Flyers winger Tyson Foerster exploded for six goals in his final five games of the season, crossing the 20-goal threshold for the second time. (Photo: Eric Bolte, Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/04f8039a-74ef-4077-8c84-147f2aac6bd5.jpeg] Flyers winger Tyson Foerster exploded for six goals in his final five games of the season, crossing the 20-goal threshold for the second time. (Photo: Eric Bolte, Imagn Images) The Philadelphia Flyers signed budding winger Tyson Foerster to a highly anticipated contract extension Thursday afternoon, but the details tell the bigger story. The contract is a temporary solution to a complex situation, but there are benefits, too. Foerster, 23, put pen to paper on a two-year, $7.5 million extension ($3.75 million AAV), signing a much shorter contract than what most were expecting. For reference, hockey analytics mavens Evolving-Hockey gave Foerster a 27% chance [https://evolving-hockey.com/stats/contract_projections/?_inputs_&con_season=%2220242025%22&con_team=%22PHI%22&con_pos=%22F%22&con_status=%22All%22&con_agent=%22Yes%22&con_period=%221%3A%20July%201st%20-%20July%2031st%22&con_signs_with=%22UFA%3A%20Different%2C%20RFA%3A%20Same%22&con_8yr=%22On%22&dir_con=%22Contract%20Projection%20Tables%22&con_player=null&con_cap=%2295500000%22] of signing an eight-year extension, with a predicted annual cap hit of $6.94 million in that instance. A two-year deal for Foerster had the second-highest odds, according to Evolving-Hockey's model, at 23%. They predicted Foerster to pull in a $4.161 million cap hit in this scenario, so the Flyers, by most accounts, got a great deal on their former-first round pick's bridge contract. One underrated aspect of Foerster's new Flyers contract is the fact that he will still be under team control on its expiry; Foerster will still be a restricted free agent in 2027 at 25 years old. By getting him on a short-term bridge deal, the Flyers save themselves some cap space for the potential to make a bigger move in the next two seasons and don't lose any leverage when the time comes to negotiate [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/players/how-flyers-tyson-foerster-are-affected-by-matt-coronato-contract] another contract. Tyson Foerster's 2024-25 player card, courtesy of Evolving-Hockey. [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/ee005b7d-d994-4049-8e1e-f4f3635704f4.png] Tyson Foerster's 2024-25 player card, courtesy of Evolving-Hockey. And that time could be as soon as July 1, 2026, when Foerster will become eligible to sign a contract extension with the Flyers. It's not dissimilar to what Cam York just went through with the Flyers as a pending RFA himself. Additionally, Foerster's new deal does not come with any form of trade protection, meaning that, now through the end of the contract, the Flyers control the 23-year-old's fate. This could become especially prudent if a season passes and the two sides are unable to come to an agreement on a longer-term contract, or if Foerster struggles massively and is no longer deemed a fit for the future of the Flyers. The 6-foot-2 winger's UFA year, according to PuckPedia [https://puckpedia.com/player/tyson-foerster], is 2029, so the Flyers could have pushed for more team control, but 2027 will have to suffice. It's an amicable solution for two sides who clearly wanted to get a deal done, and so Foerster will remain with the Flyers. Grade: B+ This piece of business by the Flyers was as close to perfect as can be. Personally, a longer-term deal would have been preferable, especially considering that having some extra years of team control was, apparently, a factor of some kind. With Foerster's contract becoming official, the Flyers now have a shade under $23 million to operate with, needing only to re-sign York, Noah Cates, Jakob Pelletier, and fringe players like Olle Lycksell and Helge Grans [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/players/why-helge-grans-is-forcing-his-way-into-flyers-plans-for-next-season]. Last year, the contracts given out to Travis Konecny, Ivan Fedotov, and Owen Tippett raised some eyebrows, but the Foerster contract is a clear win [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-officially-fleeced-maple-leafs-in-scott-laughton-trade] for a Flyers organization that desperately needs one.
