Just when you think the Flyers have put the final touches on a busy offseason, Chuck Fletcher throws caution to the wind by acquiring a very notable name. Free agent forward Derick Brassard will join the team on a one-year deal worth $825K.
A first-round pick back in 2006, the 33-year-old veteran joins the Flyers on the back of a one-year stint with the Arizona Coyotes where he notched 20 points (8g-12a) through 53 games. 14 of those came at even strength, adding value to a team that could well see him lined up playing ahead of Travis Sanheim, who also does a lot of best his work at even strength.
The journeyman has played for 8 teams in his 14-year career, playing in a whopping 905 regular season games, tallying 503 points in the process. He also has 100 Stanley Cup playoff appearances under his belt, which is where his real value may lie.
Like many veterans signed by the Flyers,Derick Brassard has experience with Alain Vigneault, having played on the New York Rangers team he coached that made the Stanley Cup final back in 2014. He spent three years as a teammate of Kevin Hayes and also lined up on the same Blue Jackets team as Cam Atkinson.
Likely filling a depth center role, the Flyers are doing all they can to ensure that their young talent is surrounded by proven vets who know what AV expects of them. He may not be as physical as he once was, but Derick Brassard is still a strong bottom-6 option who can come up clutch in big moments and open up the ice for his teammates.
As far as bang for your buck goes, $850k for a forward who has six seasons of 40+ points under his belt, with modest production over his past two seasons, is pretty good value. How the Flyers are going to stay under the cap is another question entirely, but for now, the vision is clear – build a solid core of vets who’ve been there and done it under AV and can set the tone for the next generation.
Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire
