Quick Hits: July 31, 2022

1) Flyers right winger Zack MacEwen's arbitration hearing is scheduled for August 8; the same day that hearings are scheduled for Carolina defenseman Ethan Bear and Arizona Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse. The vast majority of arbitration cases settle before reaching the arbitrator.

With the Flyers signing of Nicolas Deslauriers as an unrestricted free agent, MacEwen may find himself on the bubble of making the NHL roster as the Flyers' 12th or 13th forward or being waived and starting the 2022-23 season in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Also of note: With the Flyers starting the season with two home games (vs. New Jersey on October 13 and Vancouver two nights later) and given how precarious the team's cap situation is prior to potential LTIR relief, it is possible the team could open the season with 12 forwards and six defensemen on the active NHL roster. The team will need extra bodies once they leave for a week-long road trip to play Tampa Bay (Oct. 18), Florida (Oct. 19) and Nashville (Oct. 22).

2) Per Capfriendly, the Flyers are currently $1.598 million over the salary cap ceiling with 22 players under NHL contract. In addition to MacEwen's pending arbitration case, Wade Allison currently remains unsigned as a restricted free agent. It is expected that Allison will be signed soon.

The Capfriendly figure will, of course, vary based on which players make the opening night NHL roster. For example, the site lists eight defensemen on the active NHL roster including both rookie Ronnie Attard ($883,750 cap hit) and veteran Nick Seeler ($775,000). If the Flyers go into the season with seven defensemen, Seeler is the most likely No. 7 barring other injuries.

Depending on the statuses of defenseman Ryan Ellis ($6.25 million, availability timetable unknown) and winger Joel Farabee ($5 million, projected to be out until late October to early/mid November), the Flyers may designate one or both for LTIR and receive cap relief. Of the two, Ellis is the one who may be on LTIR the entire season in a worst-case scenario. The team can also designate Bobby Brink ($925,000, projected out until late December to early January) for season opening injured reserve, minimizing his cap hit.

Capfriendly also still lists Ivan Fedotov ($925,000) as the projected Flyers backup goalie. However, with Fedotov being compelled to spend the next year in Russia as a military conscript, the player will not be available. At present, the Flyers main backup options are Troy Grosenick (NHL minimum $750,000 salary) or Felix Sandström ($775,000).

Any way you slice it, the Flyers will have a hard time becoming cap compliant without relying on LTIR.

3) Today in Flyers History: On July 31, 2001, the Flyers traded defenseman Andy Delmore to the Nashville Predators for a 2003 third-round pick. The Flyers later flipped the pick to the Coyotes as part of the deal that brought center Michal Handzus and goalie Robert Esche to Philadelphia. The Coyotes used the pick (70th overall) to draft Yale University defenseman Joe Callahan. Primarily an AHL player during his 10-year pro career, Callahan also appeared in 47 NHL games for three clubs (Islanders, Sharks and Panthers).

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