The Philadelphia Flyers are the latest team to become involved in the Quinn Hughes conversation. And there’s a good reason for it. The Flyers are a young and up-and-coming team. Plus, there’s one natural link: Rick Tocchet.
Tocchet’s influence on Hughes cannot be understated. Plus, the prospect of a team on the up-and-up could be too much for the Vancouver Canucks captain to pass up.
But as insider Elliotte Friedman noted, there’s one hitch that could gum up a potential trade.
One of the reported pieces the Canucks want in return is a solid top-six center. The Canucks lost that in the J.T. Miller trade. While they got Filip Chytil from the Rangers, Chytil has been injured this season.
Plus, the inconsistency of Elias Pettersson has further pushed the Canucks’ situation. Pettersson is on the shelf at the moment, further complicating things for Vancouver.
That’s why, for Daniel Briere to make a deal work for Quinn Hughes, he’d have to send a center to Vancouver. Alas, the Flyers don’t really have one that the Canucks might covet. That situation prompted Friedman's holdup.
“Philly doesn't have a center, but I think they have interest.”
The comments, as made on the December 9 edition of the First Shift Podcast, point toward a reality. The Flyers don’t really have the pieces that the Canucks could want to make a deal for Quinn Hughes happen.
At the moment, the Flyers are rolling with Sean Couturier and Christian Dvorak in their top six. Would any of those two be a player the Canucks would take? Not likely. While Owen Tippett has drawn some interest around the league, it doesn’t seem likely that the Canucks would look at Tippett as a worthwhile piece for Quinn Hughes.
Flyers would also need to send another defenseman to Vancouver
Another potential drawback would be the lack of a high-end defenseman the Flyers could send to Vancouver. The Canucks will likely ask for a decent top-four defenseman to offset the loss of Hughes.
Ideally, the Canucks would like to acquire someone who could play on their power play. That’s something the Flyers may not want to give up. After all, would sending Travis Sanheim to Vancouver be worth it? Would, say, Jamie Drysdale move the needle?
The Canucks want a fortune for Hughes. The club is looking to overhaul its roster in a single move. That’s why the Flyers, as much as they would like to throw their hat in the ring, don’t seem to have the pieces to make a trade for Quinn Hughes work.
Of course, anything can happen. But then again, the likelihood of Philadelphia being a destination for Hughes isn’t something to bet on at this point.