Emergency Flyers mailbag: What moves can rescue them from this mess?
The horrific start to the season for the Philadelphia Flyers has definitely got the hockey world talking. Head coach Rick Tocchet’s job is being questioned; rumors are swirling about winger Travis Konecny; management’s vision is being scrutinized. All this to say, the times are turbulent for the Orange and Black. Following their loss Thursday night, the team is now 0-6-3 to start the season.
So no better time to turn it over to the fans, right? Let’s jump into the latest NHL mailbag, with the Flyers taking center stage.
Further to what I wrote on Tuesday, it wasn’t connecting dots, but rather two things that were said by a team source. It was directly pointed out that Travis Konecny has been a constant on the Flyers’ dismal power play over the last number of seasons, but that alone is not the reason as to why he would be approached about waiving his no-movement clause.
Yes, the Flyers have internal frustrations with his play going back to last season’s playoffs, but approaching him about waiving his NMC would be a result of this season continuing to spiral and the team looking to make a major change to the roster. Konecny has led the team in scoring the last number of seasons and is still an effective player; moving him would be more about a team-identity shift and parlaying a (presumably) coveted asset on the trade market into something that could help the team (like a young center).
If the Flyers are to explore this avenue, it will be less because of isolated frustrations with Konecny’s game, but rather a philosophical shift in the overall team makeup.
Let’s be honest: would an extra $2.4 million onto the annual AAV really have changed things? The Anaheim Ducks would’ve still matched in all likelihood, as center Leo Carlsson is the focal point of their entire rebuild since Pat Verbeek took over as general manager.
Flyers GM Danny Briere reset the financial landscape of the NHL with that offer sheet. Was it the max he could’ve offered Carlsson? No, but it was still a contract that was an objective overpay given the player’s current status. There are a lot of young players and their agents that will (and already are) indirectly thanking Briere for the nuclear bomb of a contract he hurled across the country for Carlsson.
Even though it wasn’t the max, it is unfair to say that the Flyers “didn’t really go for it.” Given the structure and AAV, there really wasn’t much more that could’ve been done to make the Ducks not match it.
If you’re asking Detroit Red Wings interim-GM Shawn Horcoff, the answer is nothing; he made it clear earlier this week that he has no interest in trading defenseman Simon Edvinsson.
But if we were to spitball, a roster player of similar age and caliber would likely be the asking price for Edvinsson. With the Red Wings not looking to take a step back, a package of future assets wouldn’t be on the table. Based on the trade that Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs made last month, it would likely be a player like forward Tyson Foerster from the Flyers’ perspective that would get conversations going.
So that would be your framework in a theoretical trade: similarly aged player (give or take a year) who is a top-six forward or top-four defenseman. But, again, this is all likely a moot point, as the Red Wings have publicly said they aren’t looking to trade the 2021-sixth-overall pick.
Based on conversations with team sources, the sense is that forward Porter Martone is the only true untouchable on this team. He is off to a slow start with just one goal this season (then again who isn’t on the Flyers?) but the 2025-sixth-overall pick is still held in high regard and could very well be the team’s captain one day.
Wingers Foerster and Matvei Michkov are certainly not being shopped or by the team, but they are not untouchable. It would be truly surprising to hear either of their names in trade discussions.
Defenseman Travis Sanheim is the next player that is the least likely to be moved. He isn’t an elite defenseman by any means but he has proved to be a legitimate top-pair guy and could be considered as a low-end No. 1 on the backend. Especially considering his cap-friendly $6.25-million AAV, the Flyers would never be able to get full value for Sanheim via trade.
Beyond that, forward Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale are the only players that would be truly surprising to see dealt. But when a team is this bad, almost everything needs to be on the table.
Like it or not, there isn’t a move (or multiple ones) that can be made at this time of year to fix what is going on. Briere is getting a lot of calls, but they are mostly regarding teams looking to dump players on the Flyers in an effort to “help” them. Briere has no leverage on the trade front right now and would be dealing from a position of weakness.
As for what I’d do, if this season continues on this track, there need to be significant changes. Konecny should absolutely be approached about waiving his NMC. His $8.75-million AAV would be attractive for contending teams – that kind of money for a perennial 65-70 point player is a bargain these days – even with six years remaining on the deal. The roster would need more of a facelift, though, and forwards Noah Cates and Owen Tippett would be guys shopped in “hockey” trades. Acquiring ready-now centermen with top-six potential is paramount in any of these hypothetical scenarios.
As for Tocchet, it would certainly be hard to fire him less than two seasons into his five-year contract and after last season’s trip to the second round of the playoffs, but something will have to give eventually if this doesn’t turn around.
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