The trade deadline is creeping up fast and with the Flyers on the path to miss the playoffs yet again, there shouldn’t be any player they don’t at least listen to calls on. Now, not every player’s value is the same. For some, it’s a bad contract or down year in production that will keep them stuck in Philadelphia for the time being, while for others it’s the incompetence of the front office that will strand them.
Let’s take stock of the entire roster and weigh their trade values heading into the deadline and offseason. Combining factors such as contract term and AAV as well as on-ice results to rank which players are the most and least tradable currently.
Least Tradable: Sean Couturier
Sean Couturier, the 30-year-old coming off two back surgeries with seven years left on a contract that pays him $7.7 million a season and his playing status moving forward is still unknown at the time of this writing. Nobody is touching him. Quite the fall from grace considering what his value would’ve been a few short years ago.
Number 24: Ryan Ellis
Ryan Ellis is more or less retired but still on the books for four more years at a $6.25 million hit. If it were a regular year the Flyers may be able to ditch his cap to a team desperate to get to the cap floor, but those days aren’t coming anytime soon given the cap is still pretty much flat, so he’ll quietly exist on LTIR until 2027.
Number 23: Cam Atkinson
Atkinson’s 34th birthday is on the horizon and a neck injury and subsequent surgery has kept him out for the entire season. Mix that with the remaining two years on his contract with a $5.8 million AAV and his value is pretty low these days.
Number 22: Travis Sanheim
Sanheim went from potentially massive trade chip at the 2023 deadline to under contract until 2031 for $50 million. Just a dumb extension that will be a lasting middle finger from Chuck Fletcher long after he’s gone.
Number 21: Nic Deslauriers
For some reason, the Flyers signed Nic Deslauriers, a fourth line grinder, to a four year deal last summer. Nobody (except Chuck Fletcher) wants to commit that kind of term to a random enforcer in 2023.
Number 20: Zack MacEwen
The 26-year-old pending restricted free agent probably would’ve been much higher on this list of he didn’t break hiw jaw and require surgery just a couple weeks before the trade deadline.
Number 19: Kevin Hayes
It may be critical the Flyers move Hayes this summer to have any cash at all entering free agency, but he’s got three years left on his deal with a $7.1 million cap hit. Less than a year after Chuck Fletcher failed to move one year of James Van Riemsdyk’s deal at a $7 million cap, the chances he can move three years seems relatively low. He should be dealt, but it’s very much a believe it when we see it thing until then.
Number 18: Joel Farabee
Nobody knows where Joel Farabee fits in these days. He’s 23 years old and has shown glimpses of potential over the last few seasons but is also in the first year of a six-year, $30 million contract and clearly still dealing with the lingering effects of offseason neck surgery. If the Flyers were to shop him, he’s probably have takers, but his value is about as low as possible right now.
Number 17: Felix Sandstrom
Even though Sandstrom has had a rough year, a 26-year-old goalie with a solid AHL track record that has been horribly mismanaged by the Flyers could pique the interest of any team willing to take a shot in the name of goaltending upgrades. Sandstrom just needs a team that’s willing actually give him a chance, and the fact he’s got one year left on his deal at a measly $775,000 could be enough to take a risk.
Number 16: Wade Allison
Allison has had trouble working his way up the depth chart this year despite playing very well in the minutes he has been getting. Tortorella has taken Allison on as a project to turn him into complete player instead of utilizing him to his physical, offensively-drive strengths. He may be a better player on the other side of the tunnel, but it has left him in limbo in the meantime.
Number 15: Tony DeAngelo
Another player that would’ve been higher on the list a few weeks ago, that is until John Tortorella publicly admitted that he sucks. DeAngelo is a RHD with one year left on his deal at $5 million and does have 31 points in 52 games with half of those coming on the powerplay, so there’s probably some value there on the trade market, but with his sub-par defense, the Flyers doesn’t have the same leverage that Carolina had when dealing him.
Number 14: Rasmus Ristolainen
Despite the fact that he’s been the whipping boy of the fanbase since his arrival in Philly, Ristolainen has played decent hockey more often than not. He’s got four years left on his current deal at a $5.1 cap hit, which is actually a fairly moveable number for some like Ristolainen. Given the desperation the team is facing for bodies on the right side it’s unlikely Risto gets dealt, but if the cards were in the table, Fletcher should have no problem getting the 28-year-old off the books.
