We’ve heard the phrase “aggressive retool” over and over again since Chuck Fletcher’s press conference last January. I’m frankly sure that you are as tired of these two words as I am. I want to present five moves that can happen this year at the trade deadline and a few extra moves at the beginning of the offseason. Keep in mind this is not a rebuild, Flyers ownership has made it clear they aren’t moving in that direction…as of now. This article is not making the Flyers a cup contender this year, but rather giving Torts players that fit his scheme and creating the cap space/gaining picks to make the offseason really fun.
Trade Kevin Hayes (retaining 30%), 2024 4th round pick and 2025 5th round pick to VGK for William Carrier and a 2024 second round pick.
The main purpose of this trade is to get Hayes off the books, but the Flyers will be able to obtain a higher pick and obtain an excellent third line Center that is locked up through 2024. Carrier is an under the radar player and would fit perfectly in Tort’s system. He also can produce with 44 points in 111 career games. Retaining 30% of salary is still a far better option than buying Hayes out.
Ivan Provorov to Edmonton for Brett Kulak, Warren Foegele, 2023 second, and a 2024 second
This trade enables the Flyers to put the whole Provorov situation behind them while acquiring two players that fit into the current system perfectly. Kulak has seen his defensive play improve over the last two seasons. Foegele can play on the LW and would add some nice depth. They Flyers also acquire two more picks for a larger plan and shake up their defensive core. The Flyers also have two players they can trade if needed (or it doesn’t work out).
Trade JVR (retaining 50%) to Winnipeg for a 2024 second round pick and a 2023 third round pick
This is pretty much just a salary dump while getting value. Winnipeg can easily afford JVR at 50% and the Flyers have created room for other moves under the cap. This is a win win move for both teams.
Trade Felix Sandstrom, Nick Seeler, and Travis Konecny to Seattle for Jared McCann, Vince Dunn, and a 2023 first round pick.
Seattle picks up multiple parts they can use for this year and for years to come. The Flyers get a really good defenseman, a player who can play center well, and a first round pick in a deep draft. An additional plus is that one of the three goalies has been shipped out and clears up a jam. The Flyers can address the organizational goalie depth in the offseason. This trade is a trade that capitalizes on maximum trade value on both Konecny and Seeler (who has a robust trade market right now).
Trade TDA to Buffalo for our 2023 2nd round pick
This trade helps both teams and would be very fair. TDA on Buffalo can be either a good 2nd pairing defenseman or can play on the top pairing with a little more structural freedom (which might be best for his game). For the Flyers this trade serves two purposes: get our 2nd round pick back and creates space for the Flyers to see what Egor Zamula can bring to the team. With TDA fluctuating between the 2nd and 3rd pairing that is the perfect place for Zamula to get ice time to fill the void.
Bonus early offseason moves:
Trade EDM 2024 second round pick, 2023 5th round pick, and 2023 7th round pick to Ottawa for Alex DeBrincat’s rights
This might not be super popular with the “keep the picks” crowd, but this would be a splash. With the moves listed earlier, plus the one listed below, the Flyers have the room to add a high quality talent. If they can’t re-sign him then it’s a big loss for the Flyers. However, if they are truly going to be aggressive this is a swing you have to take.
Buy out Cam Atkinson
I’ll be honest, this is not one of my favorite things, but the reality is that he is coming off of injury and would save 3.5 million against the cap for two years and then 1.75 million the following two years (this has been noted on the podcast). I think we all enjoy watching Cam play, but the real question is: Is he worth buying out? He’s not a point per game player, plays on the RW and has struggled with injuries 5 of the last 6 seasons. It’s something to strongly consider.
By: Josh Shuster (@flyguyjosh91)
photo credit: Getty Images
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