Flyers sign a D-man with over 1,000 games for veteran support

VOORHEES, N.J. — It seemed likely the rebuilding Flyers were going to add some depth on defense given the position group is thin.

They did so Monday, signing veteran Marc Staal to a one-year, $1.1 million contract.

On Day 1 of free agency Saturday, the Flyers inked three forwards in Garnet Hathaway, Ryan Poehling and Rhett Gardner.

Their back end was definitely calling for experience on a short-term deal. The Flyers traded Ivan Provorov last month and Justin Braun retired after last season. Tony DeAngelo very well may be dealt to the Hurricanes soon, a trade that, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, could go through once a league rule issue is resolved. Being young is important for the Flyers' rebuild, but supporting the youth and giving it the best chance to develop is also important.

"It's a fine line, right?" Flyers general manager Danny Briere said Saturday. "We'd like to add a little bit more of a veteran presence, but at the same time, we want to be careful, our young guys, we don't want to block them. And we want to see what we have, also, it's kind of important to find out what they're really made of, if they're ready for the next stage in their career. There are a few guys that are right there."

The Flyers were not expected to be a major player in free agency. The four deals Briere has inked are all two years or shorter.

"We talked about adding a little bit of a veteran presence to help our young guys. We never thought that a player like Marc Staal would have any interest in coming here," Briere said Monday. "So we were pretty excited when we found out that there was mutual interest."

The 36-year-old Staal has played in 1,101 career NHL games, recording 229 points (52 goals, 177 assists) and a plus-50 rating.

He knows the Northeast well, having played 13 years for the Rangers, five of them under Flyers head coach John Tortorella.

"It almost makes too much sense to add a guy like that, who has played for Torts, understands what Torts is all about, is willing to kind of pass that message," Briere said. "Where is he going to fit in the lineup? We were very clear with him about what we're doing here, where the process is going and he wants to help out.

"Now, he's also a competitor. He's going to play hard and he's going to try to push our guys, play more and more and more, kind of like what he did in Florida, which I think is great — to have guys like that, that love to compete."

Last season, Staal played in all 82 games for the Eastern Conference champion Panthers. In 18:12 minutes per game, he had 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) and a plus-10 mark.

Staal was in some national headlines for a game during March. He, along with his brother Eric Staal, decided to not take part in a pregame skate because of Florida's Pride-themed warmup jerseys. They cited their religious beliefs for why they made the decision.

In the playoffs, Staal went scoreless over 21 games and played 20:56 minutes per game. He owns 128 games of postseason experience.

Staal should be a good mentor type for the Flyers' young blueliners like Cam York, Egor Zamula, Ronnie Attard, Adam Ginning and possibly Emil Andrae, among others. He becomes the oldest player on the Flyers' roster.

"We looked around to add a player like that and it was tough, we had lots of names," Briere said. "When his name came up, everybody was unanimous on our staff that he was the best option. What he has been through in his career, how many games he has played in his career, how many games he has played in the playoffs, the situations he has been in, the fact that he had played for Torts, understands what Torts is trying to do — there are just a lot factors that made a lot of sense with bringing him aboard."

Hathaway is a 31-year-old, tough-to-play-against winger. The Flyers believe he'll be a good presence for their younger forwards.

"I think he fits what we're trying to do, he fits the Flyers," Briere said. "He's a Flyer-type player."

While the Flyers have admitted to rebuilding, they clearly want to support the process with experience.

"My belief, and our belief, about the future of this team, we don't believe in tanking," Briere said. "We want our players to improve. They need some guidance, they need some guys that have been there, that have gone through it."

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