The Philadelphia Flyers have a surplus of right wingers, which means they could use one or more as trade bait to address gaps elsewhere in the lineup.
The Philadelphia Flyers have fallen down the standings this season, a year-to-year trend that has become familiar for the Orange and Black.
Although the hopes of their rebuild ending have crumbled, they still have plenty of things to look forward to.
Trevor Zegras and Christian Dvorak have proved to be solid off-season additions. Cam York and Jamie Drysdale are becoming more comfortable on the back end, and Travis Konecny solved his early-season struggles and is back to being the Flyers' best player.
Unfortunately, there are some troubling signs.
Matvei Michkov, the man many expect to be the Flyers' franchise player, is struggling this season and saw his ice time decrease under coach Rick Tocchet. Additionally, Tyson Foerster suffered a long-term injury, and Sean Couturier has really struggled offensively.
Changes must be made for the Flyers, and something GM Daniel Briere can do is move some of his right-wing depth to improve other positions.
It's no secret the Flyers lack star power at center and in goal. While it was once expected that Nolan Patrick and Carter Hart carry the weight of those positions, the Flyers haven't been able to replace them adequately.
Their best opportunity to improve those positions is through the draft, and with some "tanking" and asset offloading, the Flyers may be able to do so.
At the right wing position, the Flyers' roster includes Konecny, Foerster, Owen Tippett and Bobby Brink. Michkov prefers to play on the right side but has been shifted to the left due to Tocchet's preference.
The Flyers also have Porter Martone and Shane Vansaghi in their prospect pool, and they could join the team very soon.
There simply isn't enough space to ice this many right wingers.
Which Right Wingers Should The Flyers Trade?
On first glance, the two most logical trade candidates are Tippett and Brink.
Tippett is now 27 years old and brings size, speed and goal-scoring to the Flyers' lineup. He's on pace to once again score in the high 20s, a tally that teams around the NHL would love to add to their lineup.
Tippett is in the second year of an eight-year contract that pays him $6.2 million annually. A player with that much control is rarely traded, but given the Flyers' outlook, it makes sense.
Brink is a lot easier to see being traded. The 24-year-old has 13 goals and 24 points in 50 games this season, already eclipsing his career high in goals and on pace to be four points away from his career high in points. Standing just 5-foot-8, Brink isn't the biggest player you'll find, but he's a smart offensive player who could improve a number of teams' middle sixes.
Foerster, due to his age and production, is the least likely to be moved.
Konecny is the best of the four right wingers, but with recent comments made about his frustration with losing, the possibility of him being traded is at an all-time high, even if it's not super likely the 24th overall pick in 2015 gets moved.
"It's frustrating," Konecny told reporters. "I've been through this so many times. I'm tired of missing the playoffs. That's kind of all I look at right now. I just want to get points for the team. We need to figure something out."
While it would be difficult to see Konecny go from a Flyers standpoint, he would bring in the biggest haul and would help the Flyers truly enter a new era.
Michkov and Martone are the current franchise's foundational pieces. Zegras, Foerster and Denver Barkey are the high-end skill guys to pair with them, and Noah Cates, Nikita Grebenkin and Dvorak are the depth pieces to balance the lineup.
They also have first-round picks Jett Luchanko and Jack Nesbitt, as well as other prospects like Alex Bump, Jack Murtagh, Jack Berglund and Vansaghi, who could be roster players in the future.
By the time those players are ready to lead the Flyers, Konecny may no longer be able to produce at the level he currently is. If the 28-year-old lands them a high first-round pick and a prospect, it could be a deal worth taking.
In all, the Flyers desperately need a franchise No. 1 center, and history shows the best and possibly only way to get that is by selecting high in the NHL draft. In the Flyers' rebuild, they've never selected higher than fifth, and they traded that selection (Cutter Gauthier) to the Anaheim Ducks.
So while the Flyers have a treasure trove of players at one position, they haven't found the right fits for their core at other positions. Swapping some value around could do the trick.
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