When rumors swirled around the Phillies and the chance they could trade away Bryce Harper, Phillies president Dave Dombrowski squashed those rumors. When rumors swirled around the Eagles and wide receiver AJ Brown, head coach Nick Sirianni did his best to discredit those as the NFL trade deadline passed. When rumors swirled around the Flyers and Owen Tippett, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said...
And that is the crux of the problem right there, isn't it? Rumors keep popping up about Tippett, and the team hasn't done much to silence them.
At the beginning of the season, it was the typical "should the Flyers trade him or not" sort of stories. Those stories were quickly silenced as Tippett scored five goals in the first six games. He was on fire and playing some of the strongest hockey we've seen from him. The last time he scored was a two-goal game vs Seattle on Oct. 20. That was almost a month ago. He is still stuck on five goals on the season.
Which is why the rumors keep popping up. When Tippett is on his game, he is amazing. He has a wicked shot that slips past goalies. However, he is one of the streakiest players on a team chock full of streaky players. As he gets colder, the team trends in that direction. It's gotten to the point that even head coach Rick Tocchett is taking notice of the cold streak.
And hence the trade rumors that continue to pile up. A scout from the LA Kings was in Philly the other night. Of course, he must have been there to see Tippett, right? Similar rumors have linked the Flyers and Tippett to Ottawa and Minnesota
Why Would Philly Trade Tippett?
If Briere and company want to move on, they need to act fast. Tippett has a no-trade clause in his contract that activates next season. Likewise, the Flyers, while playing well enough, are still not at a contender level yet. Tippett's value is pretty good right now, and the team would probably get the best value for him, especially if they can show that somehow his lack of production is on the rest of the team and not him, and that he needs a change of scenery.
The other reason to move Tippett is that he is a right winger. With Porter Martone tearing up the college ranks, it is likely he could play in Philly soon. With the Flyers loaded at right wing with Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov, Bobby Brink, Nikita Grebenkin, and Garnet Hathaway, someone has to go. Maybe it's time to move Tippett.
Why the Flyers Won't Trade Tippett
There are two glaring reasons not to trade Tippett. The first is that he is still just 26. He should be entering the prime of his career. We've seen slumps from Konency and Michkov. The Flyers aren't moving them. Yes, the streakiness is frustrating, but it usually works its way out. You'd hate to trade someone of his caliber and have him succeed somewhere else. This isn't the same thing as when the Flyers traded Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost last year. We were always waiting for them to take that next step forward. This is different.
The biggest reason not to trade him is his contract. Tippet is owed $6.2 million through the 2031-32 season. If another team were to take him on, would the Flyers have to pay some of that? Aren't they done with paying players on other teams? If forced to pay that salary, would that lessen the return on Tippett?
Now, $6.2 million is kind of a funny number. As the NHL salary cap is supposed to go up, that could be a bargain if he can start hitting the 30-goal mark. If he stagnates, that's a lot of money. And again, would another team be willing to pay him if he is a player who "needs a change of scenery"?
As of right now, the Flyers are not "actively shopping" Tippett. But just because I'm not paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't out to get me. Where there is smoke, there is sometimes fire. If the right deal comes along, it'd be hard to see Briere not take a chance on it, especially if it is a game-changing deal.
Until he starts to become a more consistent player, these rumors will continue to surround him. It's unfair and unfortunate, but that's how things happen here. Konecny hasn't scored much, but there is no controversy around him. Same with Michkov. It's unclear why Tippett continues to be a target of trade rumors, but as long as he struggles and streaks, he will probably continue to be a target.