The Philadelphia Flyers have struggled immensely during the 2021-22 season and it has left the team scrambling for answers. One solution might be looking the trade route. It’s early in the year and there are financial restrictions that are going to limit the Flyers’ ability to wheel and deal, but there are players that rise to the top of the trade block So wether it’s to salvage the season or for the purposes of a teardown, who is likely next up on the Flyers trading block?
Number 5: Travis Sanheim
Travis Sanheim’s recent contract extension raised a few eyebrows after he essentially signed his second bridge deal. It’s theorized that he signed the deal not only due to his lackluster play, but also the fact that Cam York and Egor Zamula are breathing down his neck. While it’s unlikely that either make the team during the 2021-22 season, if York shows up and dominates the Phantoms, it’s only a matter of time before he gets his NHL recall. If he dazzles when he shows up to the party, it may only be a matter of time before Sanheim is the odd man out on the blueline. It may not be a deal that happens during the 2021-22 season, but next offseason may be a real possibility.
Number 4: Scott Laughton
Scott Laughton may have just signed a five-year extension late in the 2021 season, but that may be the very thing that leaves him on the trade block. He has been and will be a mainstay in the bottom six, but with a $3 million price tag, he may be the first player on the chopping block if the Flyers choose. It’s a moveable cap hit, the term is questionable, but he’s a serviceable enough player that a team in need would probably not think twice about adding him.
Number 3: Travis Konecny
Travis Konecny still has not bounced back from a disappointing 2021 campaign. The depth on right wing gives the Flyers options they didn’t have before. If for some reason Konency can’t put his game together soon, he may be passed over in favor of Cam Atkinson, Joel Farabee, Wade Allison among others. If Konency can’t re-find his footing this season and is indeed the odd man out, he could be an enticing name to dangle in a move for a big return.
Number 2: Martin Jones
It’s no secret that Martin Jones was not the sexy addition in goal most fans were hoping for, but he has been phenomenal this season and if the Flyers are not in a push for a playoff spot, it’s possible Chuck Fletcher scans the scene at the trade deadline and tries and get something for Jones. Most playoff teams would salivate at a hot goaltender on a cheap expiring contract.
Number 1: Morgan Frost
Morgan Frost has once again found himself as the odd man out as the 2021-22 season approaches and it’s plain and simple a role that can’t go on forever. He has to either establish himself as a full-time NHLer sooner rather than later, or he could find himself on the trade block. To give Frost the benefit of the doubt, he should be given a bit of a longer leash as he returns from shoulder surgery, but he’s the most valuable youngster the Flyers have and the top prospect could help swing a deal in the Flyers’ favor for a better return.
Honorable mention
James Van Riemsdyk
Van Riemsdyk may not be the very next player in line to be traded, but his name should definitely be on the radar next offseason. He has one more year left on his contract at the end of this season, and due to the very tight situation the Flyers have worked themselves into, JVR’s $7 million cap hit may be a casualty to stay compliant. We saw what it cost the Flyers to move Shayne Gostisbehere’s deal this summer, so it may not be a pretty trade, but one that could very well be necessary just to keep the team together.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: nhl.com
brotherlypuck.com 