A lot of “what if” buzz around the Flyers over the last year ends up coming back to star right winger Travis Konecny. He has had an up and down career as of late, but was that a fluke? Is he a star or is he a bust in the making?
Konency came to Philly via the 2015 NHL Draft. It was the same draft that netted them Ivan Provorov. Provy went 7th overall while Konecny would follow a little later at 24th. And like Provy, he would make his debut two years later. After a decent rookie season, he exploded the next three seasons, scoring 24 goals; including 24 in the COVID shortened bubble season.
Konecny was on his way to career highs in 2019-20 before the pandemic hit. When the Flyers went into the “bubble”, something happened to him. His scoring touch was gone. He had only seven assists in 16 games. Coach Alain Vigneault publicly called him out as a player who needs to play better.
Hockey players are notoriously tight lipped. Unlike the Embiid-Simmons beef we saw with the Sixers or the “Anonymous Players”-Carson Wentz beef we saw with the Eagles, we aren’t sure if anything happened in the locker rooms beneath the Wells Fargo Center.
However, rumors have floated for a while about Konecny and Vigneault. There were times that Konency was a healthy scratch and he wasn’t in a slump. Vigneault’s departure this season has also been rumored to be because he lost the team. Is it true? Nobody will say for sure. What is seen is that Konecny’s numbers shot up after Vigneault was let go as coach.
Reasons to Trade Him
Putting aside the fact that stats for the last two seasons are harder to compare because of the amount of games played/not played, Konecny’s numbers are down. Was he pouting because of what Vigneault said about him?
We don’t need a temperamental player like that. That’s why the Eagles, and later the Colts, jettisoned the aforementioned Wentz. A hockey team is about a team and not the whims of one player. As Flyers fans, we all saw how that ripped apart the team chemistry in the late 90s with Eric Lindros and his feud with GM Bobby Clarke.
Reasons Not to Trade Him
He will turn 25 this year. Looking at how he finished this season out, we need his firepower. Maybe he can get his career back on track and be the guy that young players like Morgan Frost, Oskar Lindblom, Joel Farabee, and Owen Tippett need to rely on. Maybe he can step into that leadership role that this team is sorely lacking. Maybe he could be Claude Giroux’s replacement as team captain. He’s been around long enough. Maybe we turn the keys over to him.
Final Verdict
He’s going to be a popular topic of conversation this offseason. Is he worth keeping or not? If he is a prima-donna type player, move him and do it quickly. But if he is that way, you’re going to end up selling low and not get a good return on him. If you can package him up and get a great player in return, it’s worth the investment.
However, I truly believe that Konecny is the future of this team. Pair him with a good coach and some great linemates, he can take that next step forward.
Unless you can get a big, big, big, NHL landscaping altering deal for him, he’s best to hang onto right now. He’s cheaper than a lot of the fancy, big name free agents and is a lot younger. He’s worth holding onto for quite a while.