Over their past two offseasons, the Philadelphia Flyers have pursued semi-expensive depth options for their roster. It’s hard to blame them. For a while, a lot of their depth consisted of sub-replacement-level forwards and defensemen who actively cost the team games. An easy way to solve this problem was by opening up their wallets.
In the 2023 free agency period, the Flyers targeted forwards Garnet Hathaway and Ryan Poehling, with the two combining for a $3.775 million cap hit. This was on top of Scott Laughton, Noah Cates, and Nicolas Deslauriers, who were making $7.4 million together. This, as opposed to the several league-minimum-salaried depth in years past, was a noticeable improvement. Philadelphia nearly made the playoffs in 2023-24 partially because of their approach.
The Flyers doubled down by extending Hathaway and Poehling to two-year contracts apiece worth slightly more than they originally signed for. They also gave third-pairing defenseman Nick Seeler a four-year deal worth $2.7 million annually, which came with a no-trade clause.
Now, we look ahead to the 2025 offseason festivities. As the Orange and Black prepare for them, one thing should be established: they have the talent to save some money on their depth this time. It may be somewhat of a necessity, too, considering their salary cap situation.
Let’s discuss some possible in-house depth options who could be deserving of an NHL roster spot. This can make the team’s more expensive depth players expendable, potentially helping the Flyers accumulate assets and cap space through trades.
Players in the System Who Could Make Good Depth Pieces
The Flyers will likely have some roster openings in 2025-26 regardless since it’s unlikely for every player on this season’s team to return. Here are three players, all from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL), who could be good depth players in Philadelphia if given the chance.
Olle Lycksell, Winger
Olle Lycksell, a 25-year-old left-handed winger, isn’t a stranger to the Flyers. The 2017 sixth-round pick has had a few contests of NHL hockey under his belt with the Orange and Black over the past few seasons, debuting in 2022-23. Since the start of that campaign, he has 108 AHL points in 116 games.
Being a valuable piece for the Phantoms scoring-wise hasn’t exactly translated to the NHL level. His six points in 27 games aren’t all that impressive, but his on-ice numbers are. Among Flyer forwards with 100 minutes of 5-on-5 usage over the past two seasons, he is first in shot attempt share (56.14%), first in shot share (61.81%), third in goal share (50.00%), first in expected goal share (63.47%), and first in high-danger chance share (60.81%).
Perhaps it’s due to the limited sample size he’s working with (180:21 of ice time), but Lycksell has been great in Philadelphia. Usually, players with his $787,500 salary have metrics 10% or more below those—cheap depth guys are supposed to be outplayed and outscored. Especially considering his AHL production, Lycksell could be more than just that.
There could be some upside with Lycksell. With the way Stefan Noesen has broken out for the New Jersey Devils this season by being put in an opportunity to succeed, every team should be trying to recreate this. Sometimes, the next top-six player is someone in their mid-to-late 20s sitting in the AHL. This is admittedly the best possible outcome, but you never know if you don’t try.
Samu Tuomaala, Winger
Samu Tuomaala, a 21-year-old winger, has also been productive with the Phantoms this season. His 23 points in 29 AHL games are good for his age, showing he may have what it takes to be a full-time NHLer. He could add a spark to the Flyers’ offense.
Tuomaala has yet to make his debut for the Flyers. Drafted in the second round in 2021, his development was worryingly slow to start but he has picked it up immensely in recent seasons. He’s tied for 30th in AHL scoring in 2024-25, and tied for sixth among players 21 or younger. It might not be the case yet, but the Finn is reaching “too good for the minors” territory.
The Flyers should probably make an opening for Tuomaala in 2025-26. He shouldn’t be handed a spot by any means, but he may add something to their team. He’s an option for their woeful power play, too, so that’s a bonus.
Ethan Samson, Defenseman
Ethan Samson has been terrific for the Phantoms this season, all things considered. The 21-year-old right-shot defenseman has 11 points in 28 games, even though he’s not a top-pairing player for Lehigh Valley. Those 11 points are the same as or more than the following players around his age who have already made their NHL debuts: Kevin Korchinski, Lian Bichsel, and Ethan Del Mastro. He’s joined by good company.
Samson could bring a level of confidence to the Flyers that their defense could use. He’s comfortable with the puck on his stick and isn’t afraid to shoot. He may have a minus-14 rating, which is one of the worst on the Phantoms, but there’s a lot to like about his game.
Similar to teammate Emil Andrae, who is 22, it’s possible for Samson to see immediate NHL success despite his youth. Defensemen may take longer to develop, but Flyers associate coach Brad Shaw has done wonders for the back end. If Samson continues to impress and has a good training camp next season, he could be the next to flourish under Shaw.
Flyers Can Save Cap Space with Depth Departures
Combined, the three players above have a cap hit of $2.465 million (Lycksell will be a free agent in 2025, however). Alone, Hathaway is making just $90,000 less than that this season—that’s three players for the price of one.
This isn’t to suggest the Flyers should throw today’s depth overboard, but they should consider cheaper options. This will save them money if they want to improve the top half of their roster. A potential long-term extension to defenseman Cam York could be expensive, too, so having a bit of leniency cap-wise could go a long way.
The three players above could use some NHL time for their development, anyway, so it’s kind of killing two birds with one stone here. If the Flyers plan to trade some of their current depth for draft capital or prospects, it’d be three birds.
In previous seasons, the Flyers didn’t have the pieces to trot their AHL pieces in the NHL. Now, they do. It may be beneficial to give those guys playing time in 2025-26 for the reasons outlined above: player development, more money, and more assets like draft picks if the Flyers are willing to sell off their current depth.
