Juulsen and Gilbert Add Blueline Depth and Size

Back on July 1, the Flyers signed defensemen Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert to respective one-year contracts

Back on July 1, the Flyers signed defensemen Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert to respective one-year contracts. Juulsen's deal is worth $900,000 while Gilbert's contract is worth $875,000. Both players are 28 years old.

Juulsen is a right-handed shooter with 157 career regular season games and two career playoff matches to his credit. He spent the last two-plus season in Vancouver playing for head coach Rick Tocchet. The two are now reunited in Philadelphia.

Gilbert, a left-handed shooter, has played 111 regular season games at the NHL level. Formerly a member of the Chicago Blackhawks and Calgary Flames, Gilbert spent the 2024-25 season with the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators. He went to the Sens along with Dylan Cozens at the trade deadline.

"We wanted to add some size and depth to our blueline," Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said.

"Noah and Dennis will have a chance to compete for the roster and earn playing time. Both players bring good size and a physical style of play."

With Rasmus Ristolainen recovering from triceps surgery, Juulsen could compete for an opening night lineup in a right defense slot if he has a decent camp. Less is more with Juulsen. He's at his most effective when he focuses on being a defensive defenseman.

The Montreal Canadiens originally selected Juulsen in the first round (26th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Despite his first-round status, he’s primarily been a sixth or seventh defenseman at the NHL level. He’s been set back several times by injuries but gained Tocchet’s trust as a third-pair or depth defender.

Last season, Juulsen dressed in 35 games for the Canucks before he underwent season-ending sports hernia surgery. He last played (briefly) on February 2. The defensive defenseman averaged 16:17 of ice time in his 35 games. He did not record a point. Juulsen dressed in a career-high 54 games for Tocchet’s former team in 2023-24. Overall, he has appeared in 157 NHL games (three goals, 14 assists). He also dressed in two playoff matches for the Canucks in 2024.

Juulsen plays a no-frills brand of hockey. His combination of size (6-foot-2, 201 pounds), decent mobility and being a right-shot blueliner enabled him to be a first-round pick a decade ago. He brings shot blocking (60 last year) and an aggressive hitting presence (101 credited hits in 2024-25) when he’s in the lineup. He takes a high concentration of defensive zone starts.

Overall, Juulsen had a better season in 2023-24 than he did this past year. However, Tocchet still has sufficient trust to bank on a healthier and more effective season in 2025-26.

The Chicago Blackhawks originally selected USHL and Notre Dame product Gilbert in the third round (91st overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. The Buffalo native shuttled back and forth from the American Hockey League to the NHL for a few years.

As with Juulsen, Gilbert offers a big, sturdy frame (6-foot-2, 215 pounds). He prefers to be mindful of his positioning defensively and plays a stay-at-home brand of hockey. He was credited with 63 hits last season between his 25 games with the Sabres and four with the Senators.

Heading into camp in September, Juulsen and Gilbert will be in the mix to push for a third-pairing or seventh-defenseman role assuming Ristolainen is not ready to start the 2025-26 regular season on time. Their competition includes the likes of Egor Zamula, Emil Andrae, Helge Grans, and Hunter McDonald. Additionally, 2023 first-round pick Oliver Bonk is set to play his first professional season and will get a look in camp.