Is it in the Philadelphia Flyers best interest to be winning so many games?

The Philadelphia Flyers are on a roll now. They are on a four game winning streak with their latest victory over the Colorado Avalanche. With the win they improve to 15-10-2 on the season.

That begs the question on whether or not it is in the best interest of a hockey club rebuilding to be winning so many games? They received some high end players in last year's draft, shouldn't they be ensuring that they acquire a few more in the upcoming draft as well?

One of the risks of intentionally sabotaging a season is unintentionally breeding a team culture that accepts losing. That is not what the Flyers organization are trying to build. Within the past two weeks Tortorella has spoken about the importance of playing a certain way to prepare for the "Mad Russian" and his arrival to the NHL team.

More rebuilding teams should try to be competitive even though they may trade away players who don't have a long term fit on the roster. Instilling their players with proper habits should be the goal.

Does that mean that the Flyers should be buyers at the trade deadline this season? No. They are not in a position to go on a deep playoff run. Any moves they make this year should be with the future in mind. 

Does that mean that the Flyers won't be sellers at the deadline? Again, no. What it means is the Flyers will pick and choose who they trade away or acquire based on their internal deadlines and goals.

It means that their strategy involving their free agents will be in flux this season. They may choose to retain some of their unrestricted free agents if those players are committed to the team and their goals. Sean Walker and Nick Seeler may remain with the team for this reason. Marc Staal, on the other hand, could be traded away to acquire futures.

Having a team sitting second in the Metropolitan Division isn't a curse, but a blessing. It's a sign that a rebuilding team can (and should) be competitive in order to speed up the turnaround time from bottom feeder to playoff team.

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