Flyers mailbag: Will the Orange and Black make moves as the trade deadline approaches?
In the third year of the rebuilding era, there’s no denying the Flyers need to improve, but ahead of the trade deadline, they need to not make deals that will impact a bright future, negatively.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba ― The NHL trade deadline is rapidly approaching.
At 3 p.m. Friday, rosters will lock in for Stanley Cup pushes or season-ending drives. Some teams have already made moves, like the Flyers trading Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost or the Carolina Hurricanes acquiring Mikko Rantanen, although that sounds like it’s coming to a head, too.
Will the Flyers be movers or shakers? Buying or selling? Everyone wants to know. Here’s what is on the mind of the Flyers faithful as The Inquirer opens up the mailbag for the second time this season:
Q: What’s the Flyers’ strategy for the trade deadline? Better yet, what should it be? — Ed Helinski (@MrEd315) on X
Jackie Spiegel: The Flyers’ strategy is and should be to get better. Now in Year 3 of the rebuild, the Flyers’ brass is trying to determine who will and will not be on the bus as the team drives toward competitiveness. There could be some hard decisions on the horizon in the next few days, but there‘s no denying they need to improve, especially down the middle. One thing they should not do, and Flyers general manager Danny Brière is in this mindset, is make deals that impact a bright future, negatively. The Flyers will be sellers, no doubt, but the returns should only make them better down the road.
Q: Is this the “calm before the storm” before the March 7 TDL? — FlyersEricRothstein (@EricDRothstein) on X
Spiegel: I’m not entirely sure what this question is asking exactly, but after speaking with Brière on Thursday in Pittsburgh for an in-depth Q&A, there isn’t much chatter right now around the NHL. However, he does think that will rapidly change as time ticks down to Friday’s deadline. The Flyers do have a few assets they could move to upgrade, like Scott Laughton and Rasmus Ristolainen — and a possible few surprises — but they are sticking with their asks. Will teams accept? That’s the big question. But I think we all know from previous trade deadlines, that just when we think it will be quiet, all of a sudden it’s like the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and players are being traded at will.
Q: How long do you see Torts staying with this organization? — mdiz1388 on Instagram
Spiegel: The question with coach John Tortorella isn’t how long he’s staying but in what capacity. There have been long-standing rumors that he will move to the front office when his coaching tenure is done. But when asked in January about such a shift, the grizzled bench boss told The Inquirer, “I’m a coach.” Tortorella confirmed Wednesday that he does have one year left on his deal and reiterated that he’s leaving when the Flyers’ brass tell him to leave. How long does he stay at the helm? I think that is more based on who is available to hire when the season is over.
Q: Are there any other players other teams might be looking to get from this team? I would still call this season another “wash” like last year but you see certain players improving a bit. A sniper would help but I can hope, right? — Rich (richdeegee) from The Inquirer’s comment section
Spiegel: I think the Flyers certainly have other players that teams would want. Erik Johnson is an intriguing addition as a depth seventh defenseman for a playoff-bound team. Andrei Kuzmenko’s name has been rumored as someone who could get flipped after he was just acquired — although I do think he could be the sniper you mention. And I agree, players are improving, especially Bobby Brink, who has finally found himself in a good spot on a line with Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster, and with Tortorella. As for who could be traded, we recently broke down the Flyers in tiers, from likely to untouchable, with the only guys locked into not getting dealt being Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, Matvei Michkov — obviously — and Sam Ersson.