Which center(s) might the Flyers pursue for an offseason trade?

It is no secret the Philadelphia Flyers are a team lacking at the center position. Despite a wealth of talent on the wing between Tyson Foerster, Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov and Owen Tippett (along with 2025 sixth overall pick Porter Martone on the way), there is a glaring hole down the middle of the lineup for GM Danny Briere’s club. 

Available pivots are few and far between across the league these days, which is why the Flyers are counting heavily on the likes of prospect centers Jack Berglund, Jett Luchanko and Jack Nesbitt to pan out. But as always, there is no doubt the Flyers are keeping their eyes and ears open for available centers around the NHL for if (and when) one does eventually pop up. 

Here are three centers the Flyers could pursue this summer if the opportunity were to arise. 

Dean Letourneau/Matthew Poitras – Boston Bruins

OK, so this is kind of cheating with a “two for one” answer right off the hop. But considering the lack of fathomably available pivots, the rules can be bent in this instance. 

The Flyers do have some level of interest in both Bruins prospect centers Letourneau and Poitras; it sounds like an offer may have been made around the Trade Deadline, too. Neither of the two has established himself as an NHLer to this point – Poitras does have 69 NHL games under his belt but has spent the lion’s share of this season in the AHL – but both have promise to eventually grow into middle-six pivots.

Why it may not work: the Flyers could be best served to shoot higher rather than add more players to their pipeline with a middle-six ceiling. Letourneau or Poitras could, theoretically, add to a redundant pipeline of Berglund, Luchanko and Nesbitt, to say nothing of the crop of third-line centers the Flyers currently have scattered across their roster. 

Matty Beniers – Seattle Kraken

It is well documented the Kraken were open to moving center Shane Wright leading up to the deadline; ultimately there were no takers. But would they entertain moving top-line center Beniers instead? 

Beniers, 23, has yet to recapture the 57-point level from his rookie season that earned him the Calder Trophy and a seven-year, $50-million contract, but he is on pace to register more than 50 points this year for the first time since the 2022-23 campaign. While he isn’t an authentic No. 1 center, Beniers would certainly be the top guy on the Flyers’ roster – especially if he is playing with the crop of talented wingers the Flyers have at their disposal. 

The Kraken have Chandler Stephenson signed long term and 2025 first-round pick Jake O’Brien on the way; theoretically, moving Beniers for a talented winger would make sense for GM Jason Botterill. Berkly Catton was drafted as a center and the Kraken don’t have to move Wright, so there is some organizational depth. Though they’d probably be more comfortable dealing Beniers if they acquired another established veteran pivot first; the Kraken were known to be big-game hunting around the deadline.

The Flyers have interest in Beniers – but do they bump on his contract enough that they won’t move off one of their top wingers for him?

Robert Thomas – St. Louis Blues 

Blues GM Doug Armstrong was front and center during the trade season, ultimately dealing forward Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders and defenseman Justin Faulk to the Detroit Red Wings. But the most intriguing player on the block was the one who was not traded, Thomas. 

The price for Thomas (under contract until 2031 at an AAV of $8.125 million) was the equivalent of four first-round picks, I was told, so that in and of itself may scare off the Flyers. Theorizing a potential package that Briere could put together to appease Armstrong (and by extension GM in waiting Alex Steen), it would have to include one of Martone and Michkov, Luchanko, an additional prospect and a first-round pick. If that is the case, I don’t see the Flyers stepping up to pay the piper – especially for a player that some executives view as a second-line center. 

But if the price were to come down even a little bit, I would fully expect the Flyers to be at the front of the line in the Thomas sweepstakes. After all, he is exactly what they need, in his mid-20s and on an excellent contract. But for all those same reasons, it’s reasonable to expect the price not to drop and/or the Blues to elect hang onto to Thomas.

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Recently by Anthony Di Marco

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• Flyers’ Ristolainen still in play for trade – but he won’t come cheap
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