The NHL trade deadline is now just a few days away as the rumors pick up around the league.
Philadelphia Flyers general manager Danny Briere has already made one major trade this season with the Calgary Flames but will he make another move (or two?) before Friday’s deadline?
If he does, it appears that there are a few Flyers players who are more likely to be traded than others.
1. Scott Laughton
Scott Laughton is the clear-cut number-one trade piece out there for the Flyers. His name has been thrown around every trade deadline and this year is no different.
However, this deadline could end with Laughton wearing a different NHL sweater for the first time in his career.
Laughton is one of the few centers on the trade market. Brock Nelson wants to stay with the Islanders. The Blues want to keep Brayden Schenn. Then there are a few potential rentals like Ryan Donato, Trent Frederic, and Nick Bjugstad, but none of them have been spoken about as highly as the Flyers centerman.
Scott Laughton remains ‘best fit’ for Leafs as list of reported suitors grows
The Maple Leafs appear to be the team most likely to trade for Laughton but there are at least half a dozen other teams interested including the Jets, Devils, and Senators. It’s not surprising given how highly the Flyers value one of their locker-room leaders who is putting together a solid season.
2. Andrei Kuzmenko
You may have expected a taller bearded player to be second on this list but Andrei Kuzmenko is a pending free agent who could fetch at least a mid-round pick.
Kuzmenko had to waive his no-trade clause to come to Philadelphia, and it’s quite possible that he wants to stay here alongside fellow countryman Matvei Michkov, but if a contender comes calling he may want to chase a Cup.
We saw Gustav Nyquist get traded for a second-round pick over the weekend and the Avalanche also gave up a second and fourth for some depth pieces from the Rangers. Teams are willing to trade higher mid-round picks for wingers and Kuzmenko is an offensive-minded forward that could help a team’s depth scoring.
I don’t necessarily expect the Flyers to flip Kuzmenko as he does appear to be fitting in nicely, but this ranking has more to do with how John Tortorella & Co. have been talking about…
3. Rasmus Ristolainen
Philadelphia collectively groaned when Chuck Fletcher traded a first-round pick for Rasmus Ristolainen in 2021, but Brad Shaw has helped turn around the big defenseman’s game. His contract is no longer a burden and may even become an asset with the salary cap rising in the coming years.
Flyers reportedly not getting offered what they want in Ristolainen trade talks
Ristolainen isn’t easily replaced on the blue line and that’s also why teams should covet him. Seth Jones and his large contract were sent to Florida for a first-round pick and a prospect formerly selected in the first round, so that sets the bar a bit for a Ristolainen trade.
There have been very few teams linked to Ristolainen with more guesswork taking place to list Winnipeg, Dallas, and Vancouver — among others — as potential destinations for the big man.
While Ristolainen should be moved before the start of next season, this feels more like an offseason trade than an in-season one.
4. Erik Johnson
One of the Flyers’ few moves at last year’s trade deadline was acquiring veteran defenseman Erik Johnson for a fourth-round pick. He’s since hit the 1,000-game mark with the Flyers and has been a steady veteran presence for a young blue line.
The Flyers likely wouldn’t be able to get much for Johnson; maybe just a fourth or fifth-round pick back. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t move him, though, as those picks can be used to trade up or make higher-upside selections later in the draft.
Moving Johnson would also open up a spot on the blue line for someone like Emil Andrae or a spot in the press box if the Flyers take on a contract from another deal. He recently acknowledged conversations he had with Briere about his future and a trade is certainly not out of the realm of possibility.
5. Wild Card
OK, fine. You got me. There aren’t actually five players on this list. But that’s only because there are more than five.
The Flyers have very few untouchable players on their roster. In fact, no one outside of Matvei Michkov should truly be untouchable, although there’s clearly a solid core that the front office wants to keep intact.
But if something opens up where Briere can take a big swing at the deadline instead of waiting for the offseason, why not do it?
On the other side of the coin, perhaps a team would want a Nicolas Deslauriers or Garnet Hathaway (if healthy) to provide some jam on the fourth line.
It hasn’t been easy to predict what Briere & Co. are going to do. The Cutter Gauthier trade came out of nowhere and there wasn’t much leadup to the Flames trade earlier this season.
Anything can happen when it comes to the NHL trade deadline — including doing nothing, which might be fine this time around for the Flyers.
