The Philadelphia Flyers are open for business and GM Chuck Fletcher has his dealing shoes on. Fletcher said as much on Monday morning to the Philly media. Fletcher and his pro scouts have met to discuss the short term and long term futures and to strategize the future course of the Flyers.
"To be better next year, we may have to try to get better this year. That's what we're trying to do, whether it's the coaches on the ice, or adding players, or whatever we have to do."
Fletcher is in selling mode. However, he could buy a piece or two now if the right offers come across his phone. All the while looking to next season and beyond.
“I could see us buying and selling, I guess to use those terms,” Fletcher said Monday. “but the bigger focus is, we’d like to get some pieces in here that will be a part of this for a few years.”
The Flyers find themselves in 28th place in the NHL standings as the season resumes tonight after the All Star hiatus. The Flyers find themselves 14 points away from the second Eastern Conference wild card spot. At 19-23-6 (44 points) the Flyers have been grounded all season. Their minus-30 goal differential is one better than Ottawa’s last place total.
The chances of the Flyers making a triumphant run to a playoff berth?
Slim to none.
It’s become painfully obvious to Philadelphia hockey fans and media that the Flyers are going nowhere fast. It’s time for wholesale changes to be made to Ron Hextall's roster that Fletcher has inherited. Firing Dave Hakstol didn't stimulate the players to perform better.
The only thing left for Fletcher and senior mangement to do is hold the Flyers players accountable for the past four months of failures and excuses.
Something has been wrong in Philly since last summer. The coaching change to Scott Gordon did nothing to ignite a fire under the arses of the under performing players so Hextall was also shown the door.
Enter Fletcher who is looking to make trades to his roster to correct the course of his organization. If your name is Claude Giroux, Carter Hart or Nolan Patrick you are safe. All other Flyers, including Wayne Simmonds, Jake Voracek, Shayne Gostisbehere, James van Riemsdyk, Sean Couturier, Radko Gudas, .
Fletcher is an honest man. He let it be known on Monday morning that he has his ears on and his iPhone is charged up. Fletcher is expecting to make trades to correct the course of the Flyers. Fletcher continues to look for a veteran top four defenseman to mentor and protect some of his younger D-men. He’s also looking for a scoring veteran forward. Fletcher is also looking to get his hands on premium draft choices in the Jack Hughes Draft.
The Flyers have been scouted heavily the past couple of months by bubble teams and contenders. The Flyers have also been scouting teams in both conferences on a consistent basis. The Flyers have an abundance of the types of veteran, combat-tested players that NHL GMs and head coaches are coveting as the February 25 NHL trading deadline approaches. Trading veterans (and their fat contracts) away now can and will procure more younger, cost-controlled, skilled players and premium draft choices that will make the Flyers more competitive moving forward.
Simmonds, 30, is a pending UFA who is commanding a ton of attention on the trade market. If you want powe, passion, truculence and finesse, then Simmonds is your man. Simmonds can score 30G and one-punch KO Tom Wilson and the heavyweights. Simmonds is earning$3.975M AAV this season. Voracek, 29, has five years remaining on his contract at $8.25M AAV. JVR, 29, has four seasons remaining at $7M AAV. Gostisbehere, 25, is in the second year of a six-year, $27 million contract, which carries a $4.5M AAV. Couturier, 26, has three seasons remaining at $4,333,333 per copy. Konecny, 21, is in the final season of his entry level contract. Gudas, 28, has one year remaining at $3.35M AAV
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I've been telling you for the past two months to keep an eye on the Buffalo Sabtres and the Philadelphia Flyers. The two teams continue to scout one another.
The Sabres are four points out of a wild card berth and are serious about making the playoffs for the first time in the past seven seasons. Phil Housley needs a veteran second line center like Sean Couturier who can slot in below Jack Eichel and drive goals production on the second line and shift rookie Casey Mittelstadt to 3C.
Botterill doesn't need his scouts to sell him on why Couturier is the perfect fit player to plug-n-play into the Sabres' lineup. Couturier terrorized the Pittsburgh Penguins during the "Battle of Pennsylvania" playoff wars that Botterill was a part of for six of Couturier's eight year NHL career. Couturier is a warrior and he drags his teammates into the battle. The Sabres need a centerman like him.
Couturier is a 58% faceoff man this season (50% career). In 544 career games with the Flyers, Couturier has scored 120 goals and 186 assists for 306 points. Couturier has 44 career PP points and 12 career shorthanded points and is +66 lifetime.
Sabres GM Jason Botterill has premium picks, roster players and prospects to fund a Couturier-Sanheim trade with Philly. Namely, San Jose's first round pick in the Jack Hughes Draft. Also, veteran defenseman Nathan Beaulieu (a former first round pick) and energy forward Zemgus Girgensons.
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