The Philadelphia Flyers were one of those teams that some considered a "selling contender". They are one of the more surprising NHL teams this season and a lot of people deserve credit for that.
Upper management, however, is not wavering from their original plan to keep this rebuild going. They have a ton of high-end prospects that will complement their current group in the not-so-distant future.
Earlier in the week, the Flyers traded Sean Walker to the Colorado Avalanche. They got a first-round pick out of taking Ryan Johansen back in the trade just to put him on waivers. That was a very smart "seller" type of trade.
Well, they did make a few depth additions on Friday. They didn't give up anything major to add some depth for the rest of this season.
The Philadelphia Flyers made two depth trades on Friday ahead of the deadline
It started when they sent a 4th-round pick to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Erik Johnson. He isn't a game-breaker or anything like that but he brings solid leadership and good play on the ice with him. His winning experience should help a young Flyers team down the stretch.
TRADE ALERT: We have acquired defenseman @6ErikJohnson from Buffalo in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft. #LetsGoFlyers
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) March 8, 2024
🔗: https://t.co/jzsY3bULdM pic.twitter.com/flIdv85HTJ
Not long after that, Philly traded forward Wade Allison to the Nashville Predators in exchange for depth forward Denis Gurianov. He has only played in 14 games this season and accumulated one goal and one assist for two points.
With that said, if he can be healthy for the Flyers down the stretch, he is a reliable NHL player who could be ready for some games in the postseason.
OFFICIAL: We have acquired forward Denis Gurianov from Nashville in exchange for forward Wade Allison. #LetsGoFlyers https://t.co/MR5THjmON2
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) March 8, 2024
Again, this isn't a deadline filled with big splashes for the Flyers but it was a good one nonetheless. They got a first-round pick for Walker but then showed the players on the roster that they are committed to them this season.
That could go a long way for this group as they try to make the postseason for the first time in a while. It will be a challenge to hang onto a postseason spot as they need to play well but they have what they need to get it done. We'll see how these trade deadline moves help them.