Should The Flyers Look To Bring Back Jeff Carter In A Trade?

Could a reunion between the Philadelphia Flyers and current Los Angeles Kings centerman be on the horizon?

Folks, we’re just a few days away from the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline on February 24th, and things have already started to heat up. The league saw a litany of deals get done in the past three days, with names such as Andy Greene, Dylan DeMelo, Brenden Dillon, Blake Coleman, and Tyler Toffoli getting moved during that span. Though they have yet to make a trade of their own at the time this was written, the Philadelphia Flyers have still been involved in a rumor or two as a familiar face has been linked to returning to the City of Brotherly Love.

According to Sportsnet reporter Elliotte Friedman in his latest ‘31 Thoughts‘ column, the Flyers are “considering Jeff Carter” depending on the health of the currently sidelined Nolan Patrick. This is the second time Philly’s been linked to the two-time Stanley Cup Champion, as NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark reported back in January that they “discussed the possibility of trading for Jeff” and that they’ve “inquired about trading for him before.” Interesting stuff! But should General Manager Chuck Fletcher pull the trigger? Let’s break down the pros and cons.

Starting out positively, bringing back Carter would undoubtedly give the Flyers more skill in their Top 9. The now 35-year-old forward has been having a solid season on a lowly Los Angeles Kings squad, scoring 27 points (17 Goals, 10 Assists) in 60 games played. His goal total ties for second on the Kings and would sit fifth on the Flyers as things currently stand, showing that he can still find twine when needed. It wouldn’t hurt for Fletcher to acquire a shoot-first forward to go along with a team mostly consisting of playmakers, especially somebody who has the experience that Carter does.

On the other hand, the former first-rounder has a pretty high cap hit, as he’s set to receive 5.272 million dollars over each of the next two and a half years, per Cap Friendly. Given how little cap space Philly has at the moment, Fletcher would either have to part with a roster player to make the salaries work or potentially cough up another asset to get LA to eat some of Carter’s money. My question to you is, would you want to fork over a package of picks and prospects to get a guy who’s clearly on the back-end of his career?

Keep in mind that, unless a buyout happens at some point, Carter would be on the roster through the 2021-22 campaign and could block a younger player from making the roster in the near future, too. Also, where would Carter fit when Patrick eventually comes back? Do you move one of them to the wing? There’s a lot of questions that would need to be answered.

Personally, I’d like to see Fletcher find a younger, cheaper option on the trade market. It’s always nice to see an old face find their way back into an Orange and Black uniform but in this case, this face is too old and expensive for my taste. Pass.

Verdict: No, the Flyers shouldn’t trade for Carter.