Who said this NHL offseason would be uninteresting? Looking at the free agent market there wasn't much to be excited about, but the trade market has been a different story. Many big-name players have been dealt to new teams, such as Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, Alex Tuch to the Washington Capitals, Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks, just to name a few. There are other names that are on the trade block that haven't been dealt yet, such as Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings and Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars.
The Philadelphia Flyers are certainly in a position to make a big move. They have a team that's set with a surplus of young talent. They do have the assets to potentially trade for a big name, but they aren't quite the destination for a player like Larkin, who didn't put them on his trade list. The Flyers do have needs to address this offseason, with defenseman standing out.
There is now a new name to keep an eye on on the trade market, and that's Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski. The left-shot defenseman is coming off of an incredible season, where he won the Norris Trophy for the first time in his career and won a gold medal in the Winter Olympics for Team USA. While a meeting with the Blue Jackets is still in the cards, indications are that Werenski will eventually request a trade elsewhere, whether that's this summer or in the future.
The Flyers have been linked to Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers as a potential defenseman target. But with new reporting that the Flyers are interested in Werenski, he should be their priority addition.
Zach Werenski provides Flyers with more of an upgrade than Darnell Nurse
The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported that the Flyers were among many teams who have reached out to Columbus about Werenski's availability. LeBrun notes that the Flyers, along with the Dallas Stars, were "keen" on adding the defenseman.
The Flyers are going to need to address their top pairing defensive duo soon, as Rasmus Ristolainen is set to become a free agent next summer. While the team has been listening to offers on Ristolainen, there is no indication that anything is imminent. Even so, the Flyers have to be prepared for his eventual exit. Plus, let's not forget that this is a Flyers team that exceeded expectations this past season, and made it to the second round of the playoffs.
When comparing Werenski and Nurse, the former would be the biggest upgrade. Nurse has had some success during his time with Edmonton, as evidenced by playing a role in the team winning back-to-back Western Conference Championships. But with Werenski, he is both the better defender and more productive on offense.
This past season with the Blue Jackets, Werenski scored 22 goals and dished out 59 assists for a total of 82 points. He became the third United States-born defenseman to have back-to-back 80-point seasons, joining Phil Housley and Brian Leetch.
One of the reasons why the Flyers didn't go further in the playoffs is due to their lackluster powerplay. In 10 games, the Flyers were just 3-for-36 with an extra skater advantage, bringing their success percentage to 8.3, the third-worst among all playoff teams. If there had been more success on the power play, one has to wonder if they would have gone on a deeper, easier run in the playoffs. By adding Werenski, their power play would instantly improve. This past season, Werenski tallied 21 points on the power play (four goals, 17 assists), tied for the 14th-most among all defensemen. That would provide the Flyers with a new point man with the extra skater.
The important thing to note is that Werenski has two more years remaining on his contract, where he carries a $9.58 million cap hit annually. With Werenski's skill set, that's an easy contract to take on. As for Nurse, he is under contract for four more seasons with an annual cap hit of $9.25 million. That's a bit of a tough pill to swallow. Werenski will undoubtedly come at a much higher asking price than Nurse, potentially needing to part ways with a young talent like Owen Tippett, but it's understandable. You are getting a legitimate superstar to lead your defense for the next two years with the chance to retain him on a potential long-term contract extension.
If the Flyers wanted to make a big splash, Werenski would be just that. He would instantly make the Flyers a better team and improve their odds of contending for a Stanley Cup out of the Eastern Conference.
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