Kaapo Kahkonen will provide stability at goaltender
The Flyers need a goaltender if they play well enough to remain in legitimate contention from now until the trade deadline, and in this scenario, they would also turn to the Sharks. While a scorer like Duclair would be the top option, if by any chance they wouldn’t land one, someone like Kahkonen would help them out in the crease.
Like Duclair, Kahkonen has turned a bad situation in San Jose into a relatively good one for himself, snagging a 0.524 quality starts percentage and a 0.901 save percentage despite the ugly 3.55 GAA. But when you’re playing for a team that has been awful for most of the season, the above numbers, even that GAA, aren’t horrible.
For Kahkonen, we’re offering the same exact deal as what the Flyers would give up to acquire Duclair. Remember, these packages will overlap, because while we are listing three different trades, there would be no chance of the Sharks pulling off two with the Flyers because they can only retain one more salary, and they would have to retain either Duclair or Kahkonen.
Therefore, in this scenario, it would be Kahkonen, and not Duclair, heading for the City of Brotherly Love while the other most likely goes somewhere else.