Number 13: Scott Laughton
The de facto captain may not be the most intimidating player on the ice every night, but the value he serves as as a flexible middle six forward on a cheap cap hit would have teams lining up if his name were to once again hit the rumor mill. While he’s probably going to see out the remainder of his contract in Philly, he would provide an intriguing trade option for many playoff teams looking for players like him to make a push.
Number 12: Owen Tippett
Owen Tippett has played rather well during his first full season with the Flyers after floundering with the Panthers the last few seasons. He seems to be a reliable middle-six winger on a cheap deal for one more season. While it’s too small a sample size to flip him for any kind of serious asset, they would have no problem moving so if they so choose, even if the return may not be substantial.
Number 11: Patrick Brown
Patrick Brown certainly exists alright. He may be the NHL 23’s create a skater come to life, but he’s a pair of hands on the fourth line and a pending unrestricted free agent who should at least have some kind of value at the trade deadline.
Number 10: Nick Seeler
In the eyes of Chuck Fletcher, Nick Seeler may be closer to Nick Lidstrom than a nondescript number seven defenseman playing slightly better than usual, but with the trade deadline right around the corner, his solid depth play could have value for any team desperate for an upgrade on defense. His contract status (one year, $775,000) is a team friendly deal that shouldn’t hinder any trade and may even play into his overall value. Do the Flyers move him?
Number 9: Justin Braun
Braun fetched a third round pick from the Rangers at last year’s trade deadline, but he has fallen of quite a cliff this season, looking every bit of 36 years old. Though his veteran presence as a depth right-handed defenseman means playoff teams should still be interested in his services, it just won’t come with any kind of noteworthy price tag.
Number 8: James Van Riemsdyk
Five years after Ron Hextall signed the returning winger, his deal is finally over and could be moved at the 2023 trade deadline. His inconsistent offense and glacial foot speed will limit whatever return the Flyers will get for him, but by default, he’s one of their more valuable trade chips right now.
Number 7: Morgan Frost
Six years after his draft year, Morgan Frost is finally having a bit of success at the NHL level. He doesn’t appear to be a legitimate top six forward, instead settling into that role with the Flyers because they don’t have any real talent. His status as a pending restricted free agent with some untapped upside could pose interest to teams in a rebuilding phase with open top six slots and time to develop Frost further. Much like Tippett, the individual value may be low, but he’d be very tradable if necessary.
Number 6: Noah Cates
Cates has come a long way this season, earning the trust of head coach John Tortorella with his strong defensive play as he transition to center from his natural wing. While pigeonholing him as a shutdown center may limit his overall ceiling as a player, it’s a role that most teams are always looking to improve upon.
Number 5: Sam Ersson
Sooner or later the Flyers are going to have to make a decision when it comes to the direction of their goaltending. While it may be a few years down the road, historically, the backup never overthrows the starter when push comes to shove. While he won’t be moved for quite a while, Ersson does seem to be the real deal and any team out there desperate for goaltending would like to have him.
Number 4: Cam York
Cam York’s fate seemed up in the air earlier in the season, but now that he’s once again back in the NHL and playing a key role as one of their top defensemen, the chances he gets dealt have lowered significantly. Though a 22-year-old with tremendous upside is a valuable chip any other team is going to try and pry away from the Flyers if they went hard in the trade market during the 2023 offseason.
Number 3: Ivan Provorov
While Provorov is an unlikeable character these days, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s also one of their most valuable trade chips. His minute-munching is a valuable asset and could be utilized even better for a team with an overall stronger defense system than the Flyers possess. An impending split between the two sides has felt like the eventual outcome for over a year now. While it’s a big decision for the Flyers, if they could get a substantial return for the 26-year-old Russian, it could work out in their favor int he long run.
Number 2: Travis Konecny
Seven years into his NHL career and Travis Konecny has finally broke the 25-goal plateau. It’s part of his point-per-game breakout season and with the Flyers overflowing with talent on the right wing and desperate for upgrades elsewhere in the lineup, TK also provides quite a bit of trade value as well. Whether they explore that avenue or not is up for debate, but if the front office was smart, they’d try and move Konecny while his value is at its highest.
Most Tradeable: Carter Hart
For an organization that has struggled to find goaltending for most of their existence, the Flyers currently have an embarrassment of riches in net. 24-year-old Carter Hart has one year left on his contract at $3.9 million and is still an RFA in the summer of 2024. With Sam Ersson now breathing down his neck, the pressure could be on for Hart. If Ersson ever gives him a run for his money, a young franchise goaltender could bring back more than a king’s ransom in a trade. While a move is unlikely, Hart is by far the organization’s best trade chip.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: inquirier.com
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