The 2026 NHL trade deadline, which falls on March 6 this year, is officially less than two weeks away. In that short period of time, the Philadelphia Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers] are going to have to make some important decisions with long-term implications. Sitting at a mediocre 25-20-11, the Flyers are eight points out of the second wildcard playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and eight points out of third place in the Metropolitan Division. MoneyPuck gives the Flyers a measly 10.7% chance [https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm] of reaching the postseason, which are the ninth-worst odds in the NHL by their metrics. So, with that all being said, all signs point to the Flyers being forced to sell at the trade deadline once again. Having already re-signed Christian Dvorak to a five-year pact, the Flyers are down one less trade chip, but they do have a few pieces that could at least make the deadline interesting. Rasmus Ristolainen, now an Olympic Bronze medalist, is the biggest fish in the Flyers' pond, and he's at a point in his contract that could be the sweet spot for contending teams. Report: Flyers Rejected Big Maple Leafs Trade for Rasmus Ristolainen [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/0e959f7e-fe32-4757-9555-f195cec3f982.webp] Report: Flyers Rejected Big Maple Leafs Trade for Rasmus Ristolainen According to a new report, the Philadelphia Flyers received a massive trade offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs for veteran defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. GM Danny Briere and Co. didn't budge. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/report-flyers-rejected-big-maple-leafs-trade-for-rasmus-ristolainen] The 31-year-old has two years left on his contract at a $5.1 million cap hit, and the Flyers, who will have the retention in the Kevin Hayes and Scott Laughton trades come off their books this summer, should feel free to use their last remaining retention slot to maximize Ristolainen's value with minimal long-term consequences. Of course, the Flyers really like the player, and Ristolainen has experienced a career resurgence over his last few seasons in Philadelphia. At the same time, does it really make sense for the Flyers to hold onto a veteran who's suffered a season-ending injury two years in a row? Of note, in regards to pending RFA Christian Kyrou, Flyers GM Danny Briere told The Hockey News that the team will evaluate the prospect's future with the club "after the trade deadline [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/better-than-expected-flyers-prospect-christian-kyrou-forging-path-to-nhl-future]." Ristolainen, alongside Emil Andrae (RFA) and Noah Juulsen (UFA) are among the defensemen who could get moved to clear a roster spot for Kyrou so that the Flyers can get a better look at the surging prospect in an NHL environment. Plus, the Flyers recently had prospects Hunter McDonald and Oliver Bonk up to practice with the NHL squad [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-send-3-players-back-to-ahl], filling in for Ristolainen and Travis Sanheim, who are, of course, at the Olympics. If the Flyers fall any further out of playoff contention, it would behoove them to get extended looks at the young players they feel will have a future with the organization. It's worth mentioning that McDonald himself is a pending RFA, and Adam Ginning and Maxence Guenette [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-trade-for-senators-prospect-is-a-clear-home-run], who each have a handful of games of NHL experience, are on expiring deals, too. Flyers Defender Could Be Trade Candidate To Watch [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/f60f3e55-1067-424b-8017-cbe287ea58b5.jpeg] Flyers Defender Could Be Trade Candidate To Watch If the Flyers end up being sellers, this defenseman could be a trade candidate to watch. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-defender-could-be-trade-candidate-to-watch] In short, the Flyers have a lot of defensemen to evaluate and not a lot of time to do it. It would come as a major surprise if the Flyers did not move on from at least one defender on the current NHL roster by the deadline on the 6th. As for the forwards, veteran grinders Nick Deslauriers and Garnet Hathaway will have close to no value. Carl Grundstrom, who's been something of a pleasant surprise for the Flyers, might have been a more attractive piece to contenders if not for his $1.8 million cap hit. Bobby Brink, though, at age 24 and a slightly more modest $1.5 million cap hit, would be a smart buy for a playoff team that intends to keep him beyond this season. The diminutive winger has a respectable 13 goals, 11 assists, and 24 points in 50 games for the Flyers in a checking role, but it's only a matter of time before the imminent arrival of Porter Martone [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/porter-martone-dominates-in-blockbuster-matchups-with-gavin-mckenna] forces Brink or another winger off the Flyers. As for potential Flyers trade targets, star St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/nhl-rumors-2-flyers-potential-center-trade-targets] should be at the very top of the list, though that deal might be one best saved for the offseason rather than an in-season deal. Would Flyers, Jett Luchanko Benefit from a Position Change? [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/e3b5a2f1-a0da-407b-872c-e9dad5b6739e.jpeg] Would Flyers, Jett Luchanko Benefit from a Position Change? The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> may not have the center prospect they thought they did in Jett Luchanko, but that isn't a bad thing. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/would-flyers-jett-luchanko-benefit-from-a-position-change] As a writer, given the Flyers' lack of projectable centers, I'm always looking for ways the Flyers can find depth and quality down the middle. Buy-low options like Marco Kasper, Cole Sillinger, Adam Fantilli, Shane Wright, and Hendrix Lapierre all make sense to varying degrees, though the Flyers may not be interested in some, and others (namely Fantilli) may not be available. Centers are always more expensive on the trade market, though, and the Flyers may find it easier to capitalize on their glut of wingers by moving to address their weak defensive depth instead. Assuming Andrae and Juulsen don't have futures with the team, the Flyers would ideally like to find a left-shot defender to take some responsibility off the aging Nick Seeler while contributing to the penalty kill. Pavel Mintyukov from Anaheim would be a dream long-term contributor, but the Flyers are much more likely to target someone with the profile of a Mario Ferraro or Mattias Samuelsson. Middle-aged, inexpensive, defense-oriented players that might benefit from a change of scenery. And, to that end, if the Flyers haven't decided to move on from backup goalie Sam Ersson by now, there won't be any changes until the offseason. Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-call-up-goaltender-defenseman-from-ahl] are each pending RFAs and should be pitted against each other to battle for a future with the club.
