There are still a bunch of free agents for the Flyers to sign, or not sign this summer. This is the list I have with around $19.5million left to spend.

Antero Niittymaki – RFA Made $1million last season. With Martin Biron signed as the #1 guy will Nitty resign knowing he is the backup?

Joni Pitkanen – RFA Made $2million last season. With Kukkonen resigned the Flyers look to get Pitkanen signed. But he didnt play like a $2million defenseman last year, will he get that this year?

Dmitry Afanasenkov – RFA Made $738k last season. I have heard that the Flyers might not resign him. I think that would be a mistake, one of the few bright spots from last season was Afansenkov’s work ethic.

Robert Esche – UFA Made $1million last season. With Biron and Nitty no room for Esche. Even if Nitty goes elsewhere I dont think Esche would be resigned.

Mike York – UFA Made $2.85million last season. The trade to get York turned out to be one of the few bad ones last season. I dont see him coming back.

Todd Fedoruk – UFA Made $450k last season. When the Flyers reacquired Fedoruk he did bring some positive engery to the Flyers, scoring on his first shift back as a Flyer. As the rest of the season went Fedoruk seemed more less and less effective. The last few fights he had he didnt look 100%. With the logjam of forwards the Flyers will have I dont see him being with the club when the season starts.

The rest of these will most likely be with the Phantoms if resigned so they wont count against the cap.
Ryan Potulny played 35 games with the Flyers last season and could see some time with the Flyers. Him and Jonsson I would definetly like to see resigned.

Riley Cote – RFA
Ryan Potulny – RFA
Matt Ellison – RFA
Darren Reid – RFA
Lars Jonsson – RFA
Rosario Rugger i- RFA
Scott Munroe – RFA
Denis Hamel – UFA
Boyd Kane – UFA
Eric Meloche – UFA
Mark Cullen – UFA
David Printz – UFA

So how does the team look

The forwards
Carter-Gagne-Knuble
Richards-Kapanen-Sanderson
Umberger-Eager-Upshall
Potulny-Afanasenkov-Ruzicka
Fedoruk

If Ruzicka plays for the Phantoms and if Fedoruk or Afanasenkov is not resigned this leaves some room for the #1 center the Flyers are expected to sign. Forsberg anyone?

The defense
Hatcher-Coburn
Kukkonen-Pitkanen
Gauthier-Picard
Jones

I expect the Flyers to try to upgrade the defense with a top 2 defenseman. If this is the case someone has to go unless Jones or Picard goes back to the Phantoms. I still would like to see Hatcher moved during the off season. I don’t care that he won the Barry Ashbee trophy as best defenseman last season for the Flyers. He was decent on the penalty kill during the second half of the season I will give him that, but he needs to contribute offensivly and he apparently doesn’t have it.