The State of the Flyers: Buy, Sell or Status Quo?
With the NHL trade deadline just a few days away, are the Philadelphia Flyers buyers, sellers or should they just stay the course as is?
The Flyers and their fans want playoff success sooner rather than later, but are they at that point yet?
Are they a legitimate Stanley Cup contender?
Let’s break down each of the Flyers trade deadline possibilities.
Sellers
To be honest, there is absolutely no way I can see the Flyers selling off any assets at this time unless a team comes in and blows their socks off with a trade offer they just can’t refuse. Flyers are currently in a dog fight for a playoff spot with the Islanders, Blue Jackets, Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, and Panthers. They currently sit in 3rd place in the incredibly competitive Metropolitan division and have the 7th best record in the NHL’s overall standings.
The Flyers selling off any assets at this time would send the city into a frenzy, possibly even ending with an angry mob lined up outside the Wells Fargo Center with torches and pitchforks. Sellers? Not happening.
Buyers
Here’s where it gets tricky. While Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher should ALWAYS be looking to improve his team, the incredibly high prices that are currently being paid on older players who have little or no term left on their current deals is ridiculously high. Highly touted prospects like Nolan Foot, Calen Addison, and Tyler Madden have all been traded away in the last few days. And in what experts are calling an incredibly deep draft class, GM’s are giving away 1st round picks like it was candy. As a result, the rival Devils now have 3 first-round picks this year.
So, are the Flyers a “Tyler Toffoli” or a “Blake Coleman” type player away from winning a Stanley Cup?
Those players would help, sure, but they are not the difference makers on this team. Who knows, if Oskar Lindblom had not been diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, and Nolan Patrick had been healthy all year, then maybe we’d be in a “mortgage everything for a shot at the cup” mode. But not now: Why pay a huge price for a rental, just to make the playoffs. Rentals are to make a run at a cup, not for a shot at barely making the playoffs.
Status Quo
This seems like the most likely and best possible route for the Flyers to take at this point in time. I know it’s not the most popular opinion but consider this: there’s a strong chance that Nolan Patrick may be the best addition to any line up in the league from now till the end of the season. He’s been skating with the team, and if he can get back to 100% healthy before the playoffs start, that would be absolutely huge for the Flyers. He’s better than any third-line center currently on-trade market and they wouldn’t have to give up any assets and he would be an immediate upgrade by a wide margin.
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Bottom Line
Other than making a pure Hockey deal, like trading Shayne Gostisbehere for a top 6 forward with the term (a Max Domi for example), I just don’t see the Flyers doing anything of significance at the deadline. Rumors of a Jeff Carter deal should be taken with a grain of salt. He’s not the same player he was when he left Philly. They may very well trade a late-round pick for a bottom 6 forward, but that’s about it. And we should be happy about that. No point in mortgaging the future this year.
The Flyers are having a great time and making it interesting, but take a step back and you will see, we’re still a year away from making a deep run, so stay the course Chucky, stay the course.
Featured Image: NHL.com
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