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Flyers Free Agency Frenzy: Grading Philly’s Moves
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- Flyers Free Agency Frenzy: Grading Philly’s Moves
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The offseason is in full swing as 2026 NHL Free Agency has opened up. In the middle of a busy day on Wednesday, the Philadelphia Flyers announced a flurry of transactions, including 2 extensions, 2 UFA signings, and 4 minor moves.
The Flyers, a 2026 postseason team, will have heavy expectations, despite Flyers' GM Danny Briere's efforts to hush the rising expectations.
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"There's a chance, and a good chance, that we take a little bit of a step back this year and we are ready for that, but I'm excited where this young group of guys is going," said Briere following Wednesday's free agency frenzy.
In reality, free agency was not necessarily the place where Briere would find a player to greatly improve the team. Instead, the trade market will be the place to do so. Still, getting better is always the goal when making deals.
To me, that's what the Flyers did.
Let's get into their moves.
The Extensions
Dan Vladar: 5 Years, $27.5 Million ($5.5M AAV)
The move we all knew was coming. Dan Vladar was very clearly the Flyers team MVP from this past season. No Vladar, no playoffs; it's that simple.
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After starting his career as a backup in Boston and Calgary, Vladar bet on himself by signing in Philly. He saw the opportunity, and he took it. He had one year left on his current deal, but the Flyers did not want to wait to lock him up long-term.
5 years and $27.5 million seems like a lot for a guy who has played one year as a No. 1 netminder, but Vladar proved to be rock solid between the pipes for the Flyers. For that reason, I see no issue with the contract.
In all reality, there is a very real chance Vladar makes this contract look like a steal. With the rising cap, $5.5 million is a relatively low cap hit. He'll be 34 when his contract expires, an age at which goalies still compete at a high level.
It was a no-brainer deal at a good price. Extending Vladar is an A+move.
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Read More: Officially Official: Flyers Sign Dan Vladar to 5-Year Extension
Tyson Foerster: 8 Years, $56.8 Million ($7.1M AAV)
This one, I did not see coming. Not on Wednesday, anyway. The Flyers extended Tyson Foerster for 8 more years after this final season, worth a total of $56.8 million. It carries a cap hit of $7.1 million, like his jersey number.
Foerster, when healthy, has been absolutely unbelievable. In his first two full seasons in the league, the 24-year-old scored 20 and 25 goals. This past season, he scored 13 goals in 29 games and was the team leader before going down with an upper-body injury.
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When healthy, Foerster has elite goal-scoring abilities, something the Flyers need. The issue is when healthy. Injuries have not been too kind to Foerster. A shoulder injury kept him sidelined for most of the 2021-22 season. After that, he had been on the ice for most of the following seasons until a cruel 2025-26. It started with an elbow injury in the Summer, but he recovered in a timely manner. Then a puck to the boot caused him to miss 4 games in November, before his early December upper-body injury nearly ended his season.
That said, a lengthy extension for a player with a cruel injury history is risky. Even in 2027, Foerster would have been an RFA. The Flyers could have taken their time with this, maybe to see if he could remain healthy.
On the flip side, getting it done now could keep the cap down low. Again, IF he can stay healthy, Foerster could absolutely be an elite goal-scorer. $7.1 million is quite the friendly price for someone who was trending for 30+ goals this past season.
The biggest shocker was Foerster getting a new deal before both Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale. But still, I would not worry there.
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I really do like the deal for Foerster, but the injury concern makes it a B-gradefor me.
The UFA Signings
Carl Grundstrom: 1 Year, $1 Million
Let's start with the one that sort of flew under the radar. Darren Dreger was first to report the deal on Tuesday, but no other attention was brought to it. The Flyers then officially announced that they were re-signing forward Carl Grundstrom to a 1 year deal for $1 million.
During his time with the Flyers last season, Grundstrom played up and down the lineup and provided a solid veteran presence for the team. I would not go as far as to say he was an all-situations player, but he was able to fill in as a penalty killer.
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Overall, Grundstrom is a solid player to keep around. Well-liked, versatile, and seemingly a player who will fill any role the team needs him to.
It's not a needle-moving transaction, but having a guy like Grundstrom around cannot hurt, especially with a young club. It's a B-grademove in my opinion.
Noel Acciari: 2 Years, $5.6 Million ($2.8M AAV)
Well, I sure hope Noel Acciari and Trevo Zergas get off to a better start than they did during the 2025-26 season.
The Flyers signed veteran forward Noel Acciari to a 2 year deal. This is why I like to give myself some time to breathe before writing my opinions. In the immediate moments of the deal, I cannot say I was a big fan of the move. Then, after looking into the player a little deeper, I realized it was a sneaky good signing.
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Acciari won't be much of a needle-mover, either. Nor would I expect him to see a bigger role other than the 4th-line wing, unless there are injuries. He will fill the Luke Glendening role as the right-side faceoff guy, a penalty-killer, and a 4th-line grinder. The difference? Acciari brings more offense to the table.
Not to mention, as we saw in the playoffs with the Penguins, Acciari is feisty and can be a pest. He's not easy to play against. On the 4th line, you have to like that sort of stuff.
Again, it's not a needle-moving pick up, but it's much better than it looks. I give it an A.
The Minor Transactions
Among the moves made, the Flyers also made 4 smaller transactions. The Flyers signed forwards Jack Studnicka, Danila Klimovich, Zach Aston-Reese, and defenseman Cam Dineen. Studnicka, Klimovich, and Dineen are all on two-way deals. As for Aston-Reese, it seems as if Year 2 of his deal is a two-way deal, per PuckPedia.
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Aston-Reese split time between the Blue Jackets and the Cleveland Monsters (AHL) last season. Studnicka is a career AHLer with a handful of NHL games sprinkled in over 7 seasons of pro hockey. Kilmovich has yet to make it to the NHL, while Dineen has a total of 38.
Briere has very clearly made an attempt to fill out the Lehigh Valley Phantoms roster for the upcoming season. Surely, these 4 players will have an opportunity during training camp, but these 4 are likely AHL players.
With that in mind, there's no need to grade the moves.
What do you make of the Flyers' moves so far this free agent cycle?
Read More: Flyers Add A War Horse Veteran, Sign Acciari From Rival Penguins
The post Flyers Free Agency Frenzy: Grading Philly's Moves appeared first on Philly Hockey Now .
