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5 under-the-radar centers for Flyers to target in trade

The Philadelphia Flyers need to address the center position, but what if it’s someone we don’t expect? Let’s look at some names who could be traded

© Rob Gray-Imagn Images

There has been increased focus from the Philadelphia Flyers to address the center position. Of course, with a current lineup of an aging Sean Couturier, a fickle Morgan Frost, a player who is playing some exceptional hockey but might not be more than a third-line guy in Noah Cates, and then fourth-line Ryan Poehling; there is much left to be desired.

Especially when it comes to the future of this team. Jett Luchanko is waiting in the wings for his chance to really breakout (potentially next season) but beyond that, there aren’t really any future surefire NHLers in the prospect pool when it comes to the open spot at center ice. This all means that unless the Flyers are really going to play the long game and wait until Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim are in their 30s and Matvei Michkov is just beginning the prime of his career, for the to-be-drafted centers to make it, the Flyers are going to acquire someone to play down the middle. And we know that they will fit the timeline (so they will be under 25 years old).

Now, when it comes to this little filter of players who could be traded and are good enough to be a top-six center on this team, we have heard it all. Trevor Zegras, Marco Rossi, Dylan Cozens — you name it and it’s the typical bunch of players you think of. The Flyers could certainly get one of those guys if they pay the right price, of course, but they might be looking elsewhere.

Flyers president Keith Jones has already once said that the move they are going to make will most likely not be expected. They’re not being linked to these players outright because they aren’t really telling anyone about their plans. Smart. So, should we be looking at other options that might cost less in a trade and could potentially have the Flyers reaping the rewards of solid scouting?

With that in mind, let’s look at five names who we think the Flyers could certainly be targeting if they want to go down the unbeaten path and acquire a name no one has really been talking about.

Noah Ostlund, Buffalo Sabres

Ostlund is a really interesting player. The 5-foot-11 Swede was taken 16th overall by the Sabres back in 2022 and was on the right path to make an impact. At 19 years old just last season, in his first full year playing in the SHL, Ostlund scored 12 goals and 23 points in 38 games for the Vaxjo Lakers. Only Canucks top prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki (and Ostlund’s former linemate) had more points among Under-20 skaters in the top Swedish league.

The only thing is, since arriving in North America, Ostlund has hit a rough patch. With the AHL’s Rochester Americans this season, he has earned just two points in 14 appearances. It’s a small sample size but he is not doing all that well in his rookie pro season over here and we think the Sabres might just eventually grow impatient and try to dangle him as a trade piece.

Buffalo has some good centers already. Even if they move on from Cozens, an NHL lineup with Tage Thompson, Jiri Kulich, and Ryan McLeod in the top nine is nothing to scoff at. Throw in some disregarded Peyton Krebs in there and they doing just fine to compliment their bevy of young talent on the wings. With another disappointing year, Sabres management (and ownership) might want to just do another win-now move and trade away a prospect like Ostlund for a more stable NHLer.

The Flyers would be getting a player that clearly has potential as all-around offensive threat down the middle and take advantage of a team wanting to make a move to win over a whole lot of people.

Barrett Hayton, Utah Hockey Club

While Ostlund would be betting on futures and your amateur scouting department, Barrett Hayton is more of a sure thing. The former fifth-overall pick has not lived up to pedigree and has stabilized as being a solid option in an NHL middle six. He plays both ends of the ice well, has outstanding underlying numbers (especially compared to his teammates) and has scored roughly a point every other game while being Utah’s third-line center.

By our estimation, if you put Hayton in the right situation and handed him the opportunity of being a first-line center, he would take it and run with it. He is better than being a depth center who, by HockeyViz’s model of presence and importance, is Utah’s fifth option at forward. He just feels like someone ready to be a very good two-way center on a great team. Even if it isn’t the flashiest of options, he would certainly be better than anyone currently available for Philadelphia right now.

We know Utah is looking to make some moves to establish themselves in Salt Lake City. They have made the moves to acquire John Marino and Mikhail Sergachev last summer, but maybe they need to shake things up and maaaaybe, they would rather have a certain American left winger in a hockey trade.

Jack McBain, Utah Hockey Club

If Hayton isn’t available and Utah have major plans for the 24-year-old former Sault Ste. Marie Greyhound, then maybe the Flyers should look just slightly further down that roster page.

Jack McBain has everything the Flyers kind of want. He’s 6-foot-4, has averaged the fastest skating speed among all Utah forwards, is just 25 years old, and kills penalties. McBain has even scored 10 goals and 15 points in 42 games this season without even a second of power play time.

McBain is even less sexy of an option than Hayton, if that’s possible. He doesn’t move the needle as much as someone destined to be a team’s first-line center and Michkov’s linemate for the next decade, but he certainly raises the floor by a substantial amount and it would make the Flyers moving on from a certain center much more palatable.

Oliver Moore, Chicago Blackhawks

This is more of a dream than anything. In a similar vein of Ostlund on the Sabres, Oliver Moore might not have a spot carved out for him in the Blackhawks lineup. Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar should be the top two options above him, and then you have someone like Sacha Boisvert who should project to be a very dependable two-way guy for years.

And if Moore isn’t destined to be a winger, then he might be a great candidate to get traded for a decent little haul by Chicago. He is, after all, an incredibly pacy center that has been able to produce in college hockey. He isn’t putting up the eye-popping numbers that we have grown accustomed to from the top prospects but five goals and 18 points in 22 games is not bad at all for a 19-year-old center.

We might be living in dreamland for this one, but considering John Tortorella loves his high-speed centers and the team needs skill, the front office might be pestering Chicago very hard to see what they could possibly want for his rights.

Mavrik Bourque, Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars want more. They see that the Western Conference is going to be a tough battle and need to make sure they aren’t just another second-round exit for the foreseeable future. The Stars desperately need to address their blue line and could use an experienced forward or two. Now, would they go ahead and trade a very good young center for some veterans with term to put them over the hump? Well, maybe if that center is 5-foot-10, already 23 years old and has scored just 11 points in 38 games of his rookie season.

Bourque was once as hyped as teammate Logan Stankoven as being this sure-thing wave of young talent that would keep the Stars afloat for the next decade. But now that some time has passed, Stankoven has slightly pulled away as the younger forward that is producing more in the NHL. And Bourque has basically dominated the AHL but has not really taken the next step.

The 23-year-old from Plessiville, Quebec has been playing as the Stars’ third-line center for most of the season. It’s obviously an important role for a team that wants to win a Stanley Cup, but with not a whole lot of production coming from him, should Dallas be looking elsewhere for a more experienced option down the middle? Definitely could be. And would Bourque excel with maybe better linemates and an opportunity in the Flyers’ top six? It is definitely worth a shot.

All of these centers are just as much of a gamble as paying a lot more in trade assets to get a Trevor Zegras, or someone like that. But the ceiling might just not be as high, and that might be just fine for the Flyers right now.


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