It feels like it’s goalie week here at Broad Street Hockey.
We’ve taken a look at the possibility of a Dan Vladar extension, why the Flyers should move on from Sam Ersson, and a few options in free agency that Danny Briere should target to pair with his starting netminder.
But the trade market is always interesting as well, and it’s somewhere that Briere has found hidden gems throughout his tenure as Flyers general manager. Could he do the same this offseason by trading for a goalie?
Let’s take a look at three teams with goaltender logjams that could be good trading partners for Briere and the Flyers.
Danny Briere could trade for Buffalo Sabres goalie
The Buffalo Sabres used three goalies this season and two in the playoffs.
Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen each started 34 games for Buffalo, with Colten Ellis starting the other 14. All three netminders had a save percentage over .900, and the Sabres also have Devon Levi developing in the minors.
The Sabres committed to Luukkonen last offseason with a five-year contract carrying a cap hit of $4.75 milion. The Finnish netminder started over 50 games in the previous two seasons before sharing the crease with Lyon this past year. He was 26 when he signed the extension and turned 27 in March, so his best years still may be in front of them.
If Buffalo wants to add some pieces to their Atlantic Division-winning roster, or clear up some cap space to re-sign Alex Tuch, it could look to move off of Luukkonen’s contract.
Lyon is an interesting name to look at as well. He’s found success as a backup or tandem goalie since getting a chance in Florida before moving on to Detroit and now Buffalo. The 33-year-old has one year left on his contract at a $1.5M cap hit.
Those are the two goalies that the Flyers would likely have their eye on to pair with Dan Vladar in the crease. Ellis played well in his 16 games, and Levi may benefit from a change of scenery, but neither goalie can be relied on to be better than Sam Ersson as a backup.
However, if the Flyers are looking for a goalie with some untapped potential, buying low on Levi could be in the cards.
Could Flyers take a chance on Red Wings netminder?
The Red Wings are in win-now mode, as shown by their trade for John Gibson last offseason. He’s. under contract for one more year after posting a .901 SV% in 57 starts this season.
Cam Talbot was his backup, but the 38-year-old goalie is now a free agent.
Where the Red Wings do have a few interesting goalies is in their prospect pipeline.
Sebastian Cossa has fallen out of favor in Grand Rapids. The 15th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft had a strong regular season, going 26-8-4 with a .915 SV% in 39 games with the Griffins, but Michael Postava has taken over in the playoffs.
Detroit also has Trey Augustine, a second-round pick in 2023, under contract after his three years at Michigan State.
Cossa would likely be the guy that the Red Wings are most willing to move. It’s always worth exploring taking a swing on a first-round talent, but if the Flyers want a backup for Vladar, it could be touch-and-go to start.
Nevertheless, Briere should check in on Cossa to see what the Red Wings would want for him after another disappointing season in Detroit.
Flyers could go Wild in goalie market
The Minnesota Wild might be the most interesting team of the three. They have a very solid goaltending duo in veteran Filip Gustavsson and rookie Jesper Wallstedt. They’re also firmly in win-now mode after extending Kirill Kaprizov, trading for Quinn Hughes, and taking down the Dallas Stars in the first round.
Briere and Wild GM Bill Guerin already connected on a trade at the deadline, and there have been rumors of the two teams talking shop for years.
Gustavsson went 28-15-6 with a .903 SV% and 2.69 GAA this season. It was his final season before his five-year, $34M extension kicks in to keep him under contract through 2031.
Wallstedt emerged this season, though, posting a .915 SV% and 2.61 GAA in 33 starts.
The Wild now have the option to move forward with one of the best goalie tandems in the league, or choose to lean on one or the other while moving the other for help elsewhere on the roster.
Gustavsson’s contract would make him a bit of a risk, especially with him undergoing hip surgery this summer. He also has full trade protection through 2028.
So, the target might have to be Wallstedt, whom the Wild reportedly were willing to move at the trade deadline.
Wallstedt is another first-round pick (20th overall in 2021), and he played a bit in the SHL before coming over to North America. After struggling for a few years, he broke out this past season in Minnesota.
The price would probably be a bit high for Wallstedt, but the Wild could be interested in a guy like Ersson to come in and be the backup to Gustavsson. In fact, a change of scenery to a solid defensive team could work wonders for the Flyers’ restricted free agent.
Of course, Ersson wouldn’t be the main piece or likely even the secondary piece of a package for Wallstedt. However, the Flyers do have some cap space to provide relief to a team like the Wild, who are trying to compete while Hughes is still on his current deal.
Wallstedt would give the Flyers another young goalie with upside, along with Carson Bjarnason and Yegor Zavragin. He’d be able to be in a true tandem role with Vladar for the next few years.
