Flyers Tradecraft: Potential targets on the Buffalo Sabres
The trade deadline marches closer each day the Flyers look to be potential buyers in what should be a hot, expansion-fueled, market. The Sabres look more like sellers after each bad loss. Are there any potential matches between the teams?
The Sabres have wears to peddle with several expiring contracts to start, which are attractive rentals for buyers. Their recent spat of bad play may make them even more eager to sell off assets to start to retool for next year.
Taylor Hall
Headlining the names at forwarding is left-wing Taylor Hall. Hall, the first pick overall in 2010, is capable of putting up huge numbers but has not been a bulk goal scorer in the last few seasons. Hall, with the Sabres retaining some of his salary, is their best trade asset. Does he make sense for the Flyers?
If the Flyers acquire Hall, with their depth, it might allow Hall to exploit favorable matchups and allow him to provide scoring punch. The flip side is that the Flyers forwards have been gelling well since the covid stoppage, Hall would be a luxury item, and that could cost a player like Morgan Frost.
Given the price and the team’s depth, the Flyers will likely pass on Hall
Eric Staal
Staal, a veteran center, is a former Stanley Cup champion with the Carolina Hurricanes and has an expiring contract with the Sabres. Staal is playing a depth role with the team, averaging just over 15 minutes a night and seeing time on the second unit powerplay and virtually penalty no killing time.
Normally, given the Flyers depth at center, Staal would not be part of the conversation, however, Stall was a key acquisition for the Minnesota Wild when Chuck Fletcher led their front office.
Fletcher brought in Grant and Thompson last season to sure up the center position. Staal is a known entity for Fletcher and might be an inexpensive addition if the team looks for center help,
Depending on circumstances it would not be surprising to see Staal end up in the orange and black.
Brandon Montour
Montour is an interesting target and might be the only player the Flyers have a legitimate interest in. As a righthanded shot with an expiring contract, the Flyers might be willing to take a gamble on the puck-moving defender. Montour has played well in the absence of his partner and defensive stalwart Jake McCabe, seeing time on the penalty kill and getting over 20 minutes of ice time on average. Montour has had his defensive wobbles, which is a concern on a team full of defensemen with wobbles. But everything is relative compared to Gustafsson’s wobbles, Montour’s problems look like a mild shiver.
The true question is if Montour is the right fit. Is he good enough to send either Hagg or Gustafsson to the press box? Probably so, but fixing the bottom pair is only nibbling at the edges of the core issue. The root question is if Montour would be able to pair with Provorov.
Provorov was extremely valuable last season when paired with a diminished Matt Niskanen. Niskanen, a right-handed shot, gained Provorov’s confidence to the point that the young blueliner could assert himself on the offensive end knowing the Niskanen would be well-positioned to support him. Could Montour provide that same rapport with Provorov? If he can, then the Flyers have solidified their top two pairs and gives the team possibilities between Hagg, Gustafsson, Ghost, and Prosser for the last pairing.
In order for this trade to work for the Flyers, Montour would have to be willing to accept the sidekick role, as Matt Niskanen did. That is not an easy ask for a player in a contract year, and in the prime of their career. But it may be a sacrifice he is willing to make to escape Buffalo.