Rumors are funny things. You never know what's real and what's not. Some things are just speculation (Hey...wouldn't it be nice if the team did X, Y, and Z), and some things are little leaks that somehow slip out. You can never be too sure about a rumor until it plays out.
While there may not be any smoke around this fire, it is interesting that people have been talking about rumors that the Buffalo Sabres could be inquiring about Flyers' forward Owen Tippett. In a way, this is nothing new. Tippett has been the subject of rumors before, whether by fans who want him out or hockey prognosticators.
It's not just fans who have brought up a potential move between the Sabres and Flyers. On the DFO Rundown, David Pagnotta discussed the thought that Tippett could be a player that other teams check in on.
"We’re gonna see, I think, some teams poking around on Philadelphia to see what they want to do with Owen Tippett. We’ll see how this season progresses; nothing is imminent by any stretch. But I’m starting to get a bit of an inkling from a few teams out there that he’s going to be a guy that some teams are going to target,” Pagnotta mentioned.
Why is Owen Tippett a trade option?
Tippett is 26 years old. He is still young enough where he hasn't fully hit his prime, but should be entering it. He's topped 20+ goals in each of the full three years he's played in Philly. He's a fast skater who can pass well, elude defenders, and has a nasty wrist shot. At $6.2 million, he's a relative bargain as he's signed up for six more years at that price.
And yet, a lot of people haven't been satisfied with his play. He hasn't elevated his game to that "next level". Was former head coach John Tortorella to blame? Did he stifle his play because Tortorella was too system-minded? Or is Tippett to blame? Is he just someone who is going to be relegated to being a solid player, but never great? Even so, is that a bad thing? After all, you can never have too many guys on your team who can score 20+ goals.
Why is Buffalo a potential target?
Buffalo has been stuck in hockey purgatory for years. The last time they were in the playoffs, Barack Obama was president, The Hangover II was the top movie at the box office, Adele was topping the charts with "Rolling in the Deep", and the Flyers goalie duo of Sergei Bobrovsky and Ilya Brygalov fell to the Devils in the Eastern Conference Semis.
Earlier this offseason, the Sabres traded away JJ Petkera to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan. Both are young players. Kesselring seems to have some nice upside as a young defender. Doan is a former second-rounder who has yet to break out.
The Sabres need a dynamic young forward who can work with their players. They are also not very good and don't have a lot of salary cap room. Tippett could be the type of guy, with Tage Thompson centering, that could start to help turn this team around. A change of scenery could work. Buffalo has come close to making the postseason the last few years, but just can't crack into it. A prolific scorer could change their fortunes.
What Would the Trade Be?
This is a hard one. The Flyers have almost $7.5 million in cap space, while the Sabres have $2.3 million. Buffalo can't take all of Tippett's salary, and it is unlikely the Flyers would eat money up past this season. The days of them paying players to play on other teams are over. They need money for the future, not the past.
So, if it is a straight-up trade, you'd have to wrangle about $4 million more in players from Buffalo. Let's start with the obvious. The Sabres are not going to trade Thompson, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, Rasmus Dahlin, or Bowen Byram, as that would be counterproductive to their end goals. Defender Jacob Bryson wouldn't be a bad addition, especially if you were adding in Emil Andrae. Kesselring wouldn't be bad either and is more of the Flyers' interest, but he is on the IR.
Now, 2023 first-rounder Zach Benson might be a nice prize for the Flyers. He'd definitely be a "change of scenery guy" as well, as he has scored only 21 goals in his previous two seasons. He's also just 20 years old. Peyton Krebs is a soon to be 25 year old forward who can play center and wing. He is another young talent that Buffalo has failed to develop.
Jack Quinn is a bit more polished and would be a better forward. However, Benson is making just $900,000. Krebs is earning $1.45 million, and Quinn is being paid $3.375 million. Would Buffalo trade two or three of these guys for Tippett? Would a top prospect, like Isak Rosen or Anton Wahlberg, be thrown in?
That's what makes this hard. To give up that much, the Sabres would need more than just Tippett. A combo of Tippett and a defender like Andrae might work. The sticking point is going to be the salary cap issue for Buffalo. To afford Tippett, they'd have to give up too much, or the Flyers would have to eat some salary. To be honest, it's because of this that makes a trade like this most likely to be unrealistic. However, if another team came in and helped out, that could change things up.
But what if Alex Tuch is the prize? What if he is adamant that he wants off the team? Tuch could be worth a Tippett. Likewise, Tuch and a prospect or someone like Benson or Krebs might be a decent return for Tippett and Andrae. uch wants an extension and has said he wants to remain in Buffalo. He grew up outside of Syracuse and reportedly loves playing for his home team. However, if the Sabres can't/won't pay him, would that affect things? Would he be interested in coming to Philly?
So far, Tippett has scored two goals. His average ice time of 15:56 minutes per game is also the eighth most amongst forwards on the team. Unless something drastic happens or there is some offer that blows Danny Briere away, it's probably safe to say Tippett will be around for a while. But hey, you never know.