Ten players the Flyers could target via trade or free agency this summer

Flyers general manager Danny Brière opened some eyes at his end-of-season news conference with the following statement: “We’re at a stage now where we’re going to shift a little bit from subtracting from the roster into trying to start to add and help the team.”

Naturally, those words led to rampant speculation that the rebuild was over and that the Flyers were set to become buyers, or, in Brière’s words, to go “big-game hunting” in free agency and the trade market.

Not so fast.

In the weeks since that April 19 media availability, Brière has poured water on just how aggressive the Flyers will be this summer, saying Tuesday, “One thing I want to make sure and let our fans know is, like, the plan hasn’t changed. We’re not going to pay crazy assets, you know, just to do something crazy. It has to make sense.”

» READ MORE: Danny Brière won’t say whether the Flyers will draft a center with the No. 6 pick, but it sure looks that way

But is Brière telling the truth or just bluffing? The next 10 days or so will go a long way in answering that question, with the draft commencing on June 27 and free agency opening on July 1.

In Part 1 of a two-part series, we identified 10 forwards the Flyers could target to upgrade their roster, either via trade or free agency.

While probably unrealistic, Bennett at least deserves a mention given the Flyers’ need at center and his status as clearly the best available. Bennett, who turns 29 on Friday, tallied 25 goals and a career-high 51 points this season and has raised his price tag further with a 15-goal postseason on the way to the Conn Smythe Trophy.

The hard-nosed pivot plays “like a Flyer” and would certainly check a big box down the middle. A two-time champ, he will likely command a long-term deal from a contender between $8 million and $10 million average annual value. That’s if he doesn’t give Florida, which doesn’t have state income taxes, a hometown discount.

Not many 23-year-old centers coming off 24 goals and 60 points become available the next offseason, but it appears Rossi might be the exception. Minnesota doesn’t seem to envision the Austrian as part of its long-term plans, and his demotion to the fourth line in the playoffs warrants some cause for pause for potential suitors.

That said, the gifted, albeit 5-foot-9, 182-pound playmaker would immediately jump to the top of the Flyers’ center depth chart. But the cost, in terms of Minnesota’s asking price and Rossi’s next contract, seems to have cooled his market some. The Flyers have reportedly checked in here before, and maybe they circle back at the draft to see if the price has dropped.

Suter exploded for a career-high 25 goals last season with increased usage by Rick Tocchet in Vancouver, and is in line for a nice payday. Could a reunion with the coach who got the best out of him be in the cards for the 29-year-old? Buyer beware, though, as Suter is another undersized center and had never played at a top-six forward level until last season.

» READ MORE: NHL draft: Could the Flyers keep it in the family with two-way ace Caleb Desnoyers?

Could the 25-year-old McLeod become expendable for a Buffalo Sabres team that has decisions to make on Bowen Byram, Alex Tuch, JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn, to name a few? If so, the Flyers should inquire about the restricted free agent, who has good size at 6-3, 188 pounds, is responsible in his own zone, and is one of the league’s fastest skaters.

Evolving Hockey forecasts McLeod’s next deal to be for $5.5 million AAV, which isn’t bad for a center who can play in all situations and is coming off a 20-goal, 53-point campaign.

It wouldn’t be a summer without a Zegras-to-the-Flyers rumor, and while all is quiet on the western front, the Ducks are suddenly in win-now mode and have a lot of top young players coming up for contracts soon.

The highly skilled Zegras, who is still just 24 and has one year left at a $5.75 million cap hit, seems to be on the fringes in Anaheim and would be a worthwhile gamble for a team looking for a top-two center. While Zegras’ value is at an all-time low, it’s easy to forget he has produced two 60-point seasons, plus the John Tortorella obstacle is out of the way.

McTavish, 22, is the less likely of the two to be moved, but he needs a new contract and might come in too pricey for notoriously stubborn GM Pat Verbeek’s liking.

