NHL
Might Bobby Brink be available for the right price? Mitchell Leff / Getty Images
There are zero Philadelphia Flyers on the most recent trade board from Chris Johnston of The Athletic. That won’t surprise anyone who’s been following along, as a team source indicated last week that it could be a quiet trade deadline for the club.
Still, the Flyers’ January nosedive — they’re now 2-8-2 in in their last 12 games after losing 6-3 in Boston on Thursday — could make them more open to some sort of deal between now and the March 6 deadline, particularly if the losses continue to mount. Let’s take a look at who on the current Flyers roster could potentially be on the move, and who almost certainly won’t be.
Rasmus Ristolainen: There was only tepid interest in Ristolainen last season when he was available, and that was before he ran into further injury issues after the 2025 deadline when he suffered a torn triceps. The towering defenseman with another year left on his contract ($5.1 million AAV) has played in only 16 games this season. Contending teams may seek better and healthier/less costly options.
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Dan Vladar: He is the Flyers’ MVP this season, and they also don’t have anyone else in the organization that looks anything close to a No. 1 goaltender. It makes much more sense for the Flyers to try and extend Vladar’s contract this offseason before he enters the second and final of his two-year deal.
Travis Konecny: He’s got a full no-trade clause for this season and five more, and is the Flyers’ leading scorer. Not happening.
Travis Sanheim: Sure, Sanheim has struggled a bit lately, but he’s still a solid defenseman who earned his way onto Team Canada for the Olympics. He also has a full no-trade clause through next season.
Christian Dvorak: One way for Flyers management to completely ruin its credibility with players around the league and in their own dressing room would be to trade Dvorak just weeks after signing him to a five-year contract extension. In other words, he’ll remain in Philadelphia.
Nick Seeler: In many ways, Seeler is exactly the kind of player that playoff teams are typically seeking: a veteran leader who plays an honest game and will do anything for his teammates. But he has a full no-trade clause through this season, the second of his current four-year contract.
Matvei Michkov: Not only are the Flyers not looking to move Michkov, they’d be selling low on him if they did, as his stock around the league has plummeted. The organization will have to hope Michkov learned a valuable lesson and comes to training camp in shape and ready to go from Day 1 next season.
Tyson Foerster: How much do the Flyers miss Foerster, who is likely out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury? Well, they were 14-7-3 at the time he got hurt on Dec. 1. Since then, they’re 10-13-6. No chance he’s dealt.
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Trevor Zegras: Like many others, Zegras hasn’t had a great January. But he still possesses the kind of high-end skill this team desperately needs. It still feels like a near-certainty that the pending restricted free agent will eventually ink an extension.
Bobby Brink: Brink simply looks faster and more tenacious in what is now his third full NHL season. The Flyers surely aren’t in a rush to move him, because he looks like he can be a consistent 20-goal scorer for a long time. But in the right deal that might allow them to upgrade another position, they’d probably listen, as wing remains the area they are deepest as an organization.
Emil Andrae: The Flyers already have a stable of small-ish defensemen, with Cam York and Jamie Drysdale in top-four roles. Perhaps there’s a team out there that needs more defensive depth in its system and might be willing to give the Flyers a second- or third-round pick or even a middle-of-the-road prospect in exchange for Andrae.
Nikita Grebenkin: Grebenkin has shown flashes in what has been mostly a depth role, but he hasn’t solidified his place in the lineup. He still has upside at just 22 years old, but not enough for him to be considered untouchable in the right sort of deal.
Denver Barkey: Barkey is already exceeding expectations, earning a place on the Flyers’ roster years ahead of schedule. Considering how quickly he’s adjusting, it feels like it would be a real risk for the Flyers to trade the forward now. At just 20 years old, it would be unwise to put a ceiling on Barkey at this stage of his career. Teams don’t typically trade guys like that, for fear that it could end up coming back to bite them in a few years.
Noah Cates: Cates hasn’t been as effective since his linemate Foerster’s injury, but he’s still a guy the Flyers view internally as a solid depth center and even someone who could wear a letter at some point. But if a high-end center becomes available, and that team is demanding a NHL-proven center in return, the Flyers might consider parting with him.
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Jamie Drysdale: It’s been an odd season for Drysdale in the sense that his defense is greatly improved, but his offense is still inconsistent, particularly on the power play. Still, it seems much more likely that the Flyers will extend the pending restricted free agent unless they get an offer they can’t refuse.
Owen Tippett: Tippett sometimes gets mentioned as a guy who could be moved, considering his no-trade clause doesn’t kick in until July 1. But he is still on an upward trajectory and playing the most consistent hockey of his career over the past few weeks. It’s unlikely the Flyers will want to deal him now, unless it’s for that high-end center they covet.
Cam York: York hasn’t been quite as effective in recent weeks as he was when the season began (none of the Flyers defensemen have), but he’s still a legitimate top-four defenseman on a contract ($5.15 million AAV) that could end up being very team-friendly.
Sean Couturier: Couturier hasn’t scored in 26 games now, is signed for four more seasons after this one at a $7.75 million cap hit, has a no-movement clause, and on Thursday in Boston he skated as the fourth line center. It’s as unmovable of a contract as maybe exists in the league.
Garnet Hathaway: If he didn’t have another year left on his deal, perhaps a team would take a chance on the rugged Hathaway finding his game over the final few weeks. But he’s still sitting on just two points in 45 games, and has lately been a healthy scratch.
Sam Ersson: Ersson is a pending restricted free agent. He’s also still not getting the job done, with another rough outing on Thursday. It feels like it’s time for a change of scenery. Playoff teams are always seeking depth in net; might there be a club willing to take a chance on Ersson, who would still be under team control this summer?
Carl Grundström: The pending unrestricted free agent has had some decent moments on the Flyers’ fourth line. If there’s a team out there that wants him, the Flyers would surely listen.
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Noah Juulsen: The veteran defenseman has been generally rough. The Flyers would probably accept just about anything for him if they’re out of the race by deadline day.
Lane Pederson: The textbook definition of an in-between guy. It’s difficult to imagine there would be much interest in him. The Flyers might be better off keeping him around for a potential Phantoms playoff run anyway.
Rodrigo Abols: He’s out for at least the next couple of months with an ankle injury. It’s doubtful he’s on any other team’s radar.
Nic Deslauriers: Suiting up for just three of the Flyers’ previous 19 games, the enforcer is likely playing out his final few months in an orange and black sweater.
Kevin Kurz is a staff writer for The Athletic NHL based in Philadelphia. He previously covered the New York Islanders and the San Jose Sharks for 10+ years and worked in the Philadelphia Flyers organization. Follow Kevin on Twitter @KKurzNHL
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