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.
Tomas Fleischmann, left wing
Age: 31
Height: 6-1
Weight: 192
Last team: Anaheim Ducks
2014-15 cap hit: $4.5 million
Scouting report
Blessed with stellar offensive instincts, Fleischmann is crafty when in control of the puck. He understands the game extraordinarily well and has the ability to play multiple positions. He's not the strongest forward and doesn't play with a whole lot of intensity, but he knows how to set up and score goals.
Fleischmann was selected in the second round (63rd overall) by Detroit at the 2002 NHL draft, but never suited up for the Red Wings. His rights were acquired by the Washington Capitals on Feb. 27, 2004 and he signed an entry-level contract with the club on June 1, 2006.
After spending the majority of two seasons and winning one Calder Cup championship with the AHL's Hershey Bears, Fleischmann established himself as a skilled utility forward at the NHL level in 2007.
Fleischmann developed a blood clot in his leg because of deep vein thrombosis from a cross-Atlantic flight to his native Czech Republic after the 2008-09 season. The clot caused him to miss the entire preseason and first 10 games of the 2009-10 campaign. He had a brief conditioning stint with Hershey before turning in a breakout year in which he tallied new career highs in goals (23), assists (28) and points (51).
He recorded a total of 138 points in 283 games with the Caps before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Scott Hannan on Nov. 30, 2010. He got off to a torrid start with the Avs, posting 21 points in 22 games, but it came to an abrupt end when he was diagnosed with pulmonary emboli on Jan. 20 and was forced to miss the remainder of the 2010-11 season.
NHL
Fleischmann then tested the free-agent market and eventually signed a four-year, $18 million contract with the Panthers on July 1, 2011. His offensive production declined each season in Florida and he was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks for Dany Heatley and a third-round pick on Feb. 28.
Dougherty's projection
I'm lukewarm on Fleischmann because his offensive production has declined the last few years. Still, he plays a position of need. He won't demand nearly the contract he received from Florida four years ago, so his cap hit could be affordable for the Flyers. I think there are better options out there than Fleischmann for general manager Ron Hextall to fill his void of top-line left winger and second-line winger, but I do think the Flyers will sniff around Fleischmann.
The thing is, while his production has decreased recently, he's still a skilled winger and that's what the Flyers need. At the minimum, Fleischmann would give head coach Dave Hakstol more flexibility with his lines. I wouldn't love the signing but I wouldn't hate it. It's about getting skilled wingers. He might not be a top-six forward here, but he'd add some skill to the third line. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. Fleischmann would be more of a depth signing than an impact signing. That's OK but I don't see him being a top target for Hextall.
Riday's projection
After collecting just 18 goals the past two seasons combined, Fleischmann is likely to be a reclamation project for a team in 2015-16.
The biggest question is: Does he have anything left in the tank? At 31, he still has some time to turn his career around and prove he can still hang at the NHL level, but it's hard to imagine a team offering him a multi-year deal come July.
Would the Flyers be a fit? It's possible. Fleischmann can move up and down the lineup and even play in the middle if needed. Adding a flexible player for depth isn't a terrible idea, but it would have to be for the right price. I expect Flyers GM Ron Hextall to do his due diligence, but I wouldn't be surprised if he looks elsewhere for a left winger.