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Rob Couch
RobCouch@THNew
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Rob Couch is the Deputy Editor for the Chicago Blackhawks team site with The Hockey News. He has been writing about hockey, fantasy hockey, and betting for three years and watches as much hockey as possible. You can follow him at @RobCouch555 on Twitter.
Joined at May 22, 2024Activity
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Tanev Trade Should Set Market for Flyers Defensemen
The Flyers could soon follow the Flames in trading their defensemen after the first piece fell.
Now that Chris Tanev has been moved by the Calgary Flames, we will likely start to see the pieces fall around the league, at the very least on defense. The Flames were believed to have been holding up the market on defensemen and it may have been a reason why Sean Walker and Nick Seeler have yet to be moved despite their no-progress contract talks with the Philadelphia Flyers.
On the right defensive side at least, the top three rentals around the league were known to be Tanev, Walker, and Matt Dumba. Depending on which team you asked, the price they were willing to pay for each was different, but the price to acquire any of them wasn't cheap.
Anthony Di Marco stated that he doesn't think every team necessarily had Tanev higher than Walker. This may be due to the higher offensive upside, age, and lesser injury history of Walker. But in terms of value, it can't be very far off.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ez-Z87KQMo[/embed]
While the Flames knew they weren't going to lose any of their key UFAs for nothing, the Flyers are in a bit of a different situation as the team sits in a playoff spot. The Flyers don't have to trade their pending UFAs like Walker and Seeler, so they may have less of an obligation to seemingly settle on a deal just to move them before the deadline.
What the Flames got for Tanev wasn't bad by any means considering the strong prospect, a second-round pick, and a conditional future third-round pick acquired in return, so expect something similar offered to the Flyers from teams still in the hunt for a right-shot, top-four defenseman. I expect any team that missed out on Tanev will be ringing the phone of the Flyers immediately.
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Flyers Give 2 Prospects First Shot of Season
The Flyers made a series of moves that provide two prospects with a good opportunity.
The Philadelphia Flyers were busy this morning as the team announced a number of moves. Jamie Drysdale was first placed on the injured reserve with an upper-body injury and it allowed the Flyers to recall Ronnie Attard from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. Philadelphia also announced that Cal Petersen has been loaned to the Phantoms, and in his place, goaltender Felix Sandstrom has been recalled.
Both Attard and Sandstrom haven't seen NHL action yet this season, but each appeared in at least two games last season.
Attard has been trending up since before he even left Western Michigan University. He has only played in 17 NHL games for the Flyers and spent most of his time in the AHL, but he has proven that a shot is deserved. Attard is reliable and strong in all three zones. He has shown a good amount of offensive skill that has gotten him 10 goals and 25 points in 46 games on the season in Lehigh Valley. The Flyers are hurting for right-shot defensemen, so recalling Attard was the obvious choice.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9zCIUMeqL0[/embed]
Sandstrom was in the mix last season in a backup role for the Flyers, but he struggled. By the end of the season, this saw Samuel Ersson take over that role and led into this season. Sandstrom has only appeared in 25 NHL games at the age of 27, but the potential has been there at times. He has struggled with a .882 SV% this season in the AHL, but a change in scenery with an NHL team in front of him could change things up for the better. He will still back up Ersson, but is likely to see some action from here on out.
The Flyers are losing bodies at the wrong time, but may just be okay with these hungry recalls ready to jump into the lineup.
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Flyers Expected to Trade Walker Soon
The Flyers don't appear to be willing to wait until the trade deadline to make a trade.
The paths of the Philadelphia Flyers and Sean Walker seem to be veering in different directions at this point of the season. The two sides each have a number in mind that they would like to see in contract negotiations, but don't seem to be willing to compromise.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period first stated that some general managers and team staff believe the Flyers are more likely to trade Walker than to keep or re-sign him. He noted that there still has been no formal contract talks between the two sides. He could be moved to another contender alone or as recently reported, in a package deal with Nick Seeler.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FItYE4PXSAg[/embed]
Anthony Di Marco chimed in on the matter and revealed that a Western Conference team said that a Walker trade is expected sooner than later. The sense is that the Flyers don't like the contract Walker is looking for, whether that be due to the money alone or money and term.
It doesn't seem like it will be very difficult to move Walker this season as right-shot defensemen aren't easy to come by. He has an attractive cap hit this season at $2.65 million AAV, but as the Flyers are believed to have made up their mind, I don't think they will be pushing as hard for a first-round pick in return anymore so that a trade can happen.
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Flyers Defender Out Long Term
The Flyers get some back news about their defenseman.
Rasmus Ristolainen suffered an upper-body injury on February 12, and two days later, was considered week-to-week. The Philadelphia Flyers just released that he has now landed on the injured reserve and they have recalled Bobby Brink from the AHL.
Ristolainen has only played in 31 of the team's 59 games this season. Despite being seen as a top-four defenseman for his entire career, times have been tough for him since joining the Flyers. Ristolainen only has one goal and four points, is a minus-6, and has averaged just 16:41 a night. That ranks sixth among Flyers defenders who have played at least 15 games.
