No, don’t expect the Philadelphia Flyers to buy when the March 7th trade deadline rolls around. Their season is all but over, but that doesn’t mean you should lose hope in this team. Their core is shaping up well, and by pawning off a few seasoned veterans, expect it to keep solidifying, with players like Bobby Brink taking charge.
Plus, the Flyers have some valuable players to offer, even if they’re not superstars. In a way, consider that a good thing, as dealing away value but not a game-changer means this team’s slowly, but steadily heading in the right direction, even if it’s painful to fathom at times.
Anyway, enough small talk about some positives amidst what’s been a long, lost season. I know some of you only judge a campaign on points totals and that’s fine. But then again, it’s why the Flyers aren’t acquiring an immediate game-changer or lower-line value to make a playoff push.
But like I said, a few players out there are, so let’s talk about them and what makes them names NHL executives could covet.
Rasmus Ristolainen
Probably the hottest name among those on the Flyers who’ll be headed elsewhere at some point before the deadline, even if he’s banged up at the moment. Rasmus Ristolainen is no points producer, with two goals and 13 assists in 54 games this year, but he’d snag a spot on the third-pairing for a contender, if not the top-four.
You might call this one an overrated stat, but Ristolainen’s got a plus-3 rating right now, the third-best on a bad Flyers team and one that’s 28th in the league with 189 goals allowed. That said, Ristolainen has shown he can shut down plays, but he’s also someone who will land body checks and get in front of shots, where he’s got 83 hits and 85 blocks, respectively.
A team in dire need of defensive help should have Ristolainen on their radar, even if the seasoned veteran lacks playoff experience. That said, I’d see the latter as a plus, considering few in the NHL at the moment are more hungry to play beyond mid-April than someone who’s had to play for some bad hockey teams throughout his career.
It’s that urgency or potential urgency that would entice me to acquire Ristolainen if I were a hockey executive. We’ll see who agrees with me on this one, and if the Flyers can get something good out of what will be an inevitable deal.
Scott Laughton
What jumps out at me with Scott Laughton would be his versatility. In Philadelphia, he can give you middle-six minutes, which isn’t much, considering how bad the team is this season. But still, Laughton is a player even a contender can put onto their top six if the situation called for it, and he’s got plenty of years of experience playing top-six minutes throughout his time in Philadelphia.
He’s also put up 11-plus goals in each of the last four seasons, with 18 two years ago. This season, even if he were to stay in Philadelphia, Laughton could be looking at a career-high in finding the net.
His playmaking also makes him a brilliant asset, and it helped him achieve that career-best of 43 points in 2022-23, only to follow it up with a respectable 39 last season. No, these numbers aren’t getting anyone into an All-Star Game in years that they’re held. But you can’t argue that Laughton would provide excellent supplementary points production.
While he’s not someone who’s as physical as the next name on this list, Laughton isn’t afraid to land body checks, with 113 at this point. If someone’s looking to add an edge to their lineup, they don’t need to look much further than the Flyers.
Garnet Hathaway
If there’s anyone playing for a bad hockey team who can add some edge to any contender, it’s Garnet Hathaway. His presence will make teams think twice before crossing him, or star players, so the intimidation factor would be there for anyone who acquires him.
Despite his role as a borderline ‘enforcer,’ Hathaway is rather savvy for supplementary scoring and points production. In 57 games this season, he’s got eight goals and 18 points, and his shooting percentage is hovering around a sound 11.0.
The winger doesn’t need to be out there long to make an impact, even if his average total ice time sticks around at fewer than 12 minutes per game. This is a guy who’ll get the body checks and the occasional fight in when necessary, and players like that will win teams championships when they need a spark.
Overall, Hathaway has served similar roles for dynamic groups in Boston and Washington, and he even spent time in Calgary. That said, he’s used to doing the dirty work to help teams win hockey games, and best yet, he’s not as one-dimensional when you break his numbers down.