A lot can change for an NHL team during the season. For the Philadelphia Flyers, they looked destined to be a playoff team after a strong start to the season. But much like other teams in the league, they entered a spell in which they couldn't stop losing games. As of this writing, the Flyers lost 11 of their last 14 games and are sitting in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division. The whole Eastern Conference playoff picture isn't as wide open as it was earlier this season, which is giving Flyers fans reason to panic.
Considering the team is entering the Olympic break after this upcoming Thursday, fans are going to wonder if this is a team that should buy or sell at the March 6 trade deadline. The Flyers technically aren't out of the playoff picture, as there's the chance to gain ground, could they decide to move on from some players.
In his latest trade board for Sportsnet, Nick Kypreos mentioned that he was not going to add Flyers players to his list just yet, despite their free fall down the standings. Kypreos did mention that the Flyers could move on from players in a blockbuster. One of the two players Kypreos mentions is Travis Konecny.
"I'm not putting any Philadelphia Flyers on the board quite yet, but I'm hearing they are willing to swing big, if not now, then certainly this summer. When that comes to pass, the biggest pieces they could move out in a blockbuster are Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny," writes Kypreos.
Travis Konecny finds himself as subject of trade rumors once again
Konecny being the subject of trade rumors if far from surprising. He has been placed on and off the trade block by media members for the better part of the 2020s.
Konecny has been with the team since 2015 where he was selected in the first round. Since then, he has become one of the Flyers' longest-tenured players, and earned the assistant captain role since the 2023-24 season. During the summer of 2024, Koncecny received an eight-year, $70 million contract extension.
Given Kypreos' "blockbuster" comments, is there really any trade worth monitoring this summer for the Flyers? The hope for many teams was that they could sign some superstars in what was supposed to be a loaded free agency class. The likes of Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Kirll Kaprizov, and Kyle Connor were all expected to hit free agency. Instead, they all decided to re-sign with their current teams. Now, the free agency class has been diminished.
As for the trade block, there is really only one player who could command a lot, and that's Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars. Robertson has shown to be one of the top young stars in hockey, but it's unknown just how willing the Stars are to trade him away. Even if they did, it would cost a ton of young players and draft capital to finalize a deal. That could fend off teams like the Flyers, especially if they don't want to give up the farm.
Even so, it's hard to envision the Flyers willingly moving on from a player like Konecny. This season, Konecny has 22 goals and 30 assists to his credit. Through his 10 years in Philadelphia, Konecny recorded 220 goals and 308 assists in 699 games.
The Flyers have stressed they wanted to see improvement this season. They saw it early, but now the team is in a struggle to stay away from the New York Rangers, who are firmly in last place in the Eastern Conference. It's unknown if there will be a blockbuster move that would entice the Flyers, especially one that would see them move on from Konecny. Sure, the Flyers need to make changes, but is there really one big move that can save them?