Flyers should call these 3 teams to move Ryan Ellis’ contract

If the Flyers want to try and contend this season, they need to find a suitor for Ryan Ellis' contract, which will be one less thing on their to-do list.
Oct 15, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis (94) and Vancouver Canucks left wing Tanner Pearson (70) battle at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Oct 15, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis (94) and Vancouver Canucks left wing Tanner Pearson (70) battle at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Flyers are still on the hook for Ryan Ellis' contract for another two seasons, and they're busy building a strong core. This, plus their limited cap space of $370,238, means they need to do something if they plan on retaining some of those players in that core on long-term deals that would start next season.

As Jonathan Bailey noted at The Hockey News, "So, if the Flyers want the cap space, and they don't want to use the LTIR pool, the next logical step would be to move on from Ellis's contract altogether."

And I agree 1,000 percent. But, it'll be one of those trades that will see the Flyers asking another team to take on a contract with a $6.25 million cap hit, so they'll be trading more than Ellis' contract. That said, if there's a team out there that has zero plans to contend for the 2026 playoffs, or one that could take it on, they'll have buyers.

1 - San Jose Sharks

This might be the "Captain Obvious" pick. Right now, the Sharks are young, and while they're retaining a few contracts and paying others in buyouts, plus paying Logan Couture, they have room for another one with over $20.6 million in cap space.

San Jose's plan is to build their organization slowly and around future cornerstones Macklin Celebrini and Michael Misa. That said, they'd probably welcome taking on a contract for a player who will never suit up for them.

2 - Nashville Predators

The Flyers acquired Ellis from the Predators, and it's where he played all but four games of his NHL career. But that's not why I got the Preds on the list. Instead, it's because they're an aging hockey team that might just be ready to turn the page on what's been an abysmal calendar year.

I wouldn't be surprised a single iota if the aging Predators stumbled out of the gate for the second year in a row. And in the process, a team that currently has over $10 million in cap space can start taking on a contract that they gave Ellis in the first place, while they, at some point, start shedding the ones they got.

It would officially signal that the Preds are in all-out rebuilding mode, and while the fans may not like it, at some point, you have to ask yourself: Will the current team take us anywhere? You may as well enter the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes.

3 - Columbus Blue Jackets

This one might also come in as a surprise, but the Blue Jackets are likely a year away from serious playoff contention and they're a team with over $16 million in cap space. Really, if they planned on being serious contenders at the moment, I highly doubt they'd have that much money saved up.

It sends one clear signal: Keep building this program from within. And while the Blue Jackets will need to start extending players like Adam Fantilli, they can more than afford to take on Ellis' contract for the time being.

This strategy would also let the Blue Jackets focus more on their homegrown talent as they continue their rebuild as opposed to looking outside to acquire major help. In the long run, that can pay off.

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