Complete Guide to the 2015 Offseason for the Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers didn’t have the season they wanted in 2014-15, and it is a disappointment when you consider the talent on the roster. The Flyers were a playoff team last season, and they entered the season with some expectations. 

Philadelphia had its fair share of ups and downs, but it is hard to see the team as constructed coming back for another campaign. The Flyers have a number of holes to address and business decisions to make, and it could get interesting.

Aging owner Ed Snider really wants to win another Stanley Cup, so you can expect him to try to pull off a few moves during the offseason. With that in mind, here’s your complete offseason guide for the Flyers.

Top Performers

This season was a banner year for Jakub Voracek. He finished second in the Art Ross Trophy race with 22 goals, 59 assists and 81 points. For a majority of the season he was unquestionably one of the best players in the league, and it appears he has turned a corner.

He is going to need a new contract after the 2015-16 season, and it will be interesting to see if he gets a new deal this summer.

Another player who stepped up in a big way was Mark Streit on defense. The defense of the Flyers has taken a hit over the past few years with the losses of Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen, but Streit had a tremendous season.

The 37-year-old had one of the best seasons of his career, tallying nine goals, 43 assists and 52 points. He is nearing the end of his career, but he’s been an underrated player on Broad Street.

Biggest Disappointments

Prior to this season, Matt Read had seasons in which he averaged 0.30, 0.26 and 0.29 goals per game. This season he scored only eight goals, and his overall goals-per-game average dropped to 0.10. That is a major disappointment, especially when you look at the new contract he received.

The fall of Vincent Lecavalier is an interesting one, because not too long ago he was one of the NHL’s elite players. During his last three full seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Lecavalier finished with 0.83, 0.77 and 0.82 points per game.

Last season with Philadelphia he averaged 0.64, and this season he finished with 0.35. Lecavalier is eating up valuable cap room at $4.5 million per year, and you can tell the end of his career is near.

Final Analysis

The Flyers missed the playoffs this season because Steve Mason was limited to 50 games. When he was healthy he provided solid goaltending and finished with a stat line of 18-18-11 with a 2.25 goals-against average and .928 save percentage.

If Ray Emery didn’t go 10-10-7 with a 3.10 goals-against average and .893 save percentage, there’s a good chance the Flyers make the playoffs or just miss it by a hair. Once again goaltending was the team’s fatal flaw, but it wasn’t like it had been in years prior with Ilya Bryzgalov.

1. Will Jakub Voracek sign a contract extension?
2. Who will be the coach?
3. Which young player will be traded?

Voracek is a valuable player who is finally coming into his own. He was a talented scorer with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but he has taken his game to new heights in Philadelphia.

The 2014-15 season was Voracek’s seventh season of NHL service, and he turns 26 in August. That means after his current deal expires he will have a chance to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent.

There is no doubt that general manager Ron Hextall will try to sign Voracek, but will the 6'2", 214-pound skilled forward commit to a team with a questionable future? If he doesn’t sign a deal this summer, he is as good as gone, and you can expect the Flyers to try to deal him for a massive return.

Craig Berube was a popular candidate to be the first coach to be fired early on in 2014-15 because the Flyers were terrible. He ultimately kept his job, but will Ed Snider show patience with the current bench boss, or will he be searching for someone new?

The Flyers could bolster their blue line and add some depth to their second and third line, and that could result in the trade of a young player.

It is conceivable that the Flyers try to sell a team on the upside of players like Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn, because they are talented players who have had limited minutes in Philly. Both could net a nice return, and at this point something needs to be done to address the big-picture situation of the Flyers roster.

The Flyers have a number of restricted free agents to take care of, but they don't have the availability to seek other offers. On the unrestricted-free-agency front, there aren't many notable ones worth mentioning besides Ray Emery.

• Ray Emery: The Flyers will need to sign a new backup this summer with Emery hitting free agency. He’s been pretty bad for Philadelphia, and it makes sense to let him go during the offseason. The team could promote Rob Zepp from the AHL or look for a suitable replacement on the UFA market.

