What are we to make of the constant rumours coming out of Philadelphia?
The short answer is nothing.
The Philadelphia Flyers are undergoing a supposed rebuild that started with the Ivan Provorov trade, which ultimately opened the chasm of trade rumours that has continued to churn ever since.
Carter Hart, Kevin Hayes, Travis Konecny, Tony DeAngelo, and Scott Laughton have had their names drawn out of the hat with serious interest coming all on fronts. For Hayes and DeAngelo it has more to do with subtraction than addition, where with Hart, Konecny, and Laughton it has everything to do with timing and what the possible return packages could entail for 3 players that are “popular” around the league.
Carter Hart
Right after Provorov was moved, Anthony Di Marco tweeted that a Carter Hart deal was materializing before things cooled down with the preface that Daniel Brière has to be blown away in any trade revolving their number one goaltender. Ever since, a debate has raged on whether or not it’s the right move to deal a 24-year-old goaltender who has yet to reach his prime, however is it worthwhile to keep him around when you’re still 2-3-4 years away.
He requires a new contract in 2024, he has the ability to steal games which would hinder your ability to tank or plummet the standings, and the last thing you want is for the losing to force him out.
The national media is making it out as if the Flyers are trying to cut bait and are in the arena of trading him this summer, even though in reality, the Flyers are in no rush and are okay with holding onto the soon-to-be RFA goaltender. They want a high draft pick this year, they want more picks and prospects to add to their pipeline, and they’re going to be doing their due diligence with all teams involved.
Things could get spicy with a bidding war presumably on its way but any rumours or trade talks revolving around Carter Hart right now seem more premature than anything else. In saying all that, it has been mentioned that the Team Canada investigation will put a hold on any serious trade talks until the situation is resolved.
Travis Konecny
Travis Konecny joined the fray earlier this week when Pierre LeBrun reported that several teams were interested and he wouldn’t be surprised if 1-2 teams make an unbelievable offer for the 26-year-old. Konecny is coming off a career year where he scored 31 goals and 61 points in 60 games. His season was cut short by 22 games due to an injury he sustained in Calgary but he was far and wide the best player on the Flyers this season.
He has led the team in points in 3 of the last 4 seasons, has scored 24+ goals 4 different times, and is the heartbeat of the offense without a shadow of a doubt. He is signed for 2 more years at a relatively cheap cap hit of $5.5 million and that is what is drawing the most interest. GMs are enamoured with years remaining on a contract and are willing to dole out the necessary and required future assets in return for longevity and term.
Kurt Levins of the Edmonton Journal made mention a few days ago that the Edmonton Oilers have shown a “decent” amount of interest in Konecny. Anthony Di Marco followed up on that piece of news by saying that he’s heard the name Phillip Broberg being mentioned in the same breath.
The Oilers don’t hold a first round pick this season; in fact all they have to their name is a 2nd, 6th, and 7th round pick. Next season they have their first and second rounders but are missing their third and fourths, as well as their second in 2025.
They are trying to capitalize on the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl era before their contracts are up for negotiating again. They have very little cap space, but can be seen as a desperate team trying to load up. Dylan Holloway was drafted 14th overall in 2020 and has 1 year of NHL experience under his belt, Xavier Bourgault was drafted with the 22nd overall pick in 2021 and spent the past season in the AHL with 34 points as a rookie.
Broberg was drafted 9th overall in 2019 and has 2 years of experience in the NHL and AHL, and Reid Schaefer was their most recent first round selection with the 32nd overall pick in 2022. These are the top rated prospects in their system and without high draft picks, the Flyers could look for one – or a couple.
Chuck Fletcher dangled his name over the past few summers so it’s no surprise that he is back on the market, but this year it’s different: Fletcher was always looking for a re-tool and his desperation came at a cost as most of his colleagues low-balled him to the point that even he realized the trades were underwhelming. Brière is looking to capitalize on the rest of the league and their willingness to make a playoff push–and there are plenty of teams circling like vultures.
Even with Joel Farabee, Owen Tippett, and Morgan Frost figuring into the plans as the backbone of their new core, Konecny will be joining veterans like Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson this season as the de-facto leaders of the team. John Tortorella couldn’t say enough about the young forward and you have to believe both sides are still amicable and could be willing to keep him around for the long haul.
Scott Laughton
Scott Laughton has always drawn interest based on his style of play, leadership qualities, and his contract has always looked good. Five years with a cap hit of 3 million for a guy who can slot anywhere in the lineup and play all situations is essentially a steal and contending teams haven’t missed the beat. They have called, called, and called again but the Flyers have yet to move him.
To some, Laughton might be seen as a first-round bust as he finally hit the 15+ goal mark for the first time in his 10-year career, never scored more than 32 before this season as well, and has yet to hit 200 points through 519 games. However, his role has never been fortified in Philadelphia, his supporting cast hasn’t been the best, and he was relegated to a defensive role for most of his career.
