Who’s out there if Flyers hunt for a center – and what will it cost them?
The Philadelphia Flyers have won three of their past four games, and things are feeling a bit more positive for them. But even with significantly better vibes flowing than there were 10 days ago, there is still work to be done for GM Danny Briere’s roster to reach the next level.
It is a point that has been beaten to death recently, but the Flyers are in the market for a center to complement their impressive crop of young, talented wingers. Porter Martone, Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras (though he can play center) highlight that group, with the trio combining for nine goals and nine assists over the last four games. The top two centers have been Noah Cates and Christian Dvorak over that stretch; while both have performed admirably, it can be objectively stated that the pair isn’t good enough to lead a team with playoff aspirations down the middle.
Speaking with Flyers sources Monday, it was reiterated to Daily Faceoff that the Flyers continue to scour the market for centers via trade. This being said, a team source did point out that the team is only in the market for centers with top-six upside.
For example, the Flyers had previously had interest in Ottawa Senators center Dylan Cozens going back to the player’s time with the Buffalo Sabres. But speaking with Flyers sources last week, DFO learned that the Flyers no longer view Cozens as a fit for their top six going forward. Cozens, 25, has just one goal and four assists in 12 games this season.
Sticking with the Senators, the Flyers have liked forward Ridly Greig going back to the 2020 NHL Draft. Greig, 24, is a natural center but has played the majority of his NHL career on the wing due to Ottawa being deep down the middle; he has one goal and two assists in 10 games this season.
Speaking with a Flyers source Monday, DFO was told that while the team does still like Greig, they aren’t sure what his overall upside is. Given his lack of offense in the NHL to date and his deployment mainly being on the wing, there is trepidation as to whether he can ultimately be a top-six center. It is worth noting that it has been said several times that the Senators don’t have an appetite for trading any of their centers, according to sources.
So if not Cozens and Greig – and assuming the Seattle Kraken don’t want to move Matty Beniers, which is the case, by all indications – who could the Flyers target?
Much was made over the weekend of Flyers president of hockey operations Keith Jones taking in Friday’s game of the Chicago Blackhawks versus the Montreal Canadiens. Speaking with team sources, while Jones was in Chicago for other matters, there are two players of interest from the Flyers’ side on the Blackhawks, to varying degrees.
Frank Nazar is one name that came up while in discussion with Flyers sources Monday. The Flyers do like the 13th-overall pick from 2022 and view him with top-six upside long term; that said, the Blackhawks don’t seem in the market to trade him right now, DFO was told. Nazar, 22, is in the first season of a seven-year, $46.2-million contract.
According to a source, there is a belief that the Blackhawks could view 2025-first-round pick Anton Frondell’s skillset as more of an authentic third-line center, which could (theoretically) push Nazar up to a second-line role. Nazar has three goals and one assist through nine games this season.
The other name is center Oliver Moore, 21, who has been pushed to the wing often in Chicago with Connor Bedard, Frondell and Nazar occupying the spots down the middle. The Flyers don’t sound nearly as high on Moore and are skeptical if he can be a long-term, top-six pivot in the NHL. With the likes of 2024 draft picks Jack Berglund and Jett Luchanko in their pipeline, the Flyers have the market cornered on third-line centers internally in the long term.
If the Flyers and Blackhawks were to make a deal, it would be safe to assume that one of the Flyers’ wingers would be the central piece going back the other way. DFO has reported in the last couple of weeks that winger Travis Konecny could be approached about waiving his no-movement clause. While this could still be a possibility, team sources told DFO that there is a belief that Konecny would not be open to waiving his NMC and that his trade protection would be a hurdle.
That brings us to winger Owen Tippett, who is more likely to get traded than Konecny in a prospective deal due to the latter’s aforementioned trade protection, per team sources. Tippett, 27, has a 10-team, no-trade list and is in the second year of an eight-year contract that carries a $6.2-million AAV.
As DFO reported last week, the Flyers have gotten more calls on Tippett than Konecny over the last year because of the latter’s trade protection. One team that has expressed interest in both is the Minnesota Wild, DFO was told and according to Wild sources, the team does prefer Konecny but still views Tippett as the more “explosive” player.
According to Flyers sources, the team would be open to a deal centered around prospect center Charlie Stramel and a first-round pick in the coming years for Tippett. Stramel, 22, is coming off of a 19-goal, 44-point campaign at Michigan State University last year, where he played with the Flyers’ Martone. According to Wild sources, it was said that Martone and Stramel were very close during the season while playing together.
Stramel hasn’t blown the doors off in the AHL this season after turning pro, recording just one goal and two assists through 10 games. But if the Wild were to get serious about acquiring Tippett, Stramel would be a player of interest from the Flyers.
Tippett has missed four games this season due to injury and had just one goal and one assist in nine games before that.
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