFriendly, the Flyers have 39 players on standard player contracts.

Notable nonroster guys under contract for next season with a chance to see NHL action include forwards Samu Tuomaala, Elliot Desnoyers, Olle Lycksell, Oscar Eklind, and Massimo Rizzo; defensemen Ronnie Attard, Emil Andrae, Hunter McDonald, and Helge Grans; and goalies Cal Petersen and Alexei Kolosov.

This does not include Rasmus Ristolainen, who is on injured reserve after undergoing surgery on a ruptured triceps tendon on April 18. He is signed for three more years at an annual average value of $5.1 million. Ryan Ellis is also technically under contract for three more years ($6.25 million average annual value) but is also on injured reserve and is not expected to play in the NHL again.

Brière has already announced that the expectation is that unrestricted free agents Denis Gurianov and Marc Staal will not return next season. Staal, 37, said on locker cleanout day he will take the summer to decide on his NHL future. Gurianov, acquired in a deal at the trade deadline, played in only four games for the Flyers and, while he showcased some speed and skill, did not register a point.

Bobby Brink, Adam Ginning, and Egor Zamula are all restricted free agents with arbitration rights. For the Flyers to retain their rights, they must be given qualifying offers by June 30. If they are not, they will become unrestricted free agents. The expectation is the three will be re-signed before the start of next season.

Although Ginning played only a handful of games, he showed he’s a solid defensive defenseman who could benefit from more experience at the NHL level. Brink had an up-and-down year but finished with 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 57 games and stepped up his game after being recalled from Lehigh Valley in late February. As for Zamula, he too struggled early on, but as coach John Tortorella said, “he took a big step in the right direction in progressing.” In 66 games, he collected 21 points — nine of which were on the power play — and two of his five goals came with the man advantage.

Hart took an indefinite leave from the Flyers on Jan. 23, one day before reports surfaced that he was one of the five Hockey Canada players involved in an alleged sexual assault in London, Ontario, in 2018. A tweet from Hart’s lawyers on Jan. 30 confirmed he had been charged with one count of sexual assault and his lawyers made their first court appearance on Feb. 5 via Zoom.

At the time, the goalie was in the final year of a three-year, $11.937 million contract. With his indefinite leave of absence, the Flyers were granted salary-cap relief from his contract. Hart will become a restricted free agent on July 1.

» READ MORE: Danny Brière’s patience is the best thing the Flyers have going for them in their rebuild

But here’s where things get tricky. Technically, Hart can be offered a qualifying offer before July 1 as he is part of the Flyers organization. If he is not given a qualifying offer, he will become an unrestricted free agent. At this moment, he is not suspended by the NHL and could sign with any team then.

However, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in his midseason news conference at the All-Star Game regarding Hart and his four codefendants: “They’re all away from their teams on leave. And they’re all free agents. They won’t be under contract after the season anyway.”

Reading between the lines, the expectation is that Hart will not be back in the NHL anytime soon. The case is not expected to go to trial until 2025 at the earliest because of a backlog in Canada’s court system and Bettman said he “would be surprised if they’re playing while this is pending.”

When asked, Brière said on Friday that there is “nothing new on Carter, we haven’t received any direction” from the NHL. But considering that the Flyers GM has been vocal that his goalie tandem next season is Fedotov and Samuel Ersson, expect the team to sever ties with the goalie.

Cam Atkinson sounded like a guy who could use a change of scenery after cleaning out his locker, and is a prime buyout target for the Flyers. The veteran forward was a healthy scratch for 12 games, all after the new year, and posted just 28 points across the season — zero after the All-Star break. Atkinson turns 35 in June and, according to CapFriendly, if the Flyers do buy him out it will cost $3,516,667 with savings of $1,758,333 across two seasons. Atkinson reiterated that the Flyers’ focus is to go younger and cutting ties would open up a spot for a youngster to slot in.

Petersen is also on the books for one more year. The goalie has one year left at $5 million and would cost $4 million with a savings of $2 million. Right now, his contract is buried in the AHL with Lehigh Valley and could remain that way next season.

Ryan Johansen is another player the Flyers would like to either bury in the AHL or cut ties with. Unfortunately, there is a new wrinkle since he was acquired in the Sean Walker deal.

“In Ryan Johansen’s case, all I can tell you is I don’t expect him to be back,” Brière said. “I don’t exactly know the situation. We’re dealing on the medical side with him. I think the No. 1 thing for him is to get him back to being able to play at this time. He doesn’t think he can play hockey. Again, I wish I had a better answer for you, but we need to get him better to figure out if there’s even a remote chance of him dressing for the organization at whatever level.”

He would cost $5,333,333 with a savings of $2,666,667 — but that is split in two between the Flyers and the Nashville Predators, who retained 50% of his contract when they traded him to the Colorado Avalanche last summer.

So what does it all mean?

The salary cap next season will rise to $87.5 million. It’s great news for the Flyers, who finished this season at almost $84 million — less than $1 million under the salary cap.

According to CapFriendly, here’s how things break down:

Roster and buried cap hit: $81,688,333

This is the current roster, injuries, and buried cap hit. This includes Ristolainen, Ellis, and Petersen’s $3.85 million cap hit buried in Lehigh Valley.

Dead cap hit: $5,238,095

The dead cap hit in 2024-25 includes the more than $3.51 million owed to Kevin Hayes in retained salary and the $1.67 million left after buying out Tony DeAngelo last season. Hayes’ dead cap hit will continue in 2025-26 as well.

» READ MORE: The Flyers’ power play was ‘Tortured’ all season long, just ask Taylor Swift

Projected cap hit: $86,926,428 with $573,572 of projected cap space

So here’s the bad news: This does not include re-signing any of the restricted free agents or filling the holes left by the unrestricted free agents. The Flyers will be right up against the cap again but do have some flexibility with Ellis and potentially Johansen eligible for long-term injured reserve. They could also buy out Atkinson or Petersen for some immediate relief or try to trade a roster player with a big number such as Ristolainen or Joel Farabee. They’ll need to do something to fit everybody in, as re-signing Zamula and Brink will be top priorities; each is expected to earn a pay raise that would bump him above the $1 million mark. Given the number crunch following Fedotov’s new deal, expect the unexpected from Brière and Co. this offseason.