(Header/feature image courtesy of Kyle Ross-Imagn Images)
The Philadelphia Flyers have made no secret about their desire to start adding to their team instead of subtracting—and with significant cap space and an arsenal of draft capital, they’re in a strong position to make good on those ambitions.
According to a report from RG, the Flyers have shown interest in 25-year-old New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov, a pending restricted free agent known for his physicality, defensive reliability, and emerging offensive instincts.
While a deal is far from imminent, the Flyers have reportedly inquired about Romanov’s availability as the offseason market begins to heat up. And the fit, frankly, makes a lot of sense.
Romanov, who the Islanders acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in 2022, has quietly built a reputation as a punishing and consistent left-side defensemen. In his time with the Isles, he’s played in 221 NHL games, recording 64 points (13 goals, 51 assists), 465 blocked shots, and 502 hits.
If there’s one word to define his game, it’s presence—Romanov is a true tone-setter, the kind of defenseman who makes forwards think twice before cutting to the middle of the ice.
When a tank hits a king ⚔️ Alexander Romanov absolutely flattens Cale Makar 👀 LGI #Isles#Islanders#GoAvsGo#NHL#Hockey#Hit#AlexanderRomanov#CaleMakar#IslandersLivepic.twitter.com/2m0AM2SVcm
— IslandersLive (@IslandersLive53) January 29, 2025
And yet, he’s not a one-dimensional bruiser. Over the past season, Romanov showed real signs of growth in puck-moving and playmaking, elevating his offensive confidence without compromising his defensive structure. He won’t quarterback a power play, but he can transition the puck effectively and hold his own in the offensive zone. However, his real value lies in being a shutdown defenseman with great skating and mobility skills. His responsible, physical, high-motor game is exactly the kind of stability the Flyers could use on their left side.
It’s no secret that Flyers GM Danny Brière is open to upgrading the NHL roster while continuing to stockpile young talent. With $18.99 million in cap space (pending RFAs Cam York and Jakob Pelletier have yet to sign new deals) and seven picks in the first 48 selections of this year’s NHL Draft, Philadelphia has the currency to be active.
If the Flyers are indeed eyeing Romanov, the interest likely stems from a few key needs:
At just 25 years old, Romanov is entering his best years, and if the Flyers believe his upward trajectory will continue, they may see him as a long-term core piece worth investing in.
According to RG’s reporting, Romanov could be seeking a contract in the range of $5 to $6 million AAV.
That’s a significant investment, but perhaps not an unreasonable one—especially for a defenseman who can be trusted with high-leverage minutes and provide some snarl to a team that’s been trying to carve out a more physical identity.
The real cost, of course, would be in trade assets.
The Islanders are thin on picks and prospect depth and may be looking to recoup assets. A package that includes some of the Flyers’ late first-round picks or one of their four second-rounders could appeal to New York, especially if it’s paired with a young player or mid-tier prospect. The Flyers would need to decide just how high they’re willing to go for a player like Romanov—and whether they believe he’s worth giving up a shot at drafting another young, cost-controlled piece.
But if the Flyers truly see themselves on the upswing—and if Romanov is viewed as part of a potential playoff-caliber top four—it could be the kind of proactive, controlled risk Brière has shown a willingness to take.
No trade is ever a lock, and RFAs come with their own set of complications—especially when it comes to contract demands, arbitration risk, and the sheer unpredictability of restricted free agency. But Romanov presents a compelling mix of reliability, edge, and upside.
He’s already logged meaningful NHL experience. He’s shown growth each year. And most importantly, he plays a style of hockey that Flyers fans (and coaches) tend to appreciate: structured, tough, responsible, and intense.
For a Flyers team that’s still finding its identity but wants to keep inching closer to contention, this could be the right kind of bet—a player still developing, but ready for a bigger role. The question now becomes: how much are they willing to pay to make it happen?
And perhaps just as critically: are the Islanders ready to deal?
Stay tuned. The Flyers’ blue line may not be set just yet.
FanDuel's early odds spotlight a wide-open Jack Adams race fueled by comeback coaches and surprise contenders.
As the 2025 NHL season draws to a close, the race for the Jack Adams Award as the league's best coach as started to intensify.
FanDuel's current odds reflect this competitive landscape, with Columbus' Dean Evason and Anahiem's Joel Quenneville leading the pack ahead of what will be a busy summer for both clubs.
It's easier to look at the award as the team that generally improved the most and provided the best storyline like this past season with Spencer Carbery and the near-President's trophy winning Washington Capitals, after many pegged them to be a wild card team at best entering the season.