There is a chance that we might not see Ristolainen again this season to be careful. The team has dealt with more serious injuries over the last few years and don't want them to last longer than they should. The Flyers have the personnel to continue rolling like they have.
Brink is an exciting player to be brought back up as well. The 22-year-old gets another opportunity this season after already producing seven goals and 18 points in 38 games. This will hurt any chances the Flyers may have had in moving Ristolainen if that was their intention.
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Flyers Preparing to Trade Walker & Seeler in Package Deal
The Flyers have gotten some interest in multiple defensemen and have set the price to acquire them.
There is still no confirmation as to what the Philadelphia Flyers are going to be doing ahead of the trade deadline, but there is speculation. It seems as though there is interest in acquiring more than one of the team's defensemen in one deal, according to Elliotte Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada.
The insider mentions that there are two teams looking to bring in both Sean Walker and Nick Seeler. We can probably narrow this down to the potential teams and Anthony Di Marco states that the Dallas Stars could be one of them as Walker has been linked to them already.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ez-Z87KQMo[/embed]
Di Marco notes that he is told the price to acquire both is a first-round pick and a second-round pick. There isn't specificity on the year in which the picks can be from, but the sooner the better so those picks could turn into productive players quicker for the Flyers.
Both Walker and Seeler are UFAs at the end of the season. Whichever teams are interested in trading for both must be more serious Stanley Cup contenders unless they think they can re-sign one for the cost to acquire. I don't believe the Flyers will be lowering the cost to acquire both in one deal either as they are in the mix for the playoffs and any trade to move on from roster players has to be worth their while.
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Flyers May Consider Low-Risk Goalie Upgrade From Canadiens
If the Flyers are going to make any sort of upgrade this season ahead of a playoff run, it should come in net.
The Philadelphia Flyers have cap space to work with and they are in a good spot to get back into the playoffs this season. There is still a lot of back-and-forth around the league as to whether we will see this team sell a few pieces, stand pat, or even add a little bit for a potential run.
As there's nothing exciting about a playoff team standing pat, let's look at a potential addition that may seem smaller, but could play a key role for the Flyers down the stretch and into the playoffs.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oen9utIKwnk[/embed]
The Flyers don't have Carter Hart anymore this season, so they have been running with Samuel Ersson. He is only a rookie and it is a lot to ask of him to play as much and do as much as the 24-year-old already has for the Flyers this season. The team needs some help, but not in a big way that includes any talks involving starters like Juuse Saros or Jacob Markstrom. That doesn't make sense this season and doesn't line up with the Flyers' timetable to actually win.
Rather, what the Flyers need is a solid backup or 1b goalie who is a veteran presence and can take over and win if needed. This goalie just so happens to be Jake Allen from the Montreal Canadiens.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv-WbCduZhw[/embed]
The closer the Canadiens get to the trade deadline with three goalies still on their roster, the more desperate they should get to finally just move one. Allen has always been the most likely and shouldn't break the bank for the Flyers to acquire. They haven't trusted Cal Petersen, so much so that Ersson has appeared in 13 of the last 14 games, and that's going back to when Hart was still playing games.
Petersen has played just two games since early November and Ersson is being overworked. The Flyers need to get Ersson some help from someone that isn't costly. Allen provides everything the Flyers should need this season to at least give them a better chance without giving up anything significant. This also takes care of next season as well since Allen is under contract through 2025. The Flyers may stay fairly quiet, but if they make a move, some help in net should be one of their top priorities.
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Flyers Ready to Weaponize Cap Space
The Flyers have cap space available and plan on using it to their advantage ahead of the trade deadline.
The Philadelphia Flyers are in a unique position this season that not many teams find themselves at any point. This appears to be a playoff-bound team or at least be a team in the mix to the very last week of the season, but it wasn't exactly expected this early.
The Flyers' management has been vocal about moving around the right pieces and building a Stanley Cup contender for many years to come. The Flyers hold pieces that they may or may not move this season. If the team stands pat and keeps their roster intact, they will have a good amount of open cap space to work with. I don't exactly think this will be used to add pieces, but rather weaponize their cap space to bring in more assets.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt2DvIlclsE[/embed]
Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period reported that the feeling is that the Flyers are willing to operate as a third party broker and utilize their cap space this season. The team is getting full cap relief for Carter Hart and they project to have nearly $9 million to work with ahead of the deadline.
The Flyers also haven't needed to place Ryan Ellis on LTIR this season, but if they do, that opens up $6.25 million on top of the $9 million to take on even more cap as a third team in trades. To clear up what the Flyers could acquire this season in terms of draft picks per dollar, the Minnesota Wild were the third party brokers in two deals last season.
The Wild took on $2.55 million of Dmitry Orlov's deal and got a 2023 fifth-round pick plus took on $3.75 million of Ryan O'Reilly's deal and received a 2025 fourth-round pick. The Flyers have the space to insert themselves into multiple trades and rightfully should this season.
