Flyers fans are getting antsy as the anticipation builds for the offseason to get under way. It’s been an agonizingly slow couple weeks as the playoffs continue on as fans wait for answers from their favorite club. It has led some to take to CapFriendly’s Armchair GM tool to craft their perfect offseason. Typically, we look at blockbuster trade scenarios, but this time, let’s focus on trades specifically focused around the fifth overall pick.
The Good
a little doubt can go a long way by ReelBigFan
Is this all Chicago would want for DeBrincat? Probably not, but if it is, there’s no reason to not jump at it. The Blackhawks are about ready to enter a rebuild of their own and have made it known they are ready to start trading roster players. DeBrincat will be a hot commodity, so for the Flyers to have a real shot, it’d be hard to acquire the star 24-year-old without giving up the Flyers’ best trade asset right now. Even if it’s not a one-for-one trade, it could be a good place to start.
Trading 5 by mulletmario7
For what it’s worth, this trade seems to be overall lacking, but the intention is good. The idea being the Flyers offload JVR’s contract while simultaneously putting a package together enticing enough to also add Chychrun. Considering the Coyotes are in a forever rebuild and were one of the teams that got screwed by New Jersey moving up, having the third and fifth overall pick may be too good to refuse. The Flyers would probably have to sweeten the pot from their end, but overall, this scenario may be on to something.
Offseason by braisman
Even though Dubois is one of those guys that feels like he’s been around forever, he’s just 24 years old and a pending restricted free agent. It’s unlikely the Jets would want to part with him, but it wouldn’t be the first time he’d want out of his current scenario. This is another deal that feels lacking from the Flyers’ perspective, but trading the fifth overall pick for the rights to a 24-year-old center who had 28 goals and 60 points in Winnipeg this season may be worth it. Lindblom would be thrown in mainly as a way to clear a couple dollars for the Flyers to ultimately re-sign Dubois.
The Bad
FTF Censored the flyers by Justseth
Don’t really know if I’d consider this one “bad” but it could be unnecessary. They would essentially be burning two of their best trade assets in the fifth overall pick and Morgan Frost to move up three spots in a draft that isn’t deemed to have generational stars. Now, if the Flyers were hell bent on drafting a certain player and wanted complete certainty of landing him, go for it. If they want to maximize the bang for their buck with their slim trade assets, this isn’t the way to do it.
Offseason by braisman
Kevin Fiala has drawn plenty of interest throughout the league as a 25-year-old who posted 33 goals and 85 points this season and the Wild probably don’t have the funds to re-sign him. The Wild could ask a premium for Fiala, who was a 20-goal, 45-points player before this season, and, in this case, would ask the Flyers to eat the last year of Cam Talbot’s deal at $3.6 million. The Flyers are in need of a home run addition and Fiala seems like the perfect candidate to decline in production if removed from Kirill Kaprizov. This wouldn’t be the worst way to trade the fifth overall pick, but it doesn’t feel like the best way to go about it either.
Back to the playoffs by Matthewslover
The Flyers’ hunt for an offensively dynamic center is well known and this is technically a way to fill that hole, but is it too much from the Flyers’ end? Travis Sanheim, who finally played good hockey in 2021-22, may have worked himself out of the trade rumor mill this season. Do the Flyers give up their top offensive defenseman and the fifth overall pick for a top center? To give the Canucks credit, they’d throw in their first round pick this season, which is 15th overall. Sanheim and the fifth overall for Miller and the fifteenth overall. It’s tempting, but may best be avoided.
The Ugly
Devils fan trying to fix Philly by Tbrew
Fans love to hate Ristolainen. they firmly believe he’s the worst defenseman in the league and that his $5.1 million cap hit is single-handedly going to sink the franchise. In the real world, however, he was a perfectly fine top four defenseman last season and he took a pay cut to stick around with the Flyers. It’d be bad enough if the Flyers used the fifth overall pick to ditch JVR’s contract, it’d be downright batshit for the Flyers to trade away Ristolainen and use the fifth overall pick to make it happen.
Full Rebuild by AFox23
Moving back in the draft is certainly an option the Flyers have to consider, but it has to be more enticing than this to make it happen. Ottawa picks seventh overall, and for the pleasure of moving back two spots the Flyers have to take on the last year of the contract of Nikita Zaitsev at $4.5 million and a project defenseman in Erik Brannstrom, who has yet to establish himself at the NHL level. If Brannstrom could develop in the NHL and the Flyers don’t have anybody in particular in mind at fifth, it may be a fine deal, but if they’re serious about moving back, they better find a better deal than this.
.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: capfriendly.com / espn.com
brotherlypuck.com 