It is unclear where the Philadelphia Flyers will be entering their 2023-24 offseason in terms of whether they are coming off a playoff berth or not, but they will likely be both in the market to sign players of the free agent class yet not spend too much money.
Fortunately, several great candidates have played pretty well in in-depth roles this season — that might not be shown on their next paycheck, which is good news for a Philadelphia team that wants to maximize cap space. Which unrestricted free agents (UFAs) should the Flyers consider offering a contract if they make it to free agency?
Colin Blackwell
Not many players for the lowly Chicago Blackhawks have shone this season other than 18-year-old phenom Connor Bedard. It’s been tough sledding, and their rebuild is likely to last a few more seasons. As a result, it’s a bit surprising that Colin Blackwell has performed as well as he has. Nothing more than a depth player essentially his entire career, it’s easy to overlook him as just being another underachieving player on a losing team — that simply hasn’t been the case.
Blackwell has had relatively limited action with just 12 games under his belt, but he has been a solid player in said action. He has three goals and two assists for five points with an average ice time of over 15 minutes — he’s had an elevated role due to the many injuries his Blackhawks team has faced.
With an on-ice goals percentage (oiG%) of 60 percent at 5-on-5, he ranks third among forwards on the team that have at least 100 minutes played. Chicago is a significantly better team when he is on the ice than when he is off it, which might be why they have given him the most ice time he has ever seen in his NHL career.
At 30 years old, the upside isn’t too great with Blackwell to justify either a long-term contract or one with a high cap hit. Unless he chooses to re-sign with the Blackhawks, he should be a coveted free agent for teams that need some bottom-six depth, but he might see little interest. Typically, the physical bottom-six players get much of the attention in free agency and not someone like the Chicago forward. Whichever team signs him could be getting a steal.
Craig Smith
Craig Smith, now a member of the Dallas Stars, has surprised and become an above-average depth player for them. The 34-year-old is averaging a hair over 10 minutes of ice time a game, so he is easy to overlook. The forward has four goals and two assists for just six points in 38 games, but he has still been an asset in his role.
The Stars are a very good team this season, but as an individual, Smith has been impressive. His oiG% of 57.1 percent at 5-on-5 is fourth on the team among forwards with 100 or more minutes played, suggesting he makes his lines better as almost all of those around or above him have a spot in the top six.
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He and his lines have been solid defensively, exemplified by his most common unit with forwards Sam Steel and Radek Faksa giving up an expected goals per 60 of just 1.73 — the sixth-best among all forward trios with 100 or more minutes played together. It’s not easy to determine whether or not he can translate that to another team, but it doesn’t seem like a bad bet.
Devin Shore
Much like Smith, Seattle Kraken forward Devin Shore has been a defensive specialist for his team this season. His singular goal and three assists for four points in 18 games don’t jump out, but he was one of Seattle’s best two-way depth players when he was in the lineup. Not having a contest in the NHL under his belt since Dec. 27, 2023, he’d be a solid candidate for a league-minimum contract.
Shore, 29, has gotten little playing time, with an average of a flat eight minutes of ice each game. On the surface, this isn’t even a player who projects to get another NHL contract, much less be a good candidate for one. However, he leads forwards on his team at 5-on-5 in oiG% in the same 100-minute minimum as the others with a 64.3 percent score — well above the next highest with 59.1 percent.
If Shore isn’t getting points but is still the most effective player on his team at outscoring opponents, that means his defensive game is pristine. Among forward lines with 50 or more minutes on the ice, his with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Kailer Yamamoto is allowing an expected 1.3 goals against per game, which is fourth-best in the NHL and the best on his team. As a fourth-line player, he’s worth a shot.
Michael Amadio
For the Vegas Golden Knights, Michael Amadio was a waiver claim from the Los Angeles Kings in 2021-22, not valued very much in the NHL at that time. After back-to-back solid seasons, he is having another one in 2023-24. His oiG% of 59.5 percent at 5-on-5 is fourth among qualifying Vegas forwards, but it is point production that backs it up. With six goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 40 games, he is in the upper echelon of bottom-six players.
Amadio is coming off an arguably better 16-goal and 27-point campaign last season in just 67 games, along with 10 points in 16 playoff games, so he should be highly coveted by other teams if the Golden Knights don’t sign him. Assuming they don’t, he should get a good contract as far as depth forwards are concerned, but his lack of name value might detract from that. A Stanley Cup champion, he’d bring some needed playoff experience to the Orange and Black.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel
The first and only former Flyer on this list, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, has found himself a nice home with the Washington Capitals. He only has 27 games played this season but has four goals and seven assists for 11 points despite having a greater impact on the defense, which means he is worthy of looks from other teams this offseason.
Just 27 years of age, Aube-Kubel will be one of the youngest UFAs on the market. With an oiG% of 69.6 percent, that is by far the best on his team among forwards with 100 or more minutes of ice time this season, as the next highest is sitting at an even 60. He has gotten an elevated role with over 13 minutes of ice time each game, suggesting he is a lot better than the average fourth-line NHLer.
Aube-Kubel’s most common line is with forwards Beck Malenstyn and Nic Dowd, but its 2.42 expected goals against per 60 is the worst of what we have seen so far. That shouldn’t be dismissed, but it’s essentially middle of the road as far as defensive excellence is concerned. This makes it even more impressive that he has played so well. He should get a multi-year contract with the Capitals, but the Flyers should consider going after their former player if that does not happen.
The Flyers would obviously love to get a high-impact player in free agency, but the likelihood of that is low. The NHL season is just halfway through, but the athletes listed would make great additions to the Orange and Black. If they aren’t heavily pursued by other teams, the Flyers should be all over them.
