Flyers Trade Deadline Preview: Assets Galore

By Jeff Quake, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 

It is just a few short hours until the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline arrives, and the Philadelphia Flyers still have plenty of decisions to make. On Saturday evening, the Flyers officially traded their 15-year veteran and captain Claude Giroux to the Florida Panthers.

Although it was an underwhelming return, GM Chuck Fletcher most likely isn’t done. There have been several players rumored to be dealt before the 3 p.m. deadline hits on Monday. Listed below are the Flyers options on who may no longer be here with the Orange and Black.

Justin Braun

Braun is as good as gone. He is a playoff veteran, a right-handed defenseman, and is a UFA with only a $1.8 million cap hit. He surprisingly has a lot more trade value than most realize. When the Flyers first acquired the now 35-year-old defenseman, Fletcher gave up a 2019 second-round pick and a 2020 third-round pick. In 61 games played this year, the Minneapolis native has five goals and 11 assists and is a plus-3. This is the best version of Braun the Flyers have seen in now his third season here in Philadelphia.

• 2021-22: +3
• 2020-21: 0
• 2019-20: -2
• 2018-19: -14 (with SJS)
• 2017-18: +7 (with SJS)

In the first season here in South Philadelphia, Braun played in 62 games, scoring three goals and 16 assists with a minus-2. Last season, he had only six points in 62 games played, but had an even plus-minus. Teams get desperate closer to the deadline and could offer quite a bit for Braun; a stay at home heavier defenseman who has experience in the playoffs. He has been in the playoffs nine times during his 12-year career. With that experience and cap hit, he could certainly get the second and third-round picks back in return, just like what Fletcher initially gave up to acquire him.

Now who will bid high for him? It will be a team who desperately needs defense and isn’t afraid of selling picks. Toronto was an option, but they acquired Mark Giordano for multiple picks. Now for another team rumored to potentially acquire Braun is the Edmonton Oilers. 

Analysis: Edmonton trades a 2022 second-round pick, 2023 third-round pick, and just for good measure 2023 sixth-round pick to Philadelphia for Braun and a 2022 seventh-round pick.

Martin Jones 

It was rumored within the past few months that the Oilers offered the Flyers a fifth-round pick for Jones. Fletcher reportedly turned it down, and here we are right before the deadline wondering what Jones’ value could be. 

If Philadelphia is going to deal Jones, it is going to be for a mid-to-late round pick. It was quite a surprise that Fletcher went out to sign Jones during the off-season, who is in his ninth NHL season. In 23 games played, the 32-year-old has started 22 games with a record of 7-12-3, a 3.36 GAA, and a .902 SV%. 

Jones hasn’t been great, but he hasn’t been terrible. This is the best Jones has looked since 2017-18 when he posted a 30-22-6 record in 60 games played and started that year. He had a 2.55 GAA and a .915 SV%. Since then, his goals against average has gone up and his save percentage has drastically dropped each year. We’ll see what happens, but to some, Jones isn’t worth more than a fifth-round pick.That should have been enough to take and run for the hills while you can with that return. 

If Fletcher acquires anything more than that, the Flyers win this deal. Nothing against Jones, but he is not nearly the same goalie he once was. 

Analysis: The Oilers trade a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 fifth-round pick to Philadelphia for Jones.

Keith Yandle 

There is little to no chance Yandle gets traded. Teams may have inquired about the Ironman Yandle, even in this dismal season for him and Philadelphia. That being said, don’t expect him to be dealt. 

He’ll continue his incredible streak of consecutive games played with Philadelphia. Besides, what team is going to trade for him and then decide to bench him ruining that streak? 

Yandle is a minus-35 with 14 points in 61 games played. That’s going to be a pass for the majority of teams out there. He also has a no trade clause. 

Analysis: Case closed, he will remain a Flyer and will hit free agency after the season.

Derick Brassard 

Brassard is an interesting name. He has played in only 30 games, but has 16 points. In the regular season, he’s nothing special, but can put up points, so he would be a great depth option. Especially with such a cheap contract, just an $825k and a pending UFA, it’s not like a team will add him as anything more than a rental. If they aren’t happy with his play, they can let him walk. 

