While the Philadelphia Flyers could be a top seller at the 2024 trade deadline, they are still in a top-three spot in the Metropolitan. That could entice general manager Daniel Briere to try and put the best team together on the ice and hold off on rebuilding until at least the summer.
If the Flyers continue to struggle throughout February, then unfortunately, they will end up trading away their top talents and start the rebuild next month. But for this scenario, let’s predict that the Flyers go on another hot streak and prove to the front office that they can make a deep playoff run this season.
Following a recent five-game losing streak, it’s clear they need help. So if they pull off any of the following three trades, we shouldn’t see something that they are going through now happening again.
Anthony Duclair provides a scoring option on special teams
One good thing about Anthony Duclair is that he won’t cost a fortune. However, the Flyers need a sound winger on the power play, and Duclair has been a prolific scorer in the past with his team playing 5-on-4 hockey. In 2021-22, he scored nine power play goals, and he also pitched in with 31 total that season.
Duclair spent most of 2022-23 sidelined while recovering from an injury, and he was basically handed to the San Jose Sharks this past offseason. The 28-year-old has since been forced to endure a season trying to lead a struggling organization that has barely started its rebuild, so to play for a potential contender that isn’t looking to give up a lot at the deadline would be a win for Duclair and the Flyers.
Meanwhile, the Sharks would retain 25 percent of Duclair's contract, and get a seasoned veteran in Garnet Hathaway, who they can stick onto their lower lines to help guide this young team through the rest of the season. This package also includes a third-round pick in 2024, which would allow them to parlay the fifth-round selection they traded him for into a mid-rounder, along with a decent prospect in Ronnie Attard.