Transaction Analysis: Flyers Sign Three Free Agents

The Flyers made three unrestricted free agent signings on the first day of the NHL's signing season: center Ryan Poehling, veteran winger Garnet Hathaway and center Rhett Gardner. The signings, amid a rebuild, are geared toward boosting the team's bottom-six checking and overall depth. Specific to Hathaway, there is also an element of adding a character veteran to the locker room leadership group.

Poehling signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract. The speedy 24-year-old center (6-foot-2, 196 pounds) will compete to win the Flyers' fourth-line center role come opening night.

Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round (25th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Poeling has dressed in 128 NHL games to date for the Habs and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Minnesota native has not scored much at the NHL level (20 goals, 16 assists) in his NHL career to date but has been a responsible defensive player.

For his career, Poehling has averaged 11:40 TOI and posted an individual 5-on-5 Corsi of about 49 percent. Statistically at least, he doesn't bring a boost in the faceoff department (45.8%) but has a career 57-to-36 ratio of credited takeaways to charged giveaways. Last season, he blocked 41 shots in 53 games. Poehling logged a total of 129 penalty killing minutes during the season.

Poehling became an unrestricted free agent after Pittsburgh declined to tender him a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent.

Veteran winger Hathaway, 31, signed a two-year contract carrying a $2.375 million average value (AAV). As Flyers fans well know, Hathaway brings an agitating presence and has been on of the NHL's more effective fourth-line players in his 457-game NHL career to date.

An aggressive hitter who brings snarl, shot blocking and penalty killing, Hathaway has also netted double-digit goals in four different seasons. The Brown University graduate is a well-liked and highly respected player off the ice but often infuriates opponents on the ice.

In a signing likely geared more to the Phantoms and added callup depth in the case of injury, the Flyers signed Gardner to a two-year contract with a $775,000 AAV. The big-framed (6-foot-3, 210 pound) center is coming off a strong two-way AHL season for the Texas Stars in 2022-23. The 27-year-old has played in 40 career NHL games with the Dallas Stars.

None of these signings are likely to move the needle much in terms of dramatically impacting the Flyers' standings point totals in 2022-23. However, in tandem with the returns of Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson from injuries that sidelined them all last season, the new additions fit in line with head coach John Tortorella's big-picture goal of having a team that embraces accountability.