Flyers sign Jamie Drysdale to four-year, $26 million extension

The Philadelphia Flyers signed defenseman Jamie Drysdale to a four-year, $26 million contract extension on Friday, the team announced. The deal carries an average annual value of $6.5 million and runs through the 2029-30 season.

The extension avoids an arbitration hearing that was scheduled for Monday. Drysdale, 24, became a restricted free agent on July 1 and filed for arbitration on July 5. According to inquirer.com, the contract includes limited trade protections: a six-team no-trade list in Year 3 and a four-team no-trade list in Year 4.

Drysdale is coming off a career-best season in which he posted eight goals and 32 points while averaging 21 minutes, 33 seconds per game. The 2025-26 campaign marked a significant leap in his development after arriving from Anaheim in a trade. He also contributed 10 points during the Flyers' playoff run, according to nhl.com.

"We're excited to have Jamie remain a key part of our organization for years to come," general manager Danny Brière said in a statement, per 6abc.com. "Since we acquired him, Jamie has worked extremely hard and taken big steps in his development, and has established himself as a reliable piece on our back end with the ability to impact the game in all situations."

Drysdale is now the Flyers' highest-paid defenseman by cap hit, slightly ahead of Travis Sanheim's $6.25 million. The signing comes two days after Philadelphia re-signed forward Trevor Zegras to a four-year, $36.5 million deal. The Flyers have one remaining restricted free agent to sign: winger Nikita Grebenkin.