Given the opportunity over the last few seasons, he has shown flashes and has the ability to crack the 20-goal and 50-point mark next season. However he is an important player on the team, on the ice, in the locker room, and off the ice within his community. He is captain material and one of John Tortorella’s favourites so if he hasn’t been moved already, it’s going to take a lot more now to pry his services as he still has 3 years left on his contract.
Tanner Jeannot – who is 3 years younger but far less experienced – was acquired for 5 draft picks from the Tampa Bay Lightning who felt they had to make a move after what Boston and Toronto did ahead of the trade deadline. If a deal like that can be worked out, the Flyers are well on their way because as Anthony DiMarco stated in a tweet, the Flyers have already turned down a late first round pick for Laughton, showing how much and how highly they value his services.
Elliotte Friedman took to his platform to discuss Laughton at length and there has been considerable interest in the two-way forward for quite some time. Toronto has always been in on him and is someone that newly-minted GM, Brad Treliving, is looking to add to their top-9.
In Toronto, it’s nearly similar to Edmonton where they don’t have a lot of picks but do have Boston’s first rounder which is 28th overall but don’t pick again until the 5th round, they possess next year’s first but no seconds until 2026. Nicholas Robertson has been a player the Flyers have had interest in before but has had a few disappointing seasons to date that have been limited by injuries.
Robertson was a second round pick in 2019 but has only managed 31 games with the Leafs and 51 games with the Toronto Marlies to date. In January, Robertson opted for shoulder surgery which ended his season as it required 6 months of rehabilitation. He’s also had injuries to his shoulder, leg, groin, and a concussion that limited his playing time since being deemed a bright prospect for the future of the Leafs.
Friedman also mentioned that the Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to potentially making a move, but said a potential Flyers-Penguins trade is unlikely, especially with a player of Laughton’s ilk. Dubas was the general manager of the Maple Leafs when they came within inches of acquiring him before the Flyers signed him to a 5-year deal. The Penguins don’t have the best pipeline of prospects but they do have all 3 of their upcoming first round picks as well as their 2nd rounders in 2024 and 2025. However, it remains unlikely for the time being.
Another team that has been snooping around is Ottawa and a common theme here is that a lot of these teams don’t have the picks the Flyers are looking for, however Ottawa does have a bevy of good prospects. One that has intrigued the Flyers is Tyler Boucher – son of former Flyers goaltender Brian Boucher – and while he had a disappointing season after being drafted 10th overall, he still holds plenty of potential. A deal like this wouldn’t be one-for-one with Philadelphia holding the leverage. They also have Ridly Greig, Tyler Kleven, Lassi Thomson, Erik Brannstrom, and Jacob Bernard-Docker, among others.
With so much interest in Laughton there could be a true bidding war for his services and someone will offer a deal that will have the “torn” Flyers thinking twice.
Kevin Hayes, Tony DeAngelo
News regarding Kevin Hayes and Tony DeAngelo is nothing new as we have heard rumblings and rumours all season long. With Hayes it started after he was scratched earlier in the season and he never looked the same. There was clearly some sort of fracture between player and team and it’s essentially a “when” not an “if” situation with Hayes this offseason with the only caveat being how much salary the Flyers are retaining.
DeAngelo – along with Nick Seeler – are interesting candidates because of their soon-to-be expiring contracts. DeAngelo carries a $5 million cap hit and Seeler a $775,000 cap hit. Seeler designated a role for himself as a great glue guy and bottom pairing defenseman. He had a fantastic year in his respect and the Flyers are in no rush to trade him. His cap hit is so low it doesn’t have to be retained in way, shape, or form, and a trade like Seeler would best be regarded as a trade deadline move.
DeAngelo’s $5 million cap hit is easier to move in the summer than at the trade deadline, however if the Flyers retain salary then they need to be careful since you can only retain 3 contracts per season. He had a tough season defensively, but still produced 42 points in 70 games and will provide any contender the necessary quarterbacking offensive defenseman that is always required.
With DeAngelo, it is known that you won’t get the best defensive acumen but Chuck Fletcher truly believed in his renaissance season with Carolina as a way to liken him as Ryan Ellis’ replacement. After being relegated to a lesser role, DeAngelo played a lot better and if surrounded by a better cast and crew, he will succeed with flying colours.
The Flyers can’t trade everyone because they still have to put a team on the ice and John Torotrella has never been one to coach with a tanking squad. However if the trade proposals are serious and they blow the GM away, then it wouldn’t make sense not to pull the trigger. However, Daniel Brière and Keith Jones aren’t going to make a trade just to make a move but at the very least there is a lineup of teams ready and willing to strike.
The Flyers have put a “for sale” sign outside of the Wells Fargo Center and almost every team is interested in at least one of their players.
It’s going to take a lot to get any one of the aforementioned trio – Hart, Konecny, Laughton – but the Flyers are hoping someone is desperate enough to throw them everything including the kitchen sink.
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