It would be easy for the Flyers to look at their current position in the standings and believe they have a chance to make the playoffs. They are four points out of the second wild card spot in the East.
However, they have five teams ahead of them that are also vying for a spot in the postseason. Add the two teams currently holding a wild card spot and that's seven teams that the Flyers would need to jump to have a small chance at ending their postseason drought.
The numbers don't favor them kindly as they would most likely need to win more than half of their remaining 20 games to even give themselves a shot. And the teams in front of them would all need to collapse at essentially the same time to open up a clear lane up the standings.
The Flyers did not sell at last year's deadline as trading away Sean Walker was their only major move. They missed out on the playoffs on the last day of the season, though their play in the last few weeks is what sunk them.
Danny Briere has been more aggressive this season, already making a big move by shipping out Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. Once thought of as part of the future of the organization, both players didn't live up to expectations and were seen as expendable. But Briere cannot and should not stop there.
If the Flyers are going to become a contender sometime soon, they need to make moves that will not only help them now, but in the future. Hanging on to players for sentimental value or for fear of what it could do to the locker room are not reasons to not make trades. This doesn't mean Briere needs to go out and make calls to every GM in the league and tell them he's listening on anyone and everyone.
But it does mean that he should be working hard to find out what other teams are looking for and if there are players on both sides that could help each team out. He should be answering calls about players that other teams are interested in and seeing what they're willing to offer to make the deal. Though, wanting someone to overpay to make a trade can blow up in your face.
It is okay to have sentimental value over a player, but you also have to realize that moving on from them is the best thing. Scott Laughton is the Flyers' biggest trade chip and has drawn the most attention. And that's been the case for the last few years. But he's remained and it's not surprising that it has plenty to do with what he's meant to the organization and city as a whole.
The Flyers' asking price has not been a surprise due to how much they value him. But it has also likely hurt them. Being stuck on one thing and one thing only has likely sheltered them regarding what teams have been interested and what the other parts of the return could be.
The same thing can be said about Rasmus Ristolainen. The transformation he has made since coming from Buffalo has been a sight to see. He's now arguably one of their best defenseman. And that turnaround has made him an intriguing target around the league. The calls have reportedly quieted down, but Briere should still be doing everything he can to generate interest.
Almost everyone in that Flyers' locker room could be expendable for the right price. When trying to build up a team into one that can compete and be a true contender, you have to look at every avenue possible to make it happen. Briere and Keith Jones have made it clear that they want Philadelphia to be a premier place to play.
The deadline is quickly approaching with only two days to go. The Flyers must realize that making a playoff push is almost certainly not in their best interest at this time.