4 Philadelphia Flyers That Could Be on the Move at NHL Trade Deadline
One player we all know Philadelphia Flyers fans will have their eye on leading up to the March 21 NHL trade deadline is captain Claude Giroux.
The 34-year old has a no-movement clause, but is expected to waive that if the team can find a deal with the right team, who would like to add his 16 goals and 38 points in 48 games.
"To be honest, I haven't talked to Chuck yet about any of this," Giroux told the media on Feb 17. "I'm sure we will at one point. But right now, I'm committed to this team."
There have been reports that Giroux would waive his no-movement clause to play in Colorado, Minnesota or St Louis.
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Its been a tough year for Giroux and the Flyers, so it could be an active trade deadline for GM Chuck Fletcher.
So while there is a good chance we are seeing the end of the Giroux era in Philadelphia, there are other Flyers too keep an eye on as the deadline approaches.
Here are four other names to watch from ESPN senior NHL writer Greg Wyshynski and national NFL reporter Kristen Shilton,
1. Travis Konecny | Winger
Konecny's name has come up in conversations more recently. He's in his second straight season of statistical decline, with 29 points in 47 games and only eight goals -- a far cry from when you could pencil him in for 24 goals every season. Changes obviously need to be made for the struggling Flyers, and it's easy to see what other teams might like in the tenacious winger. He's in the third year of a six-year deal that progressively gets richer as far as actual dollars.
Konency is just 24-years old,so maybe a change of scenery could help him reignite his once promising career. The problem is he has three seasons left on his deal and will continue to get raises as the years go up, but the production continues to go down.
He is on a seven game point streak and has eight goals and 31 points in 49 games overall this season.
2. Justin Braun | defenseman
It's like Braun was created in a lab as a "trade deadline defenseman." He's 35 years old, has 100 games of playoff experience, has an expiring contract with a very manageable cap hit and can play 20 minutes per game as a details-oriented defensive defenseman.
Braun's deal is set to expire in the offseason, so expect Chuck Fletcher to make the 35-year old if there is any interest for a top-six defender who has playoff experience and can give you 20-minutes of time on ice.
3. Rasmus Ristolainen | defenseman
The Flyers acquired Ristolainen to add some physicality to the back end -- and physicality he has provided, leading the Flyers with 148 hits while skating 21:05 per game. The goal here for Philly is to find someone willing to pony up a first-rounder for him, which was part of the package they sent to Buffalo to acquire him. They'll have to retain some of that cap hit to get it.
The team gave up a lot of get the 27-year old defender in the offseason, including a first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in 2023 and defenseman Robert Hagg. To say it hasn't worked out is an understatemen, he was slated to bring a physicality to the blue line, but injuries and a bout with COVID have hindered him this year. He has two goals, 12 points, 66 shots, 76 blocks and 153 hits in 44 games this season.
Ristolainen has one more season left on his six-year, $32 million contract.
4. Martin Jones | Goalie
The Oilers were one of the teams that checked in on Jones earlier this season and found the terms rather high for a sub-replacement goalie this season. But his experience as a regular-season and playoff starter means the Flyers can keep that price high if some of the bigger names on the goalie market never materialize as options.
Jones has been a nice addition behind starter Carter Hart, and could generate some interest on the trade market. After Tuesday's loss to St. Louis, he is just 6-10-3 on the season with a 3.51 GAA and .898 save percentage in 20 games.
The NHL Trade deadline is March 21st.