Flyers weighing possible buyouts for Atkinson, Peterson
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The Philadelphia Flyers are weighing possible buyouts for veteran forward Cam Atkinson and goaltender Cal Petersen as the first window of the off-season approaches after the Stanley Cup Final.
General manager Daniel Briere said both players want to continue their NHL careers, but all options are on the table for the cap-crunched franchise. According to CapFriendly, the Flyers project to have just over $500,000 in cap space this off-season with 19 players under contract for next season.
"We're looking at every option," Briere told NHL.com. "Because we're tight on cap space, we're still looking at every possible option in that direction. Both Cam Atkinson and Cal Petersen want to prove that they can still play in the NHL.
"So, we're evaluating all of that, but we haven't made a final decision yet."
Atkinson, 35, is signed through next season at a cap hit of $5.875 million. He posted 13 goals and 28 points in 70 games this season, but became a regular healthy scratch late in the year. Buying out the veteran of 770 career games would leave the Flyers with a cap hit of $2.36 million for next season and add a cap charge of $1.76 million in 2025-26.
Petersen, acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Kings last summer, spent the majority of this season in the American Hockey League. He appeared in five games with the Flyers, positing a 2-2-0 record with a .864 save percentage and a 3.90 goals-against average. He counted for $3.85 million against the Flyers cap last season while in the minors as the Flyers received some relief on his $5 million cap hit. He is signed through next season as well and a buyout would leave Philadelphia with a $1 million cap hit in the upcoming season and a $2 million charge the following year.
The Flyers could receive $4 million in relief if Ryan Johansen is placed on long-term injured reserve. The 31-year-old forward was waived by the Flyers shortly after being acquired as part of their return for Sean Walker ahead of the trade deadline. He did not play again after the trade because of a hip injury, which Briere said has left his status for next season uncertain.
"He's going through some kind of rehab," Briere said. "He had an injection; claims he has a hip injury. At this point, honestly I'm not too sure where it's at. We're not sure if he's going to need surgery, or if he's going to be ready for camp. We don't really know at this point."
Johansen posted 13 goals and 23 points in 63 games with the Avalanche this season. He is entering the last of an eight-year, $64 million contract, though the Nashville Predators retained half of that in last year's trade that sent Johansen to Colorado.
The Flyers held a playoff spot for the majority of this past season before falling out of the picture in the final days of the season. The Flyers last reached the postseason in 2020.