Barring some sort of Phillies-esque miracle run, it’s most likely that the Flyers are going to be out of the playoff race by the time the all-star game rolls around. It’s not like we should be surprised by this. This is pretty much the same group of guys that were rolled out and injured last year, minus the additions of Tony DeAngelo and Nic Deslauriers.
So, when the trade deadline comes around, who will be calling Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher? Likewise, who might they be inquiring about? Let’s break this roster down and see what’s up.
I’ve broken the players into the following categories:
- Untouchable…Unless the Return is a LOT of 1st Rounders
- Not Untouchable, But Not Going Anywhere…Unless the Price is Right
- Young Guys Who Still Need To Prove Themselves
- Possible Disgruntled Players who may be moved, but not for much.
- Role Guys Who Won’t Fetch Much
- Most Likely Gone
Let’s begin.
Flyers: Untouchable…Unless the Return is a LOT of 1st Rounders
Travis Konecny, Carter Hart
Let’s be honest, these guys aren’t going anywhere. Unless someone offers us five first-round picks and/or a bunch of top, NHL-ready prospects, Konecny and Hart are staying put for the long term. Teams have pulled the trigger on young players who are awesome all the time. In some cases, it works out well. In others, it’s a disaster. Still, I can’t see these guys moving out of Philly for a few years.
Konecny has become the player he once was. He is just 8 points shy of his 2019-20 totals and is about halfway toward last year’s totals in about a third of the games. This is also with him missing some games due to injury.
Hart is having a great year. While it may not show up in the “wins” category, he is having an amazing year in net. He is the best goalie the Flyers have had since the days of Ron Hextall and Brian Boucher. Unless someone gives us a king’s ransom, he ain’t going anywhere.
Flyers: Not Untouchable, But Not Going Anywhere…Unless the Price is Right
Nic Deslauriers, Rasmus Ristolainen, Travis Sanheim, Ivan Provorov, Scott Laughton, Joel Farabee
There is the possibility that someone could pick up the phone and inquire about these guys. It doesn’t hurt to listen. But unless there is a staggering offer, much like Konecny and Hart above, these guys are staying put.
Now, Deslauriers is a different story. He may not have the talent the others have, but he brings a physicality to this team that it desperately needs. He’s well-liked by his coach and his teammates. For that reason, he isn’t on the move.
Likewise, Scott Laughton is the leader of the team this season. He is the lone player with an “A” on their sweater. He does a lot of the little things that don’t show up in the stat sheets.
Farabee had two good seasons for a young player coming into this season. Then he got hurt this offseason and has struggled to find his former self. The Flyers will be patient with him because if he can become great again, he can be one of the young mainstays for this team.
While Risto and Sanheim are overpaid and probably hard to move on those merits alone, they are both having decent seasons. Likewise, Provy is having a bounce-back year. While you might be able to get something good for the three of these blue liners, it would have to be a lot to consider moving them. Also, the Flyers seem to like to have a steady, dependable core of defenders around them. Barring something unseen, these guys are staying. But again….for the right price…