NHL free agency began Wednesday at noon, and the Flyers kept busy.

Not so much with major outside splashes, but with internal long-term decisions and additions at the margins.

Contract extensions for goalie Dan Vladar and core two-way winger Tyson Foerster headlined the day, while the signing of Noel Acciari and a re-up of Carl Grundstrom bolstered depth toward the bottom of the lineup.

There might still be more for the Flyers to do in the days and weeks ahead, general manager Danny Brière hinted when he spoke to the media late Wednesday afternoon, but for the first 24 hours, at least, they're fine.

Here's a recap of all the moves and updates from the day, as they happened...

The timeline

Wednesday, 7/1 [4:40 p.m.] – The Flyers confirmed the earlier signings of Zach Aston-Reese and Danila Klimovich, and added forward Jack Studnicka and defenseman Cam Dineen to that minor-league mix.

Aston-Reese is on a one-way, two-year contract at $850K per season; Klimovich inked a one-year, two-way deal; and Studnicka and Dineen are on two-year, two-way pacts.

These are AHL-level signings for the Phantoms, and that they came in at the end of the day signals that the Flyers are mostly done for now.

Wednesday, 7/1 [4:40 p.m.] – Darnell Nurse has been traded to San Jose, and so closes that avenue.

Wednesday, 7/1 [4:10 p.m.] – Any Darnell Nurse to the Flyers trade speculation appears to be getting put to rest. Nurse expanded his approved trade list, and now it looks like steam is picking up toward a trade to the San Jose Sharks, per Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman.

For now, it doesn't seem like the Oilers will be retaining any of Nurse's $9.25 million annual cap hit, according to Friedman, which was thought to be the major sticking point for any potential trade of the 31-year-old blueliner.

All things considered, Nurse would've been interesting for the Flyers at surface level, but any deeper thought and it would be immediately apparent that he's not much of a fit. There just isn't much he would bring to the Flyers' defense over Rasmus Ristolainen, who they still have for another year and for much cheaper at a $5.1 million cap hit.

Wednesday, 7/1 [4:00 p.m.] – Carl Grundstrom's reported one-year, $1 million deal was made official by the Flyers.

Wednesday, 7/1 [2:50 p.m.] – Veteran winger Zach Aston-Reese is signing with the Flyers on a two-year deal, his agent Dan Milstein announced on social media.

The contract is one-way for Year 1 at $850,000, then two-way for Year 2 ($700K in the AHL, and $900K in the NHL), per Milstein.

Reese debuted in the NHL during the 2017-18 season and spent the first several years of his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, then spent the next several shuffling around the league to Anaheim, Toronto Detroit, and for the past two seasons, Columbus.

The 31-year-old Reese split last season between Columbus and its AHL affiliate in Cleveland, which likely means he'll start as a Phantom and serve as reserve depth for the Flyers.

Wednesday, 7/1 [2:15 p.m.] – Zach Weresnki rumors might be taking a backseat for a bit. Werenski and his agent Judd Moldaver have spoken with Columbus GM Don Waddell to settle tensions for a bit, per TSN insider Darren Dreger.

Werenski is OK to play for the Blue Jackets this season, according to Dreger. The star defenseman still has two years left on his current contract at just shy of $9.6 million per season. 

The Flyers were rumored to be interested in Werenski and were expected to be aggressive as a suitor for a trade.

A deal could still happen, but maybe a few months down the line and more toward the next trade deadline, not so much this summer anymore.

Wednesday, 7/1 [1:50 p.m.] – In a more understated move, the Flyers signed AHL forward Danila Klimovich to a one-year deal, his agent Dan Milstein confirmed on social media. It is believed to be a two-way contract that pays $850,00 if he's in the NHL, per PuckPedia.

Klimovich, 23, scored 18 goals and 34 points for the Canucks' AHL affiliate in Abbotsford last season. A former second-round pick by Vancouver in the 2021 draft, Klimovich has yet to play in the NHL. So for now, he's for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, with maybe a spot call-up if injuries pile up.

Wednesday, 7/1 [1:12 p.m.] – Depth forward Noel Acciari is signing with the Flyers for two years at a $2.8 million annual cap hit, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Acciari, 34, is a veteran center who will bring hard-checking grit back into the bottom of the lineup following Garnet Hathaway's trade to Florida last week for draft picks. That he's a center might also signal that he's the replacement for the late-season and key veteran waiver pickup Luke Glendening, too. Full story HERE.

Wednesday, 7/1 [1:02 p.m.] – The Flyers made Tyson Foerster's extension official. He's getting eight years at $7.1 million annually to stay a Flyer through 2035. Full story HERE.

Wednesday, 7/1 [noon] – Winger Tyson Foerster is also getting a long-term contract extension, for 8 years at around a $7 million annual cap hit, per Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman.

Foerster was on a bridge deal, but established himself as a two-way force and a core part of the Flyers' rebuild. And he was on a pace last season where, if he didn't get hurt in December, he's probably getting talked about as a 35-40 goal scorer. Full story HERE.

Wednesday, 7/1 [noon] – Dan Vladar's contract extension is official. It's a five-year deal at $5.5 million per season to keep the Vladar in the Philadelphia crease for the long haul. Full story HERE.

Tuesday, 6/30 – Winger Carl Grundstrom will return to the Flyers on a one-year, $1 million deal, per TSN's Darren Dreger. Grundstrom played in a limited, bottom-six role last season, but was good for speed and checking when the Flyers called his number. There's no harm in keeping that around for another year.

Free agency cheat sheet

In-house to-dos

The Flyers went into the summer with a handful of notable RFAs and one clear extension candidate. 

