The 2024 NHL trade deadline is less than a month away, and the Philadelphia Flyers still have yet to have a clear strategy when it comes to how they handle the big day. But there’s quite a few players on their roster that could draw interest from other teams, and the landscape of the Flyers has changed quite a bit during the last few weeks, so let’s go through and figure out which players have the highest likelihood of having new homes on March 8.
Sean Walker
At this point, it sure seems like a guarantee Walker is gone, despite some earlier season rumors of the team’s interest in keeping him. It’s more “who and when” versus “if”. They can’t possibly whiff on this softball… right?
Decision- Goes
Scott Laughton
The front office decided not to move on from Laughton during the 2023 offseason despite some significant rumors, then Laughton’s play fell off a cliff and his value tanked. But luckily, the center market is so barren that it has artificially re-inflated his value at the 2024 trade deadline. Do the Flyers look a gift horse in the mouth twice? Or do they actually sell their de facto captain for a net-positive return despite not necessarily being eager to part ways?
Decision- Goes
Travis Konecny
The Flyers are supposedly in a rebuild, thus their best player should at least be considered on the block. And while the Flyers may listen to any team calling, it seems highly unlikely that they get a deal that suits their fancy and just end up re-signing the 27-year-old, whether it’s the best outcome or not.
Decision- Stays
Cam Atkinson
The Flyers are going to have to deal with Atkinon’s contract this summer, but it’s highly unlikely any team takes a risk on the aging forward at the deadline.
Decision- Stays… for now
Morgan Frost
Even though Frost has stabilized his game and even appears to be on an upward trend, there’s still the underlying feeling that his time in Philly is almost up. But considering the Flyers are still in playoff contentions and have virtually no organizational center depth and the open market is bone dry, he probably sticks around until the offseason when a deal can be crafted easier.
Decision- Stays… for now
Rasmus Ristolainen
Ristolainen’s name has popped up a couple times on the rumor mill over the course of the season, and now with the addition of Drysdale, it seems more and more likely that he could be on the way out. The biggest problem is his contract that has $5.1 million per season left for three more years. Not exactly a typical deadline trade. There has been plenty of smoke, but will there be fire at the deadline or will the contract just be too much to move until the offseason rolls around?
Decision- Stays
Nic Deslauriers
To say the Flyers have been utilizing Deslauriers sparingly would be an understatement. He’s only played in 10 of the Flyers’ 19 games since the new year, clocked 10 minutes of ice time in a game only once in that span and saw five or less minutes five times. The addition of Garnet Hathaway means the meathead quota of the team was exceeded, and Hathaway is the far superior meathead. When Deslauriers isn’t fighting he isn’t doing much of anything, so it’s entirely possible they try and ditch him at the deadline. But wait! He’s got a 20-team no-trade list until July and still has two years left on his deal at a $1.75 million cap hit. Thanks, Chuck Fletcher!
Decision- Stays
Nick Seeler
It sure seems like the Flyers want to keep depth defenseman Nick Seeler. Why? Who knows. But if he’s got any value the Flyers should be moving on from him. There’s too many bodies on the blue line as is and prospects that need minutes, but LeAdErShIp and CuLtUrE may win the day over forward organizational progress once again. At this point it very much feels like a 50/50 whether he stays or goes, but we’ll give the front office the benefit of the doubt that they can’t possibly be desperate enough to give him another contract.
Decision- Goes
Marc Staal
When the organization made the baffling move to sign Marc Staal during the offseason, many fans had thought that it was a free deadline deal to gain an extra asset or two. Then, in a mind-bending shocking twist, the 36-year-old has barely played and been just about worthless when he has. Who could’ve ever seen this coming? There’s almost no chance a team is going to give up anything for Staal, so he’ll just continue to ride out the season in the press box.
Decision- Stays… unfortunately
Egor Zamula
There’s seemingly been a love-hate realtionship between Zamula and Tortorella all season. Sometimes he’s in favor, other times he’s in the doghouse. Zamula turns 24 at the end of March and is a RFA at season’s end. If the organization does indeed decide to keep Seeler, they could reasonably look to flip Zamula. His value probably isn’t that high, and dealing one of their younger guys in favor of a 30-year-old depth vet is a bold strategy, but it’s not an entirely impossible outcome either.
Decision- Stays
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: nhl.com
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