We did not expect this to be a possibility. All season long, as the Philadelphia Flyers kept on winning games and the general consensus shifted to the fact that they are going to be rebuilding despite being in playoff position, we thought that by the trade deadline on March 8, they would still sell. Any player remaining on this team with an expiring deal and heading to unrestricted free agency this summer, would find themselves sold off for future assets at some point.
And the Flyers might still do that. But, they might also bring in some players at the same time.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Monday’s episode of “32 Thoughts” the Flyers could add some players of need for this playoff push, while also selling off their current players.
“Philly might be doing a little bit of adding,” Friedman said. “And this to me is the real tell. I’m not talking big adds — unless it’s going to be a player that is going to be there for a long time.”
There is the massive caveat, that Friedman added later in his report, that it would have to be a cheap player. Someone they could get for nothing but a mid-to-late-round draft pick or something of that ilk. Nothing that would deter them from their plan to rebuild, but would reward the current roster for the work they have done to achieve more than anyone could have imagined this season.
Also, specifically, if the Flyers do acquire anyone this week, it would be adding to their forward group or filling in the backup goaltender role.
So, just who are these forwards that could be had for relatively cheap and that would still make an impact for the Flyers? We have thought of some names.
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