We are just a few short weeks away from the NHL Draft where the Philadelphia Flyers hold the 23rd overall pick. Now at this point you’ve probably been doing some research to see who might be available when the Flyers are on the clock. There will definitely be some talent there at 23 but, I’m here to say I hope the Flyers aren’t picking when the pick rolls around…
Here’s the thing, for the first time in a very very long time the Flyers have a stacked farm system. The forward group is already starting to play in the NHL level and they still have more forwards up and coming. Sure, the defense could maybe use a little replenishing but this isn’t the draft to do that. I said in my preview for the draft that I don’t think this years class is going to be all that great.
My point here is that if I’m Chuck Fletcher, my phones are open for business for the 23rd pick. The Flyers are in win now mode and this past season they proved that they can be a legit contender. They have their goalie, they have a good young core with some decent veterans, and their defense is better than most. The Flyers are a few moves away from becoming a team with a realistic chance at becoming a dynasty…
Yes, I threw the word dynasty in here and that may be waaaaayyyy too bold of a statement considering this team hasn’t won a cup since 1975. Buuuutt, they are young and have a boatload of talent including the most important piece, a 22 year old stud goalie.
The Flyers are missing one key part to their team and it’s a pure goal scorer. So, with limited cap space they won’t be able to sign someone unless they make some moves via trade. I’ve got some ideas that I don’t think are all that crazy but I’ll let you the people decide that. Lets take a look at what some potential trades could look like involving the 23rd overall pick and some other pieces.
Trade 1:
Flyers trade 23rd overall pick, 2021 3rd round pick, JVR, and a prospect to Arizona for Taylor Hall.
Taylor Hall is going to be the top targeted free agent come October 9th and he’s going to cost a pretty penny to get as well. The Flyers simply can not afford him, unless they give some guys with big cap hits up. I fully expect Shayne Gostisbehere to be traded at the draft or even before it. Once Ghost is traded that frees up some cap space. Here’s where JVR comes into play, JVR is a guy that has a big cap hit and not enough production to warrant it. The Flyers will need to get rid of his cap to make room for Hall and Arizona is a team that is always taking on high cap contracts because they need to meet the salary cap limit. At this point they haven’t signed Taylor Hall and I think its a long shot that he re-signs with them. Arizona is a mess in their front office and let’s be honest they aren’t coming anywhere near a Stanley Cup anytime soon.
Hall wants to play for a contender and I can’t think of a better place for him to end up than here in Philly. Obviously they Flyers don’t even think about this unless it’s Guaranteed that Hall signs. But hey, last year Fletcher traded for Kevin Hayes before free agency and got him signed before he hit the open market. While this is a clear long shot and realistically I think this has zero chance of happening, never say never…
Trade 2:
Flyers trade 23rd overall pick, Shayne Ghostisbehere, 2020 4th round pick to Winnipeg Jets for Patrik Laine.
Believe it or not for some odd reason, the Winnipeg Jets are entertaining the idea of trading away their 22 year old left winger. Laine has one year left on his contract and has a cap hit of 7.5m next year. The Flyers going into free agency will have roughly 8 million in cap space. Trading away Ghost will free up more space and they would have enough room to take on Laine and re-sign the guys they want to re-sign. Winnipeg needs defense so Ghost makes the most sense and they could even throw in another prospect if it’s not enough. Laine would be a great addition to the Flyers and could be the goal scorer they have lacked for years. Again, the odds of this happening are not very high but I would say this has more of a chance than the Taylor Hall trade.
Whether the Flyers keep their pick or end up trading it I am really interested to see how this offseason plays out. This is a big offseason for the Flyers as they have a window to contend for the Cup now and its on the front office to get the right pieces in place to put this team over the top.
-Walsh
Featured Image-BroadStreetHockey
Draft Image-OHL
Flyer Image-CBS Philly
Taylor Hall Image-TSN
Patrik Laine Image-NBC Sports