However, Brassard shows his best when he is in the playoffs, an underrated playoff performer. In 2012-13, Brassard made his playoff debut scoring 12 points in 12 games played with the New York Rangers. The next two playoffs combined he put up 28 points in 42 games played. That is certainly something of value. Even in just five playoff games in 2015-16, he still put up four points. 

Then came that remarkable playoff run by the Ottawa Senators in 2017. The Hull, Quebec native had 11 points in 19 games. Since then he hasn’t been as productive, but still could be useful. 

Analysis: any team who needs depth could use a guy like him Brassard. For fun, the St. Louis Blues will offer a 2022 sixth-round pick to Philadelphia for Brassard.

The next four players will all likely be up for offseason discussion, unless the perfect trade comes back to Philadelphia.

Ivan Provorov 

Nothing to see here for now, especially with Ryan Ellis out of the lineup. The plan all along was to see how Provorov would play with Ellis, but that only happened for four games. After next season happens, anything is possible. 

Analysis: Provorov isn’t going anywhere for now. If he does, it would have to be a substantial return for the Flyers that makes sense.

Travis Sanheim 

This is another interesting defenseman. Philadelphia has been approached by teams to talk about Sanheim. He’s 25 and is locked up for one more season with a $4.6 million cap hit. 

The Flyers won’t move him at least for the time being, especially because they seem to like how he plays with Rasmus Ristolainen, who was just given a five-year, $25.1 million extension with a $5.1 million AAV earlier this month. 

Analysis: Sanheim won’t be dealt at the deadline, or perhaps even at all unless the best possible offer comes to the Flyers.

Travis Konecny 

There had been reports that the Flyers told Konecny he was almost dealt last offseason. Why tell a player that he was almost dealt? Is it to see how he would respond? 

Either way, Konecny has lost his scoring touch, it seems, in this lost season. The Los Angeles Kings have been rumored to go after “TK”, which is certainly intriguing. Konecny has a $5.5 million cap hit until 2024-25. Right now, that looks like a lot of years left on an extension that is not panning out. 

Like Provorov, Konecny’s play seems to have gotten worse since the bubble season in 2020. Since his breakout 61-point season in 2019-20, Konecny has scored 21 goals and 49 assists for 70 points in the last two seasons combined while appearing in 109 games. That’s still not bad, but it’s a huge step back from his production just two seasons ago. 

Analysis: A strong package will be offered to pry Konecny away from the Flyers, but it won’t come until the off-season. It will remain to be seen if a team is willing to give up what the Flyers will want to get him. To be determined.

James van Riemsdyk 

The right way to describe JVR’s play since signing back with the team that originally drafted is streaky, but consistent. I wrote about his production previously and what it means to the Flyers. Sure, it was expected a large contract like his or Jake Voracek’s would have been taken during the Expansion Draft, but the Seattle Kraken surprised everyone by selecting Carsen Twarynski. 

With only one more season after this until van Riemsdyk becomes a UFA, the usual consistent but streaky winger for the Flyers will have a somewhat tough off-season. If the Flyers attempt to deal van Riemsdyk, the team acquiring him will only have to deal with the $7 million cap hit for the rest of that season. The 32-year-old American has consistently scored 40+ points each year since returning to Philadelphia, except for this season. 

His production is decent, but not nearly where he usually is. He has played the likes of 60-plus games each season. 

Analysis: Unless Philadelphia wants to offer a team a similar deal to the Shayne Gostisbehere one with the Arizona Coyotes from this past offseason to have them take van Riemsdyk’s entire cap hit, he won’t be going anywhere until at least after this season. He could be bought out after this season, moved in the offseason, moved at the 2023 trade deadline, or the Flyers will let him walk when his contract is up. Either way this is finally the beginning of the end for the former second-overall pick.

Who do you think the Flyers should trade? Who should they keep? All of our questions will be solved by the time the 3 p.m. deadline on Monday arrives.