Travis Konecny Garnering Interest from Detroit

With the recent trade of Ivan Provorov, the second longest tenured Philadelphia Flyer solely remains with Travis Konecny. With the rumors of the 26-year-old Ontario native being shopped by the Flyers, the question remains as to what should be the deal to fully land a player who embodies what it means to be a Flyer.

While it still stands to reason that Travis Konecny fits the timeline of this rebuild, if the right deal comes along to GM Danny Briere, he will most likely be on his way to Detroit, a place rumored to have heavy interest.

Konecny is coming off a breakthrough season. This past year has shown exactly what he can become: a sniper with high IQ, a 200-foot game, elite vision and someone who can play on both the power play and penalty kill. Netting 30+ goals this season has been something both the fans and front office have been waiting for from Konecny.

His intangibles make him invaluable to a team both rebuilding or looking to make a big leap into the playoffs. Konecny never gives up on a play, works for every puck and is an absolute pest. Being able to get under your opponent’s skin is one thing, but having the ability to back up your play makes it even more annoying for the opposing team.

Fans are questioning why Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny are so highly sought after in this league. It’s for the reasons above, but also seeing how Konecny has evolved as a player and a leader. The way he bounced back after being benched for the entire third period against the Sharks speaks volumes to both his character and drive to become better.

Detroit has been looking to make waves this past season. They clearly believe the rebuild is coming to an end and finding the right pieces to fit and lead this young roster to the playoffs can be afforded. Unfortunately for Detroit, Konecny has a ton of value and it’s going to cost them.

The 9th overall draft pick will have to come Briere’s way if he is going to part with Konecny. At this point, that is something Detroit does not want to part with. If Briere didn’t let Laughton go for picks in the high teens, he certainly won’t let Travis Konecny, who he has been mentoring, go that easy.

There are a few prospects that the Flyers could get in return to help in their rebuilding process. First would be right-handed defenseman Moritz Seider, Filip Zadina or Lucas Raymond. Each player fits the timeline the Flyers have set for themselves and could be a part of a core three years from now and have not even hit their prime yet,

Maybe adding a veteran in Kevin Hayes while retaining salary, a prospect and a second and third rounder will get you a full package with potentially two of these players mentioned as well. Regardless of the situation, Konecny doesn’t change his sweater unless Briere gets one of those aforementioned pieces.

Moritz Seider

Seider is a two-way, right -handed defenseman who plays years ahead of his skill level. When Seider was scouted, his skating ability and vision on both ends of the ice were highly praised. Having the abilities that Seider has at his age are rare, but being able to continue to grow is what makes him so valuable.

As for Detroit, they knew the day would come where all of their young prospects would have to be moved for assets to better their team. If Detroit does include Seider, DeAngelo or Sanheim would be the perfect return piece to replace Seider. Moreso on the Sanheim side of that conversation.

Sanheim becomes a player locked in for the future and could find the game that the Flyers believe he had been developing when giving him his current contract. Sanheim and Konecny are really close, and this deal would benefit Detroit with bringing Konecny’s best friend with him.

The Flyers get their right-handed top two defenseman and Detroit gets leadership and tenure.

Filip Zadina

The former sixth overall, left-handed winger has not yet had a full campaign in the NHL. Marred by injuries, Zadina just hasn’t seemed to find his stride. It could be another Owen Tippett situation and the Flyers could benefit from a deal like this.

Head coach John Tortorella knows how to get the most out of his young players and might be able to tap into Zadina’s full potential. Zadina and the 9th overall pick is not enough to get Travis Konecny. Throwing in a Raymond or Seider would have to be a part of the deal.

Zadina has too many question marks around him, and Danny Briere is smart enough to know both the values of Zadina and Konecny. While the Claude Giroux trade should have had the Flyers receiving a little more, Tippett is proving to be worth Giroux in the long run.

Zadina is the perfect prospect for the Flyers to bring in. It would be up to him to earn his playing time and a spot on this roster. It could end up being a low risk, high reward return for the Flyers.

Lucas Raymond

This might be an exact trade for Konecny with the ninth overall pick. Raymond has shown a ton of upside in the NHL and proven he could be a valuable asset moving forward for any team. Raymond could be the perfect replacement for Konecny in terms of scoring.

As for Raymond, it stands to reason that Detroit might be a little weary to trade him. He clearly has a nice upside for this league and could be a long-term piece to the puzzle that is the potential return of Detroit being Hockey Town USA.

https://twitter.com/nhl/status/1643393746086633477?s=46&t=Bm3J0tt8Q2vzBYUB5qklFA

This could just be a pipe dream, but if Briere could make Raymond apart of any deal with Detroit, he is a lot smarter than most have originally anticipated.