From Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer:
The Flyers are negotiating with potential restricted free agents Jeff Carter, R.J. Umberger and Randy Jones. Holmgren said he was hopeful of signing them but was not especially close.
He was close to signing Riley Cote, another potential free agent on July 1.
In addition to signing the Big Three, one of Holmgren’s off-season goals is to add a defenseman. Brian Campbell, John-Michael Liles, Mark Streit and Mike Commodore are among potential free agents who could fit the bill.
Bolstering the roster and staying within the salary cap, which is expected to reach $55 million, will be tricky, but Holmgren seemed confident.
Read more about the Flyers off-season here.
The Flyers will most likely look to sign a second-tier defenseman via free agency. Their cap number currently sits at $48.2 million and they haven’t even re-signed Carter, Umberger and Jones. Taking that into account, the Flyers may have to look at the trade route as their best bet at improving their defensive corps.
