Flyers issue qualifying offers to 5 restricted free agents, retain Ivan Fedotov’s NHL rights

While general manager Danny Brière is looking to rebuild the Flyers’ roster, he’s also making an effort to retain young talent this offseason.

The Flyers issued qualifying offers to restricted free agents Noah Cates, Morgan Frost, Cam York, Ronnie Attard, and Olle Lycksell on Wednesday. Players cannot accept their qualifying offers before July 1, and if they do not accept them, the offers expire by July 15 (unless the team extends the offer in writing).

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Restricted free agents are able to sign a contract with any team. However, the Flyers would have the right of first refusal to match the offer from a different club. If another team were to give an offer sheet to one of the Flyers’ restricted free agents, that team would need the adequate compensatory draft picks to give to the Flyers if they elected not to match the offer.

Although the Flyers have attempted to poach opponents’ restricted free agents (defenseman Shea Weber in 2012 from the Nashville Predators being the most recent unsuccessful example), they have never had one of their own restricted free agents issued an offer sheet from another club.

Cates, 24, Lycksell, 23, and Attard, 24, are the only players eligible for salary arbitration, in which a third party determines a fair contract for the restricted free agent. June 19 is the deadline for first club-elected salary arbitration notification, July 5 for player-elected salary arbitration notification, and July 6 for the second club-elected salary arbitration notification. Salary arbitration hearings will be held from July 20 to Aug. 4, with Aug. 6 being the deadline for salary arbitration decisions to be produced.

Of the five players given qualifying offers, Cates, Frost, and York made the greatest impact at the NHL level last season. In his first full season of pro hockey, Cates made the full-time switch to center and posted 38 points (13 goals, 25 assists) in 82 games. He showed promise as a two-way player, capable of matching up against the league’s top talent.

Frost, 24, put up a career-high 46 points (19 goals and 27 assists, both personal bests) in 81 games, playing in the Flyers’ top six at center for the latter half of the season. He was especially consistent in the second portion of the season, collecting six goals and nine assists in the final 14 games.

York, 22, started the season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but he stuck with the Flyers after his call-up in December. He racked up two goals and 18 assists in 54 games while playing alongside former Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov on the top pairing.

The Flyers did not make qualifying offers to forwards Kieffer Bellows and Evan Barratt and defenseman Wyatte Wylie. They will become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

The Flyers claimed Bellows, 25, on waivers from the New York Islanders on Oct. 27. He played just 27 out of a possible 75 games for the Flyers this season and was a healthy scratch for the remainder. He scored three goals with the Flyers while playing mostly on the fourth line.

Wylie was a Flyers’ fifth-round pick in 2018, while the Flyers acquired Barratt in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Cooper Zech on Oct. 26.

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Additionally, Russian goalie prospect Ivan Fedotov’s contract with the Flyers will remain in effect for the 2023-24 season. Fedotov, 26, has been serving on a military base in Russia for the last year after he was detained in St. Petersburg for alleged evasion of military service.

The Flyers previously signed defenseman Egor Zamula, a pending restricted free agent, to a one-year, $775,000 contract (the league minimum) on May 2. Zamula suited up for 44 games with the Phantoms this season (one goal, 18 assists). He also played 14 games with the Flyers and collected four assists.