Each day from now until July 1, the day free agency begins, Tom Dougherty and Tim Riday will profile some of the NHL's top impending free agents and project their likelihood of signing with the Flyers.
Adam McQuaid, defenseman
Age: 28
Height: 6-5
Weight: 209
Last team: Boston Bruins
2014-15 cap hit: $1.8 million
Scouting report
A physically imposing defenseman, McQuaid plays the game with a chip on his shoulder. He owns the strength and aggression every NHL team covets in a bottom-pair blueliner, but his temper sometimes gets the best of him. He's a decent skater and has an OK shot from the point but, all in all, he's a very average player. He doesn't have the ability to put up big point totals, but he'll block shots, clear the crease and finish his checks. Durability is a concern.
After playing two seasons in the OHL, McQuaid was selected by Columbus in the second round (55th overall) of the 2005 NHL draft. He returned to his junior club, the Sudbury Wolves, for two more seasons and never wound up suiting up for the Blue Jackets.
In 2007, McQuaid was traded to the Boston Bruins for a fifth-round pick. He immediately signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the B's and was assigned to the AHL's Providence Bruins.
McQuaid made his NHL debut in the 2009-10 season and has been with Boston ever since. He was a member of the Bruins' 2011 Stanley Cup championship team and has posted nine goals, 34 assists and 430 penalty minutes in 283 career games.
Dougherty's projection
I don't see Ron Hextall adding much more, if anything, to the blue line for this season. They already have to lose a contract or two, inked Evgeni Medvedev, and still need to re-sign Michael Del Zotto, so signing another defenseman via free agency doesn't appear to be in the books. And especially a blueliner like McQuaid. He's not a fit for what Dake Hakstol wants to do here. He's an OK third-pair guy, but that's the Flyers' problem. They have too many third-pair defensemen. No need to add more.
NHL
Riday's projection
I don't think McQuaid is the type of defenseman GM Ron Hextall or coach Dave Hakstol are looking for. He's still relatively young and can be relied on to play a solid 14-16 minutes a game, but he doesn't move the puck particularly well and doesn't have the offensive ability to contribute off the rush. Plus, the Flyers already have too many bottom-pair guys. Even if -- and it's a big if -- Hextall manages to deal Luke Schenn and Nicklas Grossmann by the NHL draft, the Flyers will still have Mark Streit, Andrew MacDonald, Nick Schultz, Brandon Manning, Evgeni Medvedev and Radko Gudas under contract. The team plans to bring back RFA Michael Del Zotto, as well. And prospects Sam Morin, Shayne Gostisbehere, Robert Haag and Travis Sanheim are all knocking on the door. So I'll pass on McQuaid, unless he's interested in playing for the Phantoms. But he'll find an NHL suitor.