Trade-deadline primer: Philadelphia Flyers

Having already engaged with Seeler’s camp about a potential contract extension, it certainly appears that Walker will end up being the odd man out for the Flyers. Acquired this past offseason in the deal that sent Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Walker has handled over 19 minutes a night on average over 57 games, scoring three goals and 20 points in the process. Given that they could retain 50% of Walker’s salary in any deal, Philadelphia could look to add even more draft capital for the next two seasons.

The market for Laughton will be a little bit more difficult to ascertain, as he is still signed for two years and $6M beyond this season. Any team acquiring Laughton will certainly be looking to get more physical ahead of the playoffs with that being the part of his game. Producing a relatively average faceoff rate and defensive metrics, Laughton is good to score between 30 and 40 points a year, depending on how he would be utilized by the acquiring team.

Team Needs

1) Acquire More Lottery Tickets – Unlike many teams across the league, the Flyers have the opportunity to take their roster in a lot of different directions. Already having a cemented core of Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, Joel Farabee, and Travis Sanheim, the team has the opportunity to add supplementary players in a lot of different ways. Already making a major move along these lines with the acquisition of Jamie Drysdale earlier in the season; a deal such as this should be the strategy for Philadelphia move forward as their deadline approach. While desiring to hold on to their draft capital, the Flyers could look to grab Philip Broberg from the Edmonton Oilers or Arthur Kaliyev from the Los Angeles Kings in return for Walker or Laughton by March 8.

2) Map-Out Goaltending – Since Carter Hart was granted an indefinite leave of absence on Jan. 23 due to his inclusion in the 2018 Team Canada sexual assault investigation, the Flyers goaltending has taken a different trajectory altogether. In the first 47 games of the year, Philadelphia managed a 2.83 GAA and a .901 save percentage as a team, helping them stockpile points and make their rise in the standings. Since Hart’s leave, the team has struggled considerably, producing a 3.30 GAA and a .866 save percentage. Felix Sandstrom has not inspired much hope this season in Lehigh Valley as he’s only managed a .882 save percentage through 20 games, and Ivan Fedotov’s age will likely cut him out as the future of the franchise in net. While many contending teams are looking to improve their situations in the crease, Philadelphia may have to wait until the summer to figure out their plan in goal. Nevertheless, with Hart’s status up in the air moving forward, their long-term vision in net should certainly be on their radar.