The Philadelphia Flyers entered this season with positive vibes, as they expected to take a huge leap forward. That didn't necessarily mean they had to make the playoffs to fulfil that dream, but they just wanted to see some progress.
So far this season, the Flyers are 11-7-3 for 25 points through 21 games this season. Trevor Zegras has been great so far for the team, as he leads the team with 21 points as of Nov. 26 (seven goals, 14 assists). Plus, Dan Vladar has solved their lengthy goaltending issues. But, the Flyers are in the midst of a crowded Eastern Conference playoff picture, and they'll need to make some moves if they want to secure a spot at the end of the regular season.
Here are three players they could target to not only save their season, but ensure a playoff spot is attainable.
Elias Pettersson, C, Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are officially open for business. Sportsnet's NHL insider Elliott Friedman reports that the Canucks are willing to trade away veteran players in an effort to build a younger team. No specific names have been mentioned, but if there's one big name, it's center Elias Pettersson.
Last year, Pettersson had a rough season, scoring just 45 points, his lowest total in a season since 2021. But the two year's prior, Pettersson made it to the NHL All-Star Game twice. In those two seasons, Pettersson scored 73 goals and recorded 118 assists.
So far this season, Pettersson recorded seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points through 23 games.
The Flyers desperately need more scoring, as they are averaging just 2.67 goals per game through the first 21 games, which is the seventh-lowest in the NHL. Adding Pettersson could help provide more scoring for Philadelphia. It certainly helps that head coach Rick Tocchet has familiarity with Pettersson, as he was his former head coach on the Canucks.
Blake Coleman, LW, Flames
The Calgary Flames are an intriguing team, as they don't feel like a playoff team. Nazem Kadri would be the most desirable player on their roster for a team to acquire, but the Flames don't sound willing to part with him. There is another player on the Flames roster that could help the Flyers, and that's winger Blake Coleman.
Coleman brings the ability to score goals. Just two seasons ago, he scored a career-high 30 goals. So far this season, Coleman has eight goals in 24 games, which is tied for the most on the team. But one aspect of Coleman's game is that he isn't afraid to dish out some hits to the opposition. Coleman has 54 hits to his credit, tied for 42nd-most in the NHL.
Coleman is under contract for one more season before hitting free agency in 2027. Coleman carries a cap hit of $4.9 million annually. The Flyers would love to have a player like Coleman. But there is a catch — they will need to be on his 10-team approved trade list, which isn't publicly known at this time.
Quinn Hughes, D, Canucks
We return to the Canucks to highlight their best player on the roster, and that's defenseman Quinn Hughes. While the Canucks are open to trading away their veteran players, but Hughes was mentioned as a player that's not going to be traded, as of now.
There is still plenty of time until the trade deadline, so Vancouver's plans could change. They could decide to trade Hughes for maximum value or the defenseman could demand a trade to another team. Hughes is under contract for one more year before he hits free agency.
It's no secret that the New Jersey Devils fanbase is dreaming of Quinn joining Jack and Luke for a Hughes family reunion. Jack has openly mentioned wanting to play on the same team as Quinn and Luke. Given that Jack and Luke are under contract in New Jersey, the easiest way to do that is for Quinn to head over to join them, whether it's a trade or in free agency.
The Flyers could play the role of spoiler if they so desire. NHL insider Frank Seravalli mentioned that the Flyers can't be ruled out of a Hughes trade, considering Tocchet used to coach Hughes in Vancouver. Not to mention that Hughes is friends with Zegras.
Adding Hughes would take the Flyers to the next level and potentially into legitimate playoff contenders as soon as this season.