If Anaheim elects to try to trade the former No. 3 overall pick, McTavish has some traits that could intrigue the Flyers. The 6-1, 219-pounder posted career highs in goals (22), assists (30), and points (52) last season, and blends power and skill. We’ve established that Brière and Verbeek have each other’s phone numbers, and the Flyers have a certain restricted free agent defenseman from Anaheim (Cam York) to include in a potential package.

Dallas wants to keep Granlund and likely will after reshaping its team around fellow Finn Mikko Rantanen. But if the Stars can’t free up money for the playmaker, the 33-year-old could be a stopgap option down the middle for the Flyers who could also give a much-needed boost to a floundering power play.

Dallas is in Stanley Cup-or-bust mode and just signed veteran Matt Duchene, and could retain Granlund or add another top-end piece up front if they trade Jason Robertson. That could also mean moving on from the 23-year-old Bourque, who has lit up the American Hockey League but has found top-six NHL opportunities limited among a stacked Stars forward group. A front-loaded offer sheet and surrendering a 2026 second-round pick as compensation might be worth it for Bourque, who had 11 goals and 25 points in his first full NHL season, and could be poised for a Dylan Holloway-type breakout.

» READ MORE: 10 restricted free agents the Flyers could target with an offer sheet

Another Tocchet connection, Boeser is one year removed from a 40-goal season with the Canucks. The two have a close relationship, with Tocchet telling British Columbia newspaper the Province last year: “I’ve got a lot of affection for Brock. … He’s one guy who has played really well for me. … He’s a guy who has come up with big goals."

Boeser has also credited Tocchet for helping him unlock a new level to his game. The Flyers could use some “big goals,” and the right winger, despite dipping to 25 tucks last season, has the tool kit to be a perennial 30-goal scorer. Boeser’s agent, Ben Hankinson, represents Noah Cates and Bobby Brink, so there is also some familiarity there. But he is 28 and due for a long-term extension, so Boeser’s age and price might scare off the Flyers, who are deep on the right side anyway.

If the Flyers are looking for a younger sniper, they will do no better than the electric Peterka, who is fresh off a 27-goal and 68-point season for the Sabres. A restricted free agent, the 23-year-old Peterka is reportedly unhappy in Buffalo and seems a prime candidate to be traded ahead of July 1.

The 6-foot, 189-pound Peterka is blossoming into an elite offensive player who can score from distance with his shot and also set up teammates as a passer. The Sabres averaged 3.96 goals per 60 minutes with Peterka on the ice last season, the top mark of any NHL forward to play at least 55 games, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Sabres also gave up 3.35 goals per 60 with the German on the ice, which ranked near the bottom 20 of the league.

Defensive question marks aside, Peterka is a highly skilled forward who seems to have his best hockey ahead of him and would be more than deserving of a $7 million or $8 million contract. While the Flyers are deep on the right, you make room for someone with his ability and upside.

After getting burned by former first-rounder Cutter Gauthier, could the Flyers flip the script and move for an unhappy but high-end college prospect? Meet Howard, a 2022 first-round pick who recently turned down a chance to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and now is likely to be dealt.

The reigning Hobey Baker Award winner as the best player in college hockey, Howard racked up 26 goals and 52 points in 37 games last season as a junior at Michigan State, where he was teammates with Flyers prospect Karsen Dorwart. The left winger’s puck handling and knack for scoring goals show up consistently on film, as Howard brings a certain swagger both on and off the ice — check out his giddy-up at the draft.

This past season, the 21-year-old also showed improvement as a skater and got visibly stronger, two big developments for his NHL prospects. A trade centered around pick No. 22 or 31 might make some sense.

Another name that has been out there in trade rumors, Marchment would bring some goals and sandpaper to the Flyers’ bottom six, but at what cost? The left winger, who just turned 30 on Wednesday, has tallied 44 goals, 100 points, 187 hits, and 107 penalty minutes over the last two seasons in Dallas but is likely on the way out as a cap casualty with one year left at $4.5 million.

Marchment is not the type of guy who pushes you over the edge, but for the right price, he’d certainly bring some beef at 6-5, 212 pounds, and some snarl to the middle of a lineup that could use it.