Noel Acciari is in the middle of a Flyers offseason that has turned toward defense. Daniel Briere has the Philadelphia Flyers looking at Zach Werenski before free agency begins at noon on Wednesday, with the club still trying to push a young roster forward after reaching the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs this past season.
Daniel Briere Sets the Table
Briere has already handled one part of the roster by acquiring Joseph Woll from the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the next move could be bigger. The Flyers have prioritized improving their defense above all else, and Werenski is one of the names they have explored.
That push comes with timing pressure. Free agency was set to begin on Wednesday at noon, which puts every target and every trade possibility under immediate scrutiny. The Flyers are not shopping for depth alone; they are looking for additions that can change how the defense looks right away.
Werenski, Foerster and the Cost
Werenski is signed for the next two seasons, so any path to him would have to fit that contract term and whatever the Columbus Blue Jackets want back. Aaron Portzline and Shayna Goldman said the Blue Jackets prefer players who can help them right away, and they may not be interested in Matvei Michkov.
That is where the Flyers’ own preference starts to matter. The team may not be willing to part with Tyson Foerster, which leaves the deal structure tighter than a simple search for a name on the market. The question is not just whether the Flyers like Werenski. It is whether they can build an offer Columbus will take without stripping away the young pieces they want to keep.
Ristolainen, Dvorak and the Blue Line
Briere also addressed Rasmus Ristolainen after the first round of the draft on Friday. He said, “We know the situation with Risto. He’s got one year left on his deal. We’ll see what happens.” That one year gives the Flyers another movable piece as they try to reshape the defense.
The same offseason has already shown how the Flyers are willing to pay for short-term help. They signed Christian Dvorak to an inflated one-year, $5.4 million contract this time last year, and they have also looked into Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers. John Carlson would make sense as a short-term addition to help the power play if he does not sign with the Carolina Hurricanes, who just acquired his rights.
Inside the organization, there is skepticism about whether Oliver Bonk and David Jiricek are ready for full-time duty, and Dylan Larkin remains a long shot for the Detroit Red Wings. The Flyers have spent the early part of the summer laying out options; the hard part now is turning interest into a move before the market opens wide.
