The Philadelphia Flyers don’t have a single unrestricted free agent on the main roster heading into the 2025 offseason. In fact, the only four players who aren’t under contract already for the 2025-26 season are all restricted free agents. All four have rather interesting circumstances surrounding their potential extensions, so let’s make some predictions for the Flyers’ 2025 RFA class before they put pen to paper this summer!
Cam York
Six months ago, York getting a typical eight-by-eight extension was more or less expected. It’s the status quo ballpark for most young top defensemen. But with the uncertainty around both his play and overall place in the organization at the moment, it no longer seems like a typical paint-by-numbers extension is the most likely option.
It’s very possible that he ultimately signs a long-term deal at the high dollar value that he was expected to anyway, but at this point it wouldn’t be surprising if he just carries himself to UFA status in 2028 by signing a three-year deal and deciding what happens after that.
If he patches things up with the Flyers and resumes life as a top defenseman now that Tortorella is gone, then they can ink him to his long-term deal down the road, even if it’ll cost more money to do so later. But committing to him as he is right now, as common as those types of extensions are, just may not be in the best interest of the team given the turmoil that has unfolded and the player may not want it anyway.
Prediction: Three years, $5 million AAV
Noah Cates
Noah Cates stepped up during the 2024-25 season, but overall 235 games have been split between “just a guy” status and someone who looks to be a decent two-way, middle-six center. He sure feels like the kind of guy the Flyers would go overboard on an extension with in both term and dollar value.
The problem with locking up Noah Cates long-term is that Sean Couturier is still under contract for five more years, and it’s possible Jett Luchanko tops out as a 3C at the NHL level. They don’t need three 3Cs under contract at the same time.
Cates would probably be best served taking a one-year “prove it” deal. It gives him a chance to earn big next summer if he does, in fact, keep improving with regularity, but it gives the Flyers a ripcord just in chase he falls back to a bottom six nobody. But that’s probably a pipe dream. Maxed out extension incoming.
Prediction: Five years, $5.5 million AAV
Tyson Foerster
Thanks to a late-season offensive explosion, Foerster managed to set new career highs in goals (25) and points (43). Recently, the Flyers have been leaning towards cheaper bridge deals for players coming off their entry-level contracts, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a two to three year deal clocking in around $3 million. They like him for his two-way game and he’s probably got more to give offensively, so maybe they go the Joel Farabee route and lock Foerster up to a slightly longer term deal on a cap hit that could be considered team friendly if he continues to trend in the right direction.
That route is obviously a bit of a risk for a team already trapped in contract hell at the moment, but if Foerster pans out, it’s the kind of deal that could age well and help them out big time a few years down the road. Don’t expect it, but if they were ever going to try banking on someone’s continued development in contract form, Tyson Foerster may be the guy to do it with.
Prediction: Two years, $2.5 million AAV
Jakob Pelletier
Realistically, there’s probably no reason to re-sign Pelletier. The Flyers *should* keep at least one forward slot open in the case guys like Jett Luchanko or Alex Bump push to make the roster out of camp, but it’s the Flyers, re-signing depth players is what they do best.
They could give him a one-year deal at $1 million-ish and worst case scenario send him to the AHL or lose him on waivers if he loses his main roster spot out of camp. He does have 130 points in 139 AHL games to this point in his career, which would go a long way to helping the Phantoms.
Prediction: One-year, $1 million aav
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: Getty Images
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