The Philadelphia Flyers are in an interesting situation with the NHL trade deadline less than five weeks away. In what was supposed to be the first year of a long rebuild, the Orange and Black find themselves in a playoff spot at the All-Star break.
Danny Briere, Keith Jones, and John Tortorella have made it clear that this is a rebuild. The Flyers are focusing on setting themselves up for consistent success in the long term rather than trying to get into the playoffs and see what happens. There’s a fine line there, but the Flyers aren’t too worried about walking it.
Tortorella met with the media after the Flyers returned to practice on Sunday in Florida in preparation for Tuesday night’s game against the Panthers. While the team is focused on winning games, Tortorella knows that big-picture success is the real goal.
“We’re kind of in a situation that a lot of people didn’t think we would be in. We’re starting our last 32 games here, last third of the season, and we’re looking to try to do the things we want to do to get where we want to be, but also we’re not backing off at all as far as what we’re trying to do with the organization in the big picture too as far as rebuilding,” he said. “I think some people have watched us play, have watched a number of our players play, and I think there’ll be some questions to Danny. I think there’ll be some conversations with Danny as far as what about this guy, that guy?”
Sean Walker tops the list of potential pieces that the Flyers would move. Not much was thought about him when the Flyers acquired him from the Kings in the Ivan Provorov deal, but the right-handed defenseman has been a key cog on the blue line. However, the 29-year-old blueliner doesn’t exactly fit the rebuild timeline, so if the Flyers can get a first-round pick for him, they have to pull the trigger.
While pending free agents Nick Seeler and Marc Staal could also fetch mid-to-late-round picks, there are a few other Flyers that teams could come calling on.
“Those are questions we have to take, we have to listen to. I don’t want to speak out of turn with Danny, but if it’s a situation where it’s a really good asset that comes back, it’s going to happen,” Tortorella continued. “We cannot lose sight of what we’re doing here.”
Morgan Frost and Scott Laughton have both popped up recently in trade rumors. Frost has yet to shed the up-and-down label — in fact, he’s living up to it with a hot stretch after being a healthy scratch. There is a case to be made both for and against trading Frost. Laughton has been mentioned seemingly every trade deadline and offseason as a potential chip as well with the Flyers reportedly turning down a first-round pick for him at last year’s draft.
As hard as it may be to trade away a locker-room leader and fan-favorite like Laughton, or a guy like Frost who has yet to show his true colors — unless this is what he is? –, the Flyers won’t hesitate to make the right move for the future of the franchise.
“Those are things that the organization will listen to I’m sure, have discussions, and if it’s the proper asset that’s coming back and we’re going to lose one of the players that are a big part of this building this right now and where we are this season, there will be no hesitation.”
And that’s the way it should be. For years the Flyers were fine with being on the playoff bubble or just making it into the postseason and hoping for a run to the Stanley Cup (see: 2010). While having a “chance” at the Cup every year is exciting, it’s far more exciting to be a team that is viewed as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender for several years.
