February 24, 2023 | 2:41pm ET
By Anthony Di Marco, TheFourthPeriod.com
FLYERS UPDATE: TRADE CHATTER, COUTURIER, DEFENCE, AND MORE
Ivan Provorov, defenceman
MONTREAL, QC — With the NHL trade deadline officially one week away, things around the League are moving and shaking. More and more names are coming off the board and, as TFP’s David Pagnotta reported today, it seems that a Patrick Kane trade is looming.
Things are not quite as active in Philadelphia in terms of mainstream news, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to talk about. As of Friday morning, here is the latest on all the noteworthy topics floating around the Flyers:
Trade Talk Still Quiet
Unlike last year, when former captain Claude Giroux took centre stage of the trade deadline, the Flyers don’t have the most highly sought after free agents this year. Forward James van Riemsdyk is the biggest name they have available, and while they fully expect to move him, he figures to be a secondary option once the bigger names come off the board; the hope is to get back a second-round pick.
With Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko already dealt, I expect teams to start shifting their focus to players like van Riemsdyk once the Kane domino inevitably drops.
As I’ve reported going back to early January, forward Kevin Hayes is available, and the Flyers are willing to retain. The problem is, as with any player with term, Hayes’ contract is proving tough to move in-season due to the financial restraints across the league. This is not an indictment on the player, because there has been interest, but teams are very hesitant to add players with term given the uncertainty of the salary cap. I wouldn’t completely rule out a Hayes deal over the next seven days, but I’d say it is far more realistic to occur in the summer at this point.
Forward Patrick Brown and defenseman Justin Braun are pending UFAs and will be moved if teams come calling. Don’t expect monumental hauls for either player, but the Flyers may be able to pull out a few late round picks.
As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned last week, blueliner Nick Seeler and his $775,000 AAV (for this season and next) has piqued the interest of teams. The cost certainty along with the strong play of Seeler has had teams kicking tires as a bottom-pair option. But as I reported last week, the Flyers would have to be “blown away” in order to part with Seeler.
Travis Konecny’s renaissance season has certainly not gone unnoticed, but he doesn’t seem like a guy the Flyers are in a rush to move. As I’ve mentioned several times (and Friedman reiterated), the Flyers are not actively shopping Konecny but don’t consider him untouchable, either.
Sean Couturier
In the first year of an eight-year, $62 million contract he signed ahead of the 2021-22 season, Sean Couturier has yet to dress in a game this year. In fact, Couturier has not played since December of 2021 due to back surgery.
As Crossing Broad’s Anthony SanFilippo first reported back in the fall before the 2022-23 season was even underway, Couturier had a setback and had to get a second surgery to repair it. The original timeline given had Couturier returning in mid to late March.
Per a source I touched based with on Friday morning, while Couturier has not had a setback and has begun skating again (on his own), it is still unclear whether or not he will return this season. The team will meet with Couturier sometime next month to evaluate where things are at.
The Flyers are not in a playoff race and the games towards the end of March (and beyond) will be largely inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, so they do not want to rush him back and/or risk injury for no reason. That being said, I’m told the decision will largely be up to the player and whether or not he wants to return to in-game action for the first time in 15 months.
Personally, I think it’s imperative – assuming all is good in terms of Couturier being cleared and healthy – that the Flyers see what they have in the 30-year-old centre. Before the injury, Couturier was the team’s most important skater and, given the club’s lack of organizational depth down the middle, could be used to insulate an already thin offensive group.
As I’ve reported the last several weeks, the team has been eyeing ways to add impact centres between now and next season. They had interest in Bo Horvat before he was dealt (and subsequently signed with) to the New York Islanders and they have internally discussed targeting Dylan Larkin should he make it to free agency this July.
Having clarity on what Couturier will be upon his return will help guide what exactly this team should do about their centre ice position.
What Comes of the Defence?
As Friedman reported in early-January, there have been discussions of the future of defenceman Ivan Provorov in Philadelphia. Stressing that nothing was imminent, it appears things have cooled off on that front.
