The rebuilding floodgates are open in Philadelphia and new GM Danny Briere is mulling over all his options as the critical 2023 entry draft draws near. One of the most valuable trade chips left on the roster is 26-year-old forward Travis Konecny. The seven-year NHL veteran posted a career year in 2022-23 with 31 goals and 61 points in 60 games. He’s got two years left on his current contract at a $5.5 million cap hit. If Konecny is dangled in the trade rumor mill, which teams are most likely to line up for his services?
Number 5: Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs since 2011, but their fortune finally appears to be shifting and the organization could be a prime candidate to make a couple big splashes during the 2023 offseason to finally push them back into the postseason. The catch is, the Sabres aren’t in dire need of RW depth. They’ve got Alex Tuch and youngsters JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn slotted in already. Though considering the Sabres have all of their draft picks and a plethora of prospects to craft trades with, the Flyers should be hawking their goods to Buffalo in hopes a deal can be made.
Number 4: Detroit Red Wings
Much like the Sabres, the Red Wings are slowly inching their way closer back to competition and could be in the market for an NHL-caliber addition or two. Unlike the Sabres, Detroit’s right wing depth leaves much to be desired. Veteran forwards David Perron and Dominik Kubalik are their only two notable players on the right side, and they seem to be lacking natural RWs in their prospect pool as well. The Wings have five picks in the first two rounds of the 2023 draft and more than a couple worthwhile prospects to make a deal with if they feel like it’s time to add a main-roster forward.
Number 3: Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes once again fell short in their quest for a Stanley Cup, thanks in part to some key injuries hitting at the worst times. It could lead to the Canes making a few big splashes to solidify their roster, and adding a forward like Konecny could be just the thing they need. For the Flyers, the Hurricanes present prime feeding grounds for a return. They’ve got all their draft picks plus a rather rich prospect pool, both at the AHL and NHL level, to choose from. Would they part with someone like Jack Drury to land Konecny? Couldn’t hurt to try.
Number 2: Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto feels like they’re connected to just about every trade rumor these days as the organization continues their quest for the illusive Stanley Cup. With new GM Brad Treliving at the helm, a potential roster shakeup is on the horizon and adding a player like Konecny may interest the Leafs. The gritty forward could be the archetypal player they’d be looking to add. The Leafs only have one pick in the first four rounds of the upcoming entry draft, being the 28th overall selection originally belonging to Boston. Would they part ways with Matt Knies? Is there a deal to be had featuring Topi Niemela and/or Roni Hirvonen? The Leafs are running out of assets to make a reasonable trade, which could actually be good news for the Flyers if they need to part ways with one or two of their remaining top prospects in favor of winning today.
Number 1: Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton is seemingly the destination that some of the national pundits have officially connected to Konecny. After their experiments with Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi have failed, they could use some depth at right wing, especially on their second line. The Oilers don’t have a first round pick in 2023, but they do have 21-year-old forward prospect Dylan Holloway, 21-year-old defenseman Philip Broberg, and forwards Xavier Bourgault and Carter Savioe to craft a package out of.
Honorable mentions
Seattle Kraken
The Kraken got their first taste of the NHL postseason, and just so happen to have three second round picks in the 2023 draft to play with when it comes to making roster adjustments to get back in next season. They’re not overly in need of right wing depth with Eberle, McCann and Bjorkstrand holding down the side, but a team with as many disposable assets as Seattle could easily sniff around an upgrade and the Flyers should be interested in any team that could afford to potentially overpay for Konecny’s services.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal has led the way in most fan theories, despite the fact they may not be quite ready to add NHL-caliber players just yet. Though, they do have two first round picks in 2023, the fifth and 31st overall selections and a young nucleus already in place on their main roster. Does a late first and mid-tier prospect entice the Flyers? Is there a bigger return to be had if they take on a contract like Christian Dvorak (2 x $4.4)? Montreal may be interested in Konecny, but most of their valuable assets more than likely aren’t for sale, and they don’t have much else depth wise to interest the Flyers at this point, so a deal featuring Konecny may just not be in the cards.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit:
brotherlypuck.com 