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In 2023-24, it looked like the Philadelphia Flyers were on the verge of coming out of the rebuild in a big way. The franchise occupied the third seed in the Metropolitan Division for most of the season before collapsing at the last, losing nine of 11 games to fall out of a playoff spot on the last day of the season. It was a devastating end to a very promising campaign.
Calling 2024-25 a step backward would be complimentary after the year the Flyers just had. Never really looking like a playoff-caliber club, Philly struggled mightily for long stretches and ended up finishing dead last in the Eastern Conference at 33-39-10. It was a discouraging season for so many reasons, and culminated in John Tortorella getting the sack with just a handful of games left.
While a top priority for the front office this summer will be finding a new head coach to lead the Flyers in 2025-26 and beyond, it's clear that the roster as currently constructed is nowhere near playoff contention in the East. Philadelphia could use upgrades at all three positions, but probably the most glaring is between the pipes. The Flyers allowed 3.45 goals per game this year, good for 29th league-wide.
The tandem of Samuel Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov is unproven, and franky, one of the worst in the National Hockey League. If this franchise hopes to get back to true Stanley Cup contention, that needs to change. Ahead of a long offseason in The City of Brotherly Love, here are three intriguing trade targets — one at each position.
Charlie Lindgren could be a sneaky great addition
It would be surprising if the Flyers ran it back with the same goaltending tandem as they have the past two seasons. As Tortorella said before he was fired, Carter Hart's indefinite leave of absence in early 2024 left the roster with a glaring hole. Before being accused of sexual assault, Hart was the goaltender of the future in Philly after being selected 48th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft.
But that chapter is behind the team now, and it's time to look to the future. While the Flyers could look to add a capable backup like Ottawa Senators' Anton Forsberg or St. Louis Blues' Joel Hofer in free agency, they should instead inquire about Washington Capitals netminder Charlie Lindgren.
Although Lindgren and Logan Thompson play a ‘1A' ‘1B' system in the nation's capital, it's clear that Thompson is the goaltender of the future in Washington. The Caps also have an excellent American Hockey League netminder in Hunter Shepard, who just led the Hershey Bears to back-to-back Calder Cup titles and should get an extended look in the NHL at some point.
The 31-year-old Lindgren is locked up for a very reasonable $3 million for the next three years, and although he wouldn't come cheap, it's not impossible the front office in Washington would look to move him if the offer is right. That's especially true considering Thompson is under team control until 2031, and is three years younger at 28-years-old.
If Lindgren wants to be a legitimate playoff goaltender — something that probably won't happen as long as Thompson is in the picture — he would probably not be against a change of scenery at some point over the next few years. And a goalie-starved Flyers team could be the perfect landing spot.
Flyers could bolster center depth with Trevor Zegras
Up front, the Flyers badly need to improve their center depth. Currently, Daily Faceoff projects Noah Cates as 1C, with Sean Couturier, Ryan Poehling and Jakob Pelletier rounding out the position. That's certainly not great, and Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras could be a great addition to a young forward core.
Given Zegras' age and skill level, he could make a lot of sense for the Flyers. Although the 24-year-old has not been the same player since back-to-back 60+ point campaigns when he first entered the league, he had a reasonable bounce-back in 2024-25 with 32 points in 57 games. Although this is a player the Ducks likely don't want to part with, Anaheim is full of impressive young talent, and GM Pat Verbeek could pull the trigger if the price is right.
When Zegras is at his best, he's still a very reliable top-six option. And he would be relied upon to create offense, and maybe even get a chance to play with Matvei Michkov, if traded to Philadelphia. It wouldn't be cheap, but Danny Briere and the front office should certainly inquire this summer. With one year left on his deal, if the squad could add Zegras and get him locked up long-term, he could immediately be a huge piece of the franchise's future.
Bowen Byram would be a great Rasmus Ristolainen replacement
To add insult to a very disappointing season in Philadelphia, Rasmus Ristolainen underwent surgery on his right triceps at the end of March and is expected to miss training camp. Briere confirmed the timeline is around six months. That's a brutal blow considering the hulking Finnish blue liner was playing some of the best hockey of his career.
There's no guarantee the 30-year-old will be the same caliber of player when he returns from the ailment. And the Flyers' defensive unit is lacking as it is. A decent option to inject some life into the top-four would be Bowen Byram, who hasn't fit in well with the Buffalo Sabres since being traded from the Colorado Avalanche.
At his best, Byram is an offensive-minded player who can run a powerplay. But he just isn't getting that opportunity with a couple of former No. 1 overall picks in Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power ahead of him on the depth chart. With Byram set to be an RFA, the Flyers could explore a sign-and-trade, or even sign him to an offer sheet that Buffalo would need to match. Byram would be a great fit on any team, but he would immediately become one of the most skilled players on the Flyers' blue line.
After a nightmare campaign, this club badly needs a re-branding ahead of next year. Along with a new coach, the front office should strongly consider inquiring about all of Lindgren, Zegras and Byram.
