‘This is the place I want to play as long as I can:’ Jamie Drysdale on new deal with Flyers
General manager Daniel Briere and the Philadelphia Flyers have been one of the more active teams this offseason, even if their huge stab at improving the roster fell short when the Anaheim Ducks matched their monstrous offer sheet for star center Leo Carlsson.
Last Friday, Briere got a major item checked off his summer to-do list when he signed defenseman Jamie Drysdale to a four-year contract extension with a salary cap hit of $6.5 million. Drysdale was the primary piece of the return the Flyers obtained when they sent Cutter Gauthier’s rights to Anaheim in January of 2024.
“It’s definitely a relief,” Drysdale said. “It went kind of smooth for the most part. (I’m) definitely relieved and just thrilled, excited. It’s hte place i want to play for, you know, as long as I can, and so just super excited that I got four more years.”
Drysdale was not the only player on the Flyers who was both a restricted free agent and former Duck, as Trevor Zegras also signed on last week to stay in Philadelphia for four more years.
“It was kind of always in and around that (four-year) ballpark from the start,” Drysdale said of his negotiations. “I think it was something that both sides were comfortable with. Philly’s a place that I love to play in. There’s no secret there. I’ll continuously say it.”
Drysdale is a 24-year-old right-handed defenseman who has wowed talent evaluators since his junior days with his mobility, puck-moving and offensive instincts.
The Toronto native had the best offensive season of his career on a per-game basis last year, racking up 32 points on 8 goals and 24 assists in 78 regular season games before chipping in 4 points in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
He serves as the quarterback of the Flyers’ top power play unit, but the 2025-26 season proved to be turbulent with the man advantage for Drysdale and his teammates, as Philly finished dead last in the NHL with a 15.7% conversion rate.
“I think that’s an area that I can improve on a lot and be successful in the league,” Drysdale said. “It’s definitely a point as a team. I think making that better and getting it moving a little bit will lead to a lot of success overall.”
The Flyers proved to be a bit ahead of schedule in their build back toward contention last season, as a red-hot run down the stretch powered them to a second-place finish in the Metropolitan Division. Philadelphia then ousted in-state rival Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round before getting swept in the second by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
Now, the Flyers boast an impressive young core with some postseason experience, as in addition to Drysdale and Zegras, Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, Travis Sanheim, Cameron York and goalie Dan Vladar are all locked up through at least 2030.