The Philadelphia Flyers will look to sell some pieces at the NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 25, but that doesn’t mean they can’t look into the buying market either. Here are some players that could interest them.
The Philadelphia Flyers’ biggest task before the trade deadline will most likely be figuring out a conclusion to the Wayne Simmonds saga. But that doesn’t mean that’s the only thing the team can do.
In fact, general manager Chuck Fletcher could throw a minor curve ball and enter the buying market. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported that Fletcher hopes to be a buyer and seller and he’s already proven that with the Cam Talbot acquisition.
Fletcher won’t be looking at the expiring contract market, but the team would logically want to add a top-six forward and a top-four defenseman before the 2019-20 season. The 2019 Trade Deadline could include some players that fit that role. The following are some of those possible targets.
Colton Parayko
Parayko has long been a Flyers’ fan dream and has often found himself in trade rumors. The 25-year-old blueliner has a lot of attributes that team’s look for such as height at 6-foot-6, being right-handed and some offensive capabilities.
The Alberta native is on a team-friendly deal too with three years left at $5.5 million, but the St. Louis Blues are back in the thick of the playoffs again and they might want to just hold onto him for now. Parayko might be a player that the Flyers circle back to in the offseason.
Carolina Hurricanes Defensemen
The Hurricanes have been rumored to want to trade one of their defensemen, most notably Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce or Dougie Hamilton, for a while now. Any of the three could fit with the Flyers, but Hamilton and Pesce have to top the list for filling the biggest need.
The issue, though, is that the ‘Canes are reportedly interested in only dealing one of those three for a goal-scorer. Philly could offer a player like James van Riemsdyk or Jake Voracek but that would just open up another hole. The Flyers are best dealing from a prospect or draft pick perspective.
Alec Martinez
The Kings have already traded one defenseman in Jake Muzzin and might continue the fire sale as they start a rebuild. Martinez would be a logical next step at 31 years old. The American blueliner is left-handed but plays the right side. His offensive totals have been on the decline of late, though.
Martinez is signed for two more years at $4 million, which is a solid deal for a top-four defenseman. He’d also likely cost less than the other d-men on this list.
Florida Panthers Wingers
Reports and speculation have run rampant that the Panthers will make a play for both Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky at the trade deadline or in free agency, but because of the salary cap and in-organization financial constraints, they’ll have to move some of the payroll. That has left Mike Hoffman and Jonathan Huberdeau as possible trade chips.
Hoffman is having a great first season in Florida with 49 points in 57 games and has stayed out of the media for off-ice reasons since landing there. However, he does make $5.1 million with just a single year left — and the off-ice concerns will probably always exist.
Huberdeau will likely cost a lot more than Hoffman — and his availability is a question mark — but for good reason. The 25-year-old is nearly a point-per-game player and makes just $5.9 million for the next three seasons. He might cost the farm, but he’d be worth it.
Kasperi Kapanen
The Maple Leafs are ramping up for a playoff run, but with their cap crunch coming next season, right winger Kapanen might be a goner. The Flyers have Wayne Simmonds and Radko Gudas that might interest the Leafs in a trade for the 22-year-old with 36 points in 58 games this season.
It’s probably more likely that Toronto keeps Kapanen this season and accepts whatever fate they need to in the offseason with the son of former Flyer, Sami Kapanen.
Minnesota Wild Players
General managers like going back to their old stomping grounds for familiar players and Fletcher is in luck as current Wild GM Paul Fenton has been told he can make trades even if it costs the team a playoff spot. Charlie Coyle, Jason Zucker and Jared Spurgeon are all players that could interest the Flyers.
Coyle can play center and right wing which would attract the Flyers, but Zucker is the better forward. The 27-year-old scored 33 goals last season and is signed to four more years at $5.5 million to Coyle’s one year at $3.2 million. Zucker’s deal may be a tad too long, but Philly could handle it for two to three years easily.
Spurgeon is a diminutive defenseman, but effective at all areas of the ice. He’s scored over 30 points the past two years and is at 36 this season. He’s also right-handed, which the Flyers lack.
Jesse Puljujarvi
Pulujarvi won’t be the top-six forward that the Flyers need right now, but he still might be a player for the team to consider. At 20-years-old he’s a reclamation project that for some reason has fallen out of favor in Edmonton, and now he’s unhappy. In Philly, Pulujarvi doesn’t need to be an impact player and can adjust in the NHL slowly than he’s been able to do with the Oilers.
The Flyers and Oilers have clearly talked trade lately and may have even discussed Pulujarvi while discussing Anthony Stolarz and Cam Talbot. They could still resume talks before the trade deadline.