Here's the list...

G Dan Vladar – signed ✅

LW Tyson Foerster – signed ✅

C Trevor Zegras

LW Nikita Grebenkin

D Jamie Drysdale

D Hunter McDonald

And here's the sweet and short of it: They're all going to get signed. Vladar's deal has sounded already done for weeks, and Zegras and Drysdale have made themselves core pieces of the Flyers' roster. They're not going anywhere.

Grebenkin is a depth forward who the Flyers do want to see more of, and the same goes for McDonald, a big, stay-at-home defensive prospect who appears set to push for a roster spot at training camp. They should get reasonable short-term deals to keep developing.

UFA options

The free agent market is pretty thin for the Flyers in terms of what they need, but there are still a few veteran options to consider on short-term deals that can help push the team along.

RW Vladimir Tarasenko: Still a productive winger at age 34, Tarasenko can slip into a lower lineup role, yet can still give you near 20 goals and some power play help – which the Flyers sorely need.

RW Mats Zuccarello: He'll be another productive winger, who even at age 38, strung together back-to-back 54-point seasons. He'd be a good veteran to have around the room, and could probably still thrive in a limited on-ice role.

C/W Noel Acciari: A hard skater who the Flyers just saw in the playoffs against the Penguins, he would slip right into a bottom-line role with aggressiveness that would make up for losing Garnet Hathaway. Acciari is signing a two-year deal at $2.8 million per with the Flyers. ✅

C/W Claude Giroux: He's 38, but he's produced 50 then 49 points in the past two seasons with Ottawa in a depth role. Giroux would give you a flexible forward who can flip between center and wing, and up and down the lineup. The Flyers do have use for a skater like that. Maybe there is a path for the former captain to take one last victory lap with the new generation in Philly.

C Teddy Bleuger: Another depth forward to consider to play dependable minutes in the bottom six, he also knows head coach Rick Tocchet's system thanks to time shared in Vancouver. Bleuger signed a two-year deal with the Maple Leafs. ❌

Trade/RFA offer sheet routes

D Zach Werenski, Columbus (trade): An elite defenseman, and an Olympic gold medalist and Norris Trophy winner this past season, draft weekend revealed that Werenski is on his way out of Columbus along with immediate rumors that the Flyers were expected to be aggressive in a trade pursuit of him. The situation between Werenski and Columbus has calmed down, and he's good to come back and play for the Blue Jackets this coming season, per TSN's Darren Dreger. So no chance at a trade for the Norris winner, at least for now. 📵

D Darnell Nurse, Edmonton (trade): Requested a trade from the Oilers and rumored to have interest in Philadelphia, Nurse is a good defenseman, but not a defenseman that warrants $9.25 million for another four years as he pushes into his mid-30s. Salary would have to be retained on Edmonton's side in some capacity. Nurse has been traded to San Jose. ❌

C/W Mavrik Bourque, Dallas (offer sheet/trade): A young center who just turned in a 20-goal season with Dallas in Year 3, Bourque is an RFA, though with the Stars facing a cap crunch and needing to figure out if they can keep their more-established goal-scoring winger Jason Robertson. That might've given the Flyers an in toward a future, but maybe still unproven center. Bourque has been traded to Nashville. ❌

LW Jason Robertson, Dallas (offer sheet/trade): Another Stars RFA and a 45-goal scorer this past season. Dallas seems to be working toward keeping him now, but during the draft, word did get out that they had a trade with Seattle in place. It's just that Robertson wouldn't sign an extension with the Kraken, which axed the deal.

The key to pull away from it, though, is that a trade can be put together.

C Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto, and Ridly Greig, Ottawa (trade): All three are lumped together here because there was buzz of Ottawa moving one or a combo of them for a bit. They're all young, on their way up to different degrees, and would fit the Flyers' timeline – Cozens has the most skill, but Pinto would probably be the best fit. That said, the Senators seem set on a retool path that includes them after having to trade Brady Takchuk.

C Shane Wright, Seattle (trade): The former fourth overall pick from the 2022 draft, Wright is still only 22 and still has notoriety from his draft status, but he's only ever shown brief flashes of that star center he could be, leaving him lost in an aimless Seattle mix. He'd be a reclamation project.

C Matty Beniers, Seattle (trade): Seattle's top center, and with back-to-back 20-goal seasons at age 23, there was some speculation about Beniers' availability, but he's more likely to stick around with the Kraken than not.

C Dylan Larkin, Detroit (trade): Requested a trade from Detroit, but is believed to have a narrow trade approval list that doesn't include the Flyers. He'd be a nice 30-30 scorer to have, but he's a long shot for Philadelphia.

C Mat Barzal, NY Islanders (trade): Under contract at $9.15 million per year until he's 34, Barzal's name did briefly appear on the rumor mill with the Islanders weighing options. He's a speedy center who is capable of skating at the top of the lineup, but how long will he have that speed to lean on as he gets into his 30s?

C Leo Carlsson, Anaheim (offer sheet): The Ducks' franchise center at just 21 years old, he's getting signed in Anaheim and for a long time. It should be noted, too, that the Flyers have held a pretty good trade relationship with the Ducks ever since the Cutter Gauthier trade. But the offer sheet is there. It's just a nuclear option that would cost a fortune (and maybe burn a bridge).

C Connor Bedard, Chicago (offer sheet): Same applies to Bedard. He's in an RFA year, and he's probably going to get signed by the Blackhawks. But their rebuild is in a weird place after Chicago hasn't come anywhere close to the playoffs since Bedard's gotten there. They might be on a timer with him, which is something to at least monitor.

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