The Flyers want a center. Are the Senators an ideal trade partner?
The Philadelphia Flyers got their offseason shopping started this week by acquiring goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit from the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the work is far from done. The Flyers want to add a center to their roster ahead of next season. Several names have been tossed around, like the Seattle Kraken’s Matty Beniers (who doesn’t seem to be available, per sources) and Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks. But when speaking with sources earlier in the week, the Ottawa Senators were brought up to Daily Faceoff as a potential target.
According to team sources, the Flyers have interest in Senators’ centers Shane Pinto, Dylan Cozens and Ridly Greig – in that order. DFO was told that the Flyers and Senators have had on and off trade talks going back to the 2024-25 season; per sources, the Senators were heavily pushing Josh Norris (eventually traded to the Buffalo Sabres) on the Flyers. The Flyers continuously told the Senators that they were interested in all of their centers with the exception of Norris due to his injury history, sources told DFO.
Both Pinto and Cozens are 25 years old and under contract until 2030, locked in at $7.5 million and $7.1 million AAVs, respectively. They are both right shooting centers (something the Flyers lack) and have established themselves as top-six pivots in the NHL to this point, hence why the Flyers value them higher than Greig. Pinto and Cozens both don’t have trade protection next season.
Greig, 23, is under contract until 2029 at a $3.25 million AAV but has played the lion’s share of his time at the NHL level at wing. According to sources, the Flyers were considering drafting Greig in 2020 before ultimately selecting winger Tyson Foerster; while they still like the player, the Flyers feel like he hasn’t produced as much as Pinto and Cozens to this point.
As for what a deal could look like, it has been well documented that Ottawa GM Steve Staios is in the market for a right-shot defenseman. Per sources, the Senators have shown on and off interest in Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who has one year left on his deal carrying a $5.1 million AAV.
The Flyers are still open to moving Ristolainen but won’t give him away; after his performance down the stretch and in the playoffs, he is one of the biggest pieces to that blueline. It would obviously not be a one for one deal with Ristolainen going to Ottawa for one of the aforementioned centers, but it could at least be a starting point in trade talks between the two sides. To this point it is still unclear if the Senators have any appetite to move off of one of their pivots, but if they do the Flyers will be circling.
Teams calling on Owen Tippett
The Flyers continue to get calls on winger Owen Tippett, whose strong season under head coach Rick Tocchet did not go unnoticed. Scoring 28 goals and north of 50 points for the second time in three seasons, the 6’2 winger’s bargain AAV of $6.2 million with six years left (limited trade protection set to kick in this July) is one of the biggest draws to the player from other teams, per team sources.
The Flyers are not shopping Tippett by any means but are not hanging up the phone. If they were to trade Tippett, it would not be for a collection of assets, DFO was told, it would be in a “hockey” trade. DFO did ask a team source about trading Tippett in a deal for the Sabres’ Bowen Byram, with the response being that even though the trade would be fair and the right type of deal, it wouldn’t be something the Flyers are interested in at the time. That at least offers a perspective on the type of return that would make sense.
Among the teams who continue to show interest in Tippett are the Boston Bruins, Minnesota Wild and Utah Mammoth, DFO was told.
Zegras extension talks held up
According to team sources, contract talks with forward Trevor Zegras are held up right now due to how busy his agent, Pat Brisson, is with his other clients. Brisson is the agent for Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson; the former’s trade request has gone public, while it is believed that the Canucks are trying to trade the latter, per sources.
There doesn’t seem to be much worry on the Flyers’ part about a deal eventually getting done, as they believe they “have a good idea’” where the number will land. The Flyers are willing to go long term with Zegras and feel like his AAV on a seven- or eight-year contract will land somewhere between $8.5 million and $9.5 million.
Zegras, 25, was acquired from the Ducks last summer for Ryan Poehling and a pair of draft picks. Zegras registered 26 goals and 67 points in 81 regular season games this season along with two goals and six points in 10 playoff contests.
_____
PRESENTED BY THE DAILY FACEOFF NEWSLETTER
_____