Flyers' Trade Deadline Direction Hinges On Next Few Games

WASHINGTON DC – With the NHL trade deadline just 12 days away, the Philadelphia Flyers direction is still to be decided.

As the Flyers return from their Olympic break tonight in Washington, their direction at the deadline could hinge on the next few games. A stretch that will see them play three games in four nights to start.

The Flyers hope their pre-Olympic break form returns quickly as the games start to become increasingly tougher. Before the break, they were 1-0-2 in their final three games after losing 10 of their previous 12 games.

One thing is for certain, however. The team isn’t expected to buy at the deadline, according to multiple sources.

But, as one source put it, if there is a trade to add too good to pass up, the Flyers will not miss the opportunity to take it.

The real direction at the deadline hinges on who the Flyers are willing to sell.

Names like Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett, two of the Flyers top wingers, have seen their names appear quite often in trade rumors. Neither of them is expected to be on the move.

However, the same can’t be said for players like Bobby Brink and Rasmus Ristolainen.

In Brink’s case, it’s a numbers game the Flyers must figure out quickly. It’s a situation that may leave the former second-round pick seeing himself in a new uniform after the trade deadline.

With Porter Martone expected to turn pro after his season at Michigan State comes to an end, he will add another wing to an already crowded position. Not to mention, the return of Tyson Foerster next season from his season ending shoulder injury.

With Martone, Foerster, Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, and Matvei Michkov, that is already five of six spots in Top9.

Trevor Zegras, who played wing for the first half of the season, is another potential wing if not at center. The emergence of Denver Barkey also adds another player to the mix.

Therefore, when you look at the numbers, there is no fit for Brink in the lineup. Especially since he is too good to play on the fourth line.

His low cap hit, just $1.5M, and RFA status should net the Flyers a very good return. Potentially a high pick and / or a decent prospect.

As for Ristolainen, his name has become the norm for the Flyers over the past few seasons.

While his status at the deadline has affected this, he has been injured for two of the last three deadlines, he is healthy and coming off an impressive Olympics with Team Finland. Something that has seen his trade value increase.

According to multiple sources, the Flyers have received calls from multiple teams since the Olympics regarding Ristolainen.

The interest in the Finnish defenseman seems more genuine this year. Especially since the Flyers have an ample replacement, Oliver Bonk, in the AHL.

One of the major reasons why the Flyers have been reluctant to trade Ristolainen has been because they don’t have a replacement for him. John Tortorella made that very clear two years ago.

This year, however, with Bonk an able body to replace him, the Flyers seem to want to capitalize on his value. Which may never get any higher with one year remaining at a very reasonable $5M cap hit.

In any case, as the deadline quickly approaches, don’t be surprised to hear more noise around these two. Especially if the Flyers struggle in these next three games.