The Flyers didn't end up making any truly blockbuster moves on deadline day. Their most notable was sending Bobby Brink to the Minnesota Wild. But even that was somewhat expected with the logjam at the wing. That move was needed to allow for someone like Alex Bump to be called up or to give room for Porter Martone next season.
While nothing major came their way, a division rival went full steam ahead. The New York Islanders, who currently hold the third spot in the division, swung a rather large deal with the St. Louis Blues. They landed former Flyer Brayden Schenn and paid a rather large price to do so. They sent Jonathan Drouin, prospect Marcus Gidlof, a first-round pick, and a third-round pick to the Blues in return. The first round pick comes from Colorado, though, so it's basically a second.
Schenn may not be the same player that he used to be, but he still provides tremendous value in multiple areas. His 54.2 faceoff percentage is the best of his career and will be third on the Islanders amongst players who regularly take faceoffs. He can shift over to the wing if need be. And he's not afraid to drop the gloves, whether to stand up for a teammate or bring some energy to his team. He also brings playoff experience and a Stanley Cup victory.
His scoring is down considerably. His 12 goals and 28 points are his lowest totals since 2012-13 and a far dropoff from his best years. But he doesn't have to be the go-to guy and won't have the weight of a captaincy on his shoulders. That alone could help. He'll also allow the Islanders to shift Mathew Barzal back to wing and take some responsibility off their younger forwards.
Considering the Flyers need help at center, seeing the Islanders sure up their depth can't be a good feeling. Schenn wasn't going to be an option for Philadelphia since they needed someone with more offense to help them. But Flyers' fans can't say that it doesn't hurt a little to see a division rival willing to pay the price to upgrade a position they also need help with. Especially when the move they made for center help was claiming Luke Glendening off waivers.
And it's going to sting even more with the fact that the Flyers didn't do much trade-wise. They only made one significant move and ended up keeping their biggest trade piece in Rasmus Ristolainen. They're not ready to contend and are likely to miss the playoffs for a sixth straight season. Stuck in the middle is not a fun place to be.