The Flyers need to add a quality second-line forward, a third-line forward, a quality defenseman and a backup goaltender. However, the Flyers don’t have the funds to meet each need. Therefore, here are some realistic players who could be targeted to fill at least one of their needs.

Justin Williams is a talented player on the Los Angeles Kings who could become a cap causality. He was drafted 28th overall by the Flyers during the 2000 NHL draft, and he could be a quality second-liner who provides veteran leadership.

If price isn’t an issue, Chris Stewart should be targeted because he is a prototypical Flyer. He is physical, plays with an edge and can score goals. Stewart rebounded after coming to the Minnesota Wild, and he’s certainly someone who should be of interest to Ron Hextall.

In terms of defense, Zbynek Michalek could fit on the Flyers because he is a right-handed blueliner who can fill a top-four role. He could fly under the radar with other quality players set to hit the market, and he’d fit what the Flyers are looking for.

The Flyers currently sit in a position in which they have the No. 7 pick and the No. 25 pick based on the standings. They acquired a second first-rounder in a deal with Tampa Bay, and that certainly gives the team some flexibility.

The team needs to add some impact forwards, and it wouldn’t hurt to pick up a promising blueliner. If available at No. 7, the Flyers should target Mikko Rantanen, a center/winger from Finland. He’s a speedy forward with good size at 6’4” and 195 pounds who is comparable to Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers.

If Rantanen isn’t available, Lawson Crouse could be a solid selection. At 6’3” and 200 pounds, Crouse has NHL size, and his speed and two-way game make him a poor man’s Rick Nash. His scoring totals weren’t impressive, but he has some serious skill.

If the Flyers target a defender early, they should go after Ivan Provorov or Zach Werenski. Both are talented all-around defenders with some offensive upside, and both would be available at No. 7. Provorov is currently holding his own with the Brandon Wheat Kings, and Werenski had a decent season at the University of Michigan.

Taking either defender early would allow the Flyers to use their late first-round pick on a forward like Jordan Greenway from the USA national under-18 team. He is a 6’4”, 214-pound power forward who plays with an edge.

Depending on how negotiations go, Jakub Voracek could be on the trading block in an attempt for the team to rebuild on the fly. It may seem like an unpopular opinion, but the return could put the Flyers in a situation to succeed in 2015-16 and beyond.

Holding onto Voracek until the last minute wouldn't make sense, because he is an elite player in his prime who could get at least $8 million on the open market.

Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn are also likely candidates, because they are valuable trade chips. In addition to that, both also will need a new contract after the 2015-16 season, and that could get expensive if either has a breakout season.

Committing to one of the forwards as a top-six forward would be the best possible outcome, and that would allow Ron Hextall to trade the other in a package that addresses some of the Flyers' other concerns.

Scott Laughton isn’t technically a prospect because of games played, but he is one of the Flyers’ talented youngsters who should be an NHL regular in 2015-16. He tallied 22 points in 33 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, and the 6’1”, 190-pounder could be a quality second-line center.

Shayne Gostisbehere was injured only two games into the 2014-15 season, and the talented defender will get his shot in 2015-16. He won a national championship with Union College in 2014, and he’s a creative defender with some wheels.

The Flyers have some decisions to make with their own free agents, and here is a projected depth chart based on players who are under contract and currently in the organization. This does not account for potential trades or free-agent signings.

Michael Raffl | Claude Giroux | Jakub Voracek

Matt Read | Sean Couturier | Wayne Simmonds

Brayden Schenn | Scott Laughton | Jason Akeson

Zac Rinaldo | Pierre-Edouard Bellemare |Ryan White

Mark Streit | Radko Gudas

Michael Del Zotto | Luke Schenn

Andrew McDonald | Nick Schultz

Nicklas Grossmann

Steve Mason

Rob Zepp

Stats via Hockey-Reference unless noted.