Potential playoff berth will make for quiet deadline from Flyers

Does anybody want the final wildcard spot? In short, no.

The Flyers had the opportunity to close to within two points of the final wildcard spot on Tuesday night by facing the Carolina Hurricanes, a team only ahead of the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference. Again, the Flyers turned in a familiar result.

A 4-1 loss to Carolina continues to show the inconsistency of the Flyers as the season progresses and playoff hopes draw thin. The unfortunate part is that the Flyers can't shed hope with the playoff picture being as it is.

The NHL trade deadline is on Monday. A month ago, the Flyers were pure sellers, ready to ship players out of Philadelphia left and right. Now, they may be adding players.

The Flyers won't be doing this through trades – Ron Hextall won't mortgage the future of the franchise for a playoff appearance – but they will be getting two assets back in the lineup.

Steve Mason has spent much of the season carrying the Flyers to where they are. Let's face it, the Flyers are far worse without Mason. We certainly aren't keeping the word playoffs in discussion without him.

Kimmo Timonen may be making his season debut in the coming days, but it is his track record that makes him an addition. His remarkable comeback from blood clots is also something that could provide a spark down the stretch.

Despite all that, the results show a very different scenario for the Flyers. It gives them reasons to join the sellers – after all, they lost to three of them in the last week. In the Flyers last five games, the Flyers have won the two against the most difficult opponents. They have lost the three to teams trailing them in the standings.

What you see in these games is a team so inconsistent and so flat-out terrible that they shouldn't even have to consider whether they are contenders or pretenders. But again, a look at the standings and there is more than just a small chance.

And that is why the Flyers will have a quiet deadline Monday. Sure, there could be a deal in the works to eliminate a defenseman from a crowded blue line – perhaps Braydon Coburn, Nick Grossmann or even Timonen – but that will likely be all the activity for the Flyers. 

Some may see that as a step backwards for the organization. As the Flyers slugged through November, and were among the bottom-feeders of the NHL, there was constant discussion of the top potential draft picks. I ruled that out then because I felt like the Flyers would be where they are now.

Did I see them in the running for a playoff spot? No. But the Flyers have rarely ever rolled over and pronounced a season dead before it is mathematically over.

In November, they were bound to at least recover from the struggles, not to get into the playoff race, but to take themselves out of the top five in the lottery. That would net a nice pick, not a top pick. There's a huge difference.

Now more than ever, you can sense what the Flyers are going to do. They have over a month to make up four points. They just made up nine in a matter of five weeks. They can make up the four points as well.

It won't happen with games like the 4-1 loss on Tuesday, but it's also too late to turn back. For better or worse, this is the team the Flyers will put on the ice for the next six weeks. 

Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.