When the Flyers return from the Olympic break, they will have about a week before the NHL trade deadline. From that point on, they will have to finish the season with what they have. The Flyers have players, picks, and prospects they could move, but do they need to?
The thing is, the team is close to being able to compete. A hot streak could propel this team forward pretty quickly. Before you know it, they are finally back in the playoffs. But what do the Flyers need?
Search any Flyers, hockey, or sports site, and they will say that the Flyers could use a center, defender, and/or goalie; not necessarily in that order. The other thing is that the Flyers have come a long way to dig themselves out of the mire they've put themselves into through bad draft picks and bad acquisitions. The team doesn't need to sacrifice the future for a win now. However, the right moves now could create a great future too.
With that in mind, we're going to stay away from any blockbuster-type trades. Now, if Elias Pettersson were to come here, I for one am not going to complain. But let's say a major, team-altering change such as Pettersson isn't happening. Let's look at some sensible trades that might not cost this team too much in valuable assets.
A Center
For a while, the center was a position of great concern for Flyers fans. Right now, that might not be the case as much as once believed. The Flyers have Noah Cates and Sean Couturier as centers. Christian Dvorak has been reupped. Trevor Zegras was acquired with the intention of playing wing or center. Rodrigo Abols was doing well at centering the fourth line before he got hurt. Jett Luchanko is probably a year or so off from being a contributor.
You don't need to get someone who will be here long-term. A rental will do fine. Charlie Coyle of the Blue Jackets could be a nice fit. He has 15 goals with 27 assists. His faceoff percentage is over 50%. He has playoff experience from his time in Boston. He'd be the type of veteran center that the team could use. Booner Jenner might also come cheaper. He has less offensive power, but is a better defensive center with a better faceoff percentage. The problem is that both guys are in Columbus, and they are fighting for a playoff spot. They might not want to sell.
A non-Columbus center to keep an eye on might be Erik Haula. He's been a solid defensive center with some offensive abilities. He has a good faceoff percentage and can deliver some hits. As a bottom-six center, he'd do just nicely.
A Defender
Cale Makar is a pending free agent, but there is no way the Avs are letting him out. However, former Flyer Radko Gudas could be a nice addition as a big-time crusher, especially if the team trades Rasmus Ristolainen. Gudas is not a scorer, but he is big and intimidating. If Nic Deslauriers is also traded away, Gudas could bring back the punch that would be lost there.
Ian Cole has played for nine teams in his career. Perhaps he needs a 10th. He's not a Hall of Famer, but he's steady. He won two cups in Pittsburgh. He could be a reliable defender for a playoff run and probably wouldn't cost a lot. And if we are talking about defenders with playoff experience, there is also Matt Grzelcyk.
A Goalie
We don't need a starter. Dan Vladar has gotten that locked down. However, the pair of Sam Ersson and Alexei Kolosov might not be enough to get us down the stretch. Is there a veteran backup who could give Vladar a rest?
If you are looking for a rental, that's going to be hard to come by. Some good options are on teams fighting for a playoff spot, so they aren't going to relinquish a Connor Ingram, Kaapo Kahkonen, and Vitek Vanacek.
An option could be Eric Comrie. He might cost the Flyers Sam Ersson, but if the team has given up on Ersson, that might not be a bad option. Other than that, the Flyers would have to pay a lot to get a goalie. But they don't need to grab one if they feel that their prospects are ready to come up.
And that's the bigger picture. The Flyers don't need to make a major move to compete. Now, if they could somehow get Pettersson or Alex Tuch in a trade, that could be awesome. But sometimes little moves make a bigger difference. Small moves like these could help the Flyers get into contention without blowing the future.