With that in mind, we present the betting odds for next year's Jack Adams award with some potential storylines that could come out of certain teams and lead to their head coach winning the predigest award.
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Evason brings a wealth of experience, having previously coached the Minnesota Wild, where he led the team to multiple playoff appearances. His leadership is credited with revitalizing the Blue Jackets, guiding them to a strong finish in the 2024–25 that almost no one expected, with preseason expectations having them pegged as a lottery team.
Quenneville is back as an NHL head coach after a hiatus and could prove to be a difference maker for a hungry Ducks team.
With over 969 career wins and three Stanley Cup titles, Quenneville's extensive experience will almost certainly help improve and develop the younger players on the team while creating a culture not seen in the City of Angels for quite some time. The team will also look signicantly better after the Ducks use their $32.1 million in cap space to bring in fresh blood like New York's Chris Kreider.
The Utah Mammoth had a fun team last season that finished with a very solid 38-31-8 record and will look to build on that success with just over $20 million in cap space heading into the summer.
One thing that team owner Ryan Smith made clear is that he wants his team to win and to bare minimum make the playoffs next season. The attitude of the organization is to win and perform like Smith's Denver Nuggets of the NBA and this should lead to some aggressive moves from GM Bill Armstrong this summer.
The Habs have a promising young core and as much as their rivals like it, they are building towards a potential cup contender. Since taking over as head coach, St. Louis has led a remarkable turnaround in Montreal, guiding the team to an unexpected playoff berth this past season and earning recognition with votes for the Jack Adams Award.
His leadership and tactical adjustments have been key to the team's success and with more talent on the way like Ivan Demidov, there's a very real chance the Habs could be a top three seed in the Atlantic division and earn St. Louis a relatively easy Jack Adams next season.
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Sullivan, a two-time cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, has a very easy case to win the award as he has to turn around a Rangers team that finished with a 55-23-4 record just one year ago. With his expertise of a 409-255-89 all-time record with the Penguins, the Blueshirts should have one of their best years yet but it could depend on the talent in the lineup.
GM Chris Drury has made some aggressive moves to change the culture of the team like trading away longtime Rangers in Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider. If Drury doesn't manage to trade away all of New York's skilled players, Sullivan will have one of the safest cases to be a contender for the Jack Adams.
Huska has been leading a Flames team that is focusing on building a resilient and competitive group. Despite their 41-27-14 record this past season, Calgary fell just short of a playoff berth but showed lots of promise as a physical team that many dreaded to play against.
With the fifth-most cap space in the league at nearly $27 million, the team could make some key improvements and continue to ride the hot hand of rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf, who looks like he will be the anchor of the Flames for years to come.
The Blackhawks are desperately looking to improve on their 126-215-43 record since 2020 and the hope is Blashill is the man to get the job done.
With potential reinforcements from trading the third overall pick and utilizing $25.2 million in cap space for free-agent signings, Chicago could assemble a competitive roster. A playoff berth would almost certianly put Jeff Blashill in contention for the Jack Adams Award.
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The Sharks were one of most exciting teams in the league to watch last season as they remained a reliable betting team to cover the puck line despite their troublesome record that has them listed as a lottery team once again. San Jose is slowly building as a team in the basement for a long period of time almost always leads to a sleeping dragon much like the Florida Panthers for several years.
If Warsofsky can develop San Jose’s young players into difference-makers and make key additions using their league-leading $41.7 million in cap space this summer, it could result in a far more competitive roster than anticipated and put Warsofsky in the running for the Jack Adams Award.
The Flyers have a promising future thanks to their talented young players such as Matvei Michkov and Noah Cates, who have already demonstrated they can make an impact at the NHL level.
Adding to that, Rick Tocchet’s elite coaching resume, highlighted by his recent Jack Adams Award, brings proven leadership and player development expertise. With Tocchet guiding this youthful roster, the Flyers are well-positioned to improve and compete more strongly in the upcoming season.
Green has helped develop the young Senators team into a playoff contender and depending on the success of the team next season, he could be an easy pick to win the award. A top three division seed for Ottawa would make Green hard to beat
Todd McLellan took over as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings mid-season, replacing Derek Lalonde. Despite the team's overall struggles, McLellan's experience with defensive structure should help lead the Red Wings to one of their best seasons in years as they are on the cusp of a playoff berth. Watch for McLellan to be one of the biggest darkhorses for the award.
The case for Foote is easy as the Vancouver Canucks have the makeup of a team that challenged the two-time Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers in a seven-game slugfest a year ago and could build up to that same level once again.
Star players like Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes will need to play massive roles and get the Canucks back in the playoff picture at minimum.
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