While a lot of the NHL news has been focused on the draft, and for good reasons, there has been a lot going on otherwise. Just before the draft, a flurry of monster trades happened across the league. Many of these trades involve the Flyers' closest rivals in the Metropolitan Division.
The Flyers were only involved in two of these trades. The first was the Sam Ersson-Joseph Woll trade. The second was trading enforcer Garnet Hathaway to Florida for some draft picks.Â
Despite this, we need to take a look at the moves made by the Flyers' divisional rivals. Most of them have not stood still and could pose a potential threat to the Flyers as they look to build on next season.
First, let's start with the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes. They re-signed former Flyer Nicolas Deslauriers to a two-year deal during the Stanley Cup parade in Raleigh. They also acquired the right to John Carlson, giving them the first crack at signing him before free agency opens. RFA defender Alexander Nikishin could be traded due to depth issues. He could be someone that the Flyers look at.
The Capitals have been very busy this past week. With Alex Ovechkin's looming decision, the team has been prepping for his eventual departure. In his place, they have traded for Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch. These two young stars could be the foundation of a revitalized Washington team and could be problematic for Philly for years, while posing a legitimate threat to Carolina.
The Rangers have made a trade that I had hoped the Flyers would've made. They were able to trade a bunch of picks to the cash-strapped Vegas Golden Knights for Pavel Dorofeyev. While the Rangers have struggled lately, he provides a mighty offensive punch that could bring New York back from the depths of the Metro Division standings.
Pittsburgh re-signed Evgeni Malkin. They also made a deal with Washington to acquire former first- round center, Hendrix Laperriere. While he hasn't become a solid player yet, he is still young, and the promise that made him a first-round selection in 2020 could still be there.
Now, let's get to the dregs of the division. The Devils traded away Simon Nemec for a bunch of draft picks. Those picks could help them out in the future, but for now, what was coming on strong as a young team is starting to fall apart again. Good. Let's keep it that way.
With the Islanders, they've pretty much stood still. That's basically an Islanders kind of move. Watch them overpay for a free agent who is bound to get injured.Â
Then there is Columbus. Apparently, everyone wants out of Columbus. This is a shame since the Blue Jackets were starting to put something together. However, they can never really build on any sort of short-term success. If you believe the reports, the Jackets are shopping Zach Werenski, Kirill Marchenko, and will likely lose Mason Marchment in free agency. They were able to acquire Colorado forward Val Nichushkin just before the draft. Still, they are a team to keep an eye on to see who they trade and what they get for them.Â
There have been a lot of moves happening across the division and the Flyers need to make sure they will still be able to compete.
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