At 3:08 p.m. on July 3, right before everyone headed off for their holiday barbecues, the Flyers sent shock waves throughout the NHL with a single tweet:
“We have tendered an offer sheet to Anaheim center Leo Carlsson. The offer is a five-year contract worth an average annual value (AAV) of $18M, which would require four of the Flyers first-round draft picks in each of the next four seasons as compensation.”
Ultimately, general manager Daniel Brière’s Kyle Schwarberian swing for Carlsson did not connect, as the Ducks matched and retained the player. But the signal was clear: the Flyers, after several years mired in a rebuild, were “big-game hunting” again for a star and were willing to use any means available to them to land one. Now, it might be time for Brière to reload his bow.
After summer links with Detroit over disgruntled center Dylan Larkin, the Flyers could circle back with the Red Wings about another suddenly want-away player: defenseman Simon Edvinsson.
The 23-year-old restricted free agent remains without a contract and recently returned to Sweden to regroup after the Red Wings failed to work out a deal with him during training camp. Edvinsson notably participated in camp without a contract in an act of good faith, and while the Red Wings say they remain committed to signing the Swede, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the defenseman now “prefers” a trade out of Detroit.
Should the Flyers, who have been linked with interest in Edvinsson, pounce? Let’s take a closer look.
Why the Flyers should make a move for Edvinsson
The Flyers, particularly president of hockey operations Keith Jones, have made no secret of their affinity for big defensemen who are hard to play against.
In a 2024 interview with the Inquirer, Jones cited the Vegas Golden Knights’ size and nastiness on the blueline as a potential blueprint for teams trying to find consistent postseason success. The 2025 Florida Panthers and last year’s Carolina Hurricanes both featured three defensemen who stood at least 6-foot-3, too, adding further credence to Jones’ belief.
The Flyers have tried to follow suit. Since 2024, five of the seven defensemen they have drafted have been 6-4 or taller, including 2026 first-rounder Maksim Sokolovskii, who is 6-7 and 238 pounds. They’ve also acquired Simon Benoit and David Jiříček, both of whom are 6-4, in that time frame via trades. Could the 6-6, 225-pound Edvinsson be next?
Edvinsson, the No. 6 overall pick in 2021, is one of the league’s top young all-around defensemen and seems to be only getting better. While not the true power-play quarterback the Flyers covet, he has all the tools — size, skating ability, nastiness, an ability to kill plays at the blue line — to develop into one of the league’s top shutdown blueliners … and soon.
While defense is his calling card, he’s averaged eight goals, 29 points, and nearly 22 minutes per game from the back end over the past two seasons. According to Natural Stat Trick, Edvinsson and all-world partner Moritz Seider ranked 17th last year in Corsi for percentage (52.9%), 11th in goals for percentage (57.3%), and 20th in high-danger chances for percentage (51.97%), among defensive pairs to play 600 minutes together. Edvinsson likely still hasn’t reached his offensive ceiling either, as he’s never gotten the benefit of any power-play time.
A left shot, he would instantly give the Flyers a second top-pair caliber defenseman alongside Travis Sanheim, and given his size and skill set, would make it easier for the Flyers to recoup assets now for veteran Rasmus Ristolainen, whose contract expires at the end of the season. Young defensemen with Edvinsson’s tools and pedigree simply don’t become available often, so the Flyers should certainly pick up the phone and check in.
Why the Flyers might hesitate to make a move
The Flyers, and 31 other teams, would love to add a defenseman of Edvinsson’s ilk and potential. The two big questions are: Is Detroit willing to move him, and if so, what would it cost?
Technically, the Flyers could try to acquire Edvinsson for purely draft picks, as Edvinsson is a restricted free agent and offer-sheet eligible. A long-term contract offer with an average annual value between $7.16 million and $9.55 million would cost the Flyers their 2027 first-, second- and third-round picks if Detroit elected not to match. Given the rising salary cap and Edvinsson’s profile, a long-term contract would probably fall somewhere between $9-11 million AAV.
The other avenue would be to work out a side trade with Detroit, who is probably more interested in landing a combination of proven NHL players, prospects, and picks. The Flyers would likely include fellow left-shot defenseman Cam York in any deal for Edvinsson, and while Porter Martone and Matvei Michkov are likely untouchable, Detroit could ask for a winger like Tyson Foerster or Owen Tippett, the latter of whom now has a 10-team no-trade clause. The Flyers would also likely have to part with one of their two first-round picks in 2027 or a young prospect with upside like Jett Luchanko, Jack Nesbitt, or Maksim Sokolovskii to round out the deal. Noah Cates, Denver Barkey, and Alex Bump are other auxiliary pieces who might interest Detroit if they concede elsewhere.
The Flyers have maintained that Foerster is not someone they want to move and backed that up by signing him to an eight-year, $56.8 million contract on July 1. But would that still apply in a swap for a player of Edvinsson’s age and profile, especially given the team’s logjam on the wing? That remains to be seen, but Foerster’s injury history is a real concern.
While Friedman said Monday that the Flyers are “one of the teams circling” for Edvinsson, the cost could prove too high, especially when the Flyers’ two biggest needs are a No. 1 center and high-end offensive defenseman. While Edvinsson may very well grow into a No. 1 blueliner, they could view him as too similar to Sanheim and not the ideal fit given his limited offensive ceiling.
The Flyers also could prioritize holding onto their top assets and cap flexibility in case a more dynamic type of player — Quinn Hughes, Auston Matthews, Nikita Kucherov, Jason Robertson, etc. — suddenly becomes available. They may feel they have Edvinsson comparables in the system if they are patient, especially with how highly they talk about towering defensive prospects like Sokolovskii (left shot) and Carter Amico (right shot). Carolina’s Alexander Nikishin, 25, is available and a more offensive-minded defenseman if the Flyers wanted to go that route.
I’d be surprised if the Flyers haven’t at least checked in with Edvinsson’s camp to gauge his interest, but they wouldn’t be alone. Amid the team’s disastrous 0-2-2 start and on the heels of a very underwhelming offseason, a move would certainly inject some life and positivity back into the group and the fan base. There’s also the outside chance of doing a bigger deal including Larkin, although that would require the 30-year-old center signing off on Philly.
Brière, Jones, and the Flyers have said they want to consistently be in on the best players, particularly ones that fit their age timeline, and Edvinsson certainly applies. Stay tuned.
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