While the Rasmus Ristolainen trade rumors were flying, another Flyer was quietly linked to a potential deadline move.
Bobby Brink’s name has come up in passing as someone that the Flyers could dangle as means to improve other positions of need, but until recently, there were no specific discussions taking place that would lead anyone to think that Brink will be gone before the deadline.
But with the deadline a day away, Elliotte Friedman tossed out a theory that Brink could be a potential deadline addition for the Tampa Bay Lightning, as they push for another deep playoff run.
The Lightning currently sit atop the Atlantic division, only two points clear of the upstart Buffalo Sabres, but with three games in hand. They’ve suffered some injuries on their forward corps as of recent, as impressive rookie Dominic James will be out for at least two months, Gage Goncalves is out day-to-day, and the gritty Nick Paul was placed on long-term injury reserve on February 26th.
Those three absences, while not technically as crucial as the injuries Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli suffered earlier in the season, have gutted a lot of the quality forward depth that the Lightning have. Brink would fit perfectly in a bottom-six role, with his 13 goals and 26 points offering another element of offence that can move up and down the lineup as head coach Jon Cooper sees fit.
Flyers take first step to fix winger logjam in potential Bobby Brink trade
But for the Flyers, the appeal of a Brink trade may not be immediately obvious. A team that struggles to score, trading the player tied for the fifth most goals on their roster doesn’t seem smart, but when you look at who is above him in the pecking order, it starts to make sense.
Brink plays primarily on the right wing, and while he has had a relatively productive year, he is still the fourth highest scoring right winger on the roster, trailing Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, and Matvei Michkov. And that doesn’t include the injured Tyson Foerster, who despite only playing 21 games before suffering a season-ending injury, still sits just three goals behind Brink’s current total. When you add in the emergence of someone like Denver Barkey, Trevor Zegras likely remaining on the wing for the foreseeable future, and the impending arrival of Porter Martone, a path to playing time for Brink starts to seem murky.
He’s too good to keep hidden on the fourth line, and with this team not likely to have a chance at making a deep run this season, it seems like a good time to try and get something that can help fill a different need in the roster.
Whether it be the defensive equivalent of Brink, draft compensation, or someone like Conor Geekie who has struggled to break through in Tampa, there are some interesting possibilities. It may be worth the Flyers shipping off a player that is, sooner rather than later, probably going to be deemed surplus to requirements as the Flyers start to see their next generation of prospects start to filter in.
This isn’t a deal that has to be made with the same urgency as some of the other moves that have been discussed leading up to this deadline, but these rumors are proof that the Flyers are fully aware of their upcoming logjam on the wing, and may be looking to offload. Bobby Brink is far from a bad hockey player, and keeping him past the deadline wouldn’t be a disappointment by any means, but for a team whose one strength is middle-six forward depth, this may be an admission that it’s time to thin the herd.
