The Philadelphia Flyers were one of the NHL's biggest surprises this season. This is because they not only made it into the playoffs, but they also advanced to the second round.
While the Flyers were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes, it is clear that they are heading in the right direction, and this year was a real success. Now, the Flyers should be looking to make some upgrades to their roster this summer.
Due to this, the Flyers have urged to try to land one of the NHL's best pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) if they hit the market on July 1.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Kevin Kurz argued that the Flyers should make a push for defenseman Darren Raddysh if he does not re-sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"The Flyers’ power play has been awful for five years running, including a last-place finish during this past regular season. Raddysh had 10 goals and 26 points on the power play this season, and would give the Flyers the big, booming shot that Rick Tocchet is seeking," Kurz wrote.
With the Flyers' power play needing help and their blueline lacking a high-impact offensive defenseman, Raddysh does stand out as an interesting potential target for the Flyers to consider. This is especially so when noting that Raddysh just had a monster year for the Bolts, posting 22 goals, 48 assists, and 70 points in 73 games.
If Raddysh could replicate his career year as a member of the Flyers, he would be a massive addition to their group. Yet, it is certainly hard to say with full certainty that he will, as he his previous career high in points was 37 during the 2024-25 season.
However, with the year that Raddysh just had, he would have the potential to give the Flyers' blueline more offense if signed. It will be interesting to see if the Flyers try to land him this summer because of it, but the Lightning are likely going to work hard to keep him in Tampa.