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Flyers' Defender Looking For Big Money
Sean Walker has had an impressive season worthy of a nice raise.
Sean Walker has had an impressive first season with the Philadelphia Flyers and is looking for more money on his next contract. At the age of 29, he has only signed two contracts thus far in his career. The first was a two-year entry-level deal with the Los Angeles Kings as an undrafted player, then a four-year deal that has taken him to this year.
Walker is only being paid $2.65 million AAV and is reportedly looking for around $5 million AAV on his next contract, however long the deal may span. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Walker is very open to re-signing with the Flyers, but is looking to double his AAV, depending on the length of the contract.
While the Flyers and Walker haven't formally started contract discussions, the Flyers would like to bring him back at around closer to $4 million AAV. Even if the two sides can't come to an agreement before the trade deadline or end of the season, the team is in a playoff spot and could just see Walker as a rental that they already own for the remainder of the season.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeLRgN-Yv2I[/embed]
Pagnotta also stated that the two sides should begin communicating with one another what each wants on a new contract. Walker is having the best season of his career and is definitely proving why he deserves a raise. He has served as a top-four defender on the Flyers this season while contributing five goals and 20 points in 57 games. It is also the first time in his career that he has a plus rating, and it sits at +11 at this time.
Wherever Walker ends up after the season, he has been a great surprise for the Flyers this season. With the cap going up and him playing a pivotal role on the back-end this season, $5-million AAV isn't crazy, but he will have to continue to prove why he deserves it for the remainder of the season and potentially the playoffs.
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Flyers Could Raise Laughton's Asking Price for Division Rival
The Flyers are getting interest in Scott Laughton and could get a good amount for him if a division rival makes a big push.
There has been a lot of attention on Scott Laughton of the Philadelphia Flyers. The center market is weak this season, especially after two of the biggest names have already been taken off the board - Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan. This should not only raise the cost to acquire him this season from many teams, but boost it even further if a divisional rival wants to add him for the remaining two years of his deal.
Arthur Staple and Kevin Kurz of The Athletic say that there are reports indicating that the New York Rangers have interest in Laughton. Considering that Blake Wheeler suffered a season-ending injury and Filip Chytil is already out for the season, there is a big need to add at least one forward.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwyun8Dl96U[/embed]
The Rangers have money and assets that they have to seriously think about using this season. They are a Stanley Cup contender and are down two big pieces. To not only address their issues this season, but the future, Laughton would make a huge difference.
Both Staple and Kurz note that it may take more than just a first-round pick to acquire Laughton from the Flyers, which could be elevated for a rival like the Rangers. At this point in the season, it isn't that crazy to think that the Rangers and Flyers could face off in the first round. If this ends up being the case and these teams strike a deal before the deadline involving Laughton, the Flyers need to make it worth their while.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEWTXFw1N2c[/embed]
It is tough to say whether Laughton's value will be higher than it is right now with a weak center market and limited players many teams will be fighting over. He is versatile, has term, and a very nice cap hit of just $3-million AAV. The only reason this is a discussion is because the Flyers aren't expected to have made this jump yet and are still working out the kinks in their roster so that they can contend for a while.
Laughton is great to have in the short term, but once he nears free agency, there's no knowing whether he will re-sign or choose another team. Getting a first-round pick in 2024 will help the Flyers build quicker than if they potentially got one in 2026. Depending on the coming couple of weeks, it is going to get very interesting in Philadelphia.
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Flyers Alternate Captain Linked to Avalanche
The Flyers have pieces to sell as the Avalanche have shown interest.
The Philadelphia Flyers are not wavering in their asking price for Scott Laughton, and rightfully so. He has been a great player for the team to have and play up and down the lineup for a number of years now. He is really a do-it-all type of player that has two years left on his very attractive $3 million AAV deal after this season.
A number of teams have been in contact at times with the Flyers about Laughton and while the team is past a rebuild and into a retooling phase, bringing back a first-round pick for the 29-year-old would be a great help. While teams pay a first rounder for rentals, this price to go along with the cap hit and term is something I'm surprised more teams aren't calling about.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAEyAQp5DGI[/embed]
One team in particular that has been linked to Laughton is the Colorado Avalanche, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. This team is without Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin for the time being and could still use the help up front regarding their depth.
The Avalanche made some adjustments in the offseason, but performances and players being out of the lineup has caused the same outcome. A lack of depth ended the season for the Avalanche early in 2022-23 and they aren't about to have that happen again. The way in which Laughton plays the game with his versatility would make a huge impact in Colorado's lineup. Since they are Stanley Cup contenders and expect to be for many more years, Laughton can be a part of three playoff runs while under his current contract.
I don't think that the Flyers will have a tough time finding a trade partner for Laughton closer to the deadline. They seem to be keeping the door open for themselves this season and for more teams to enter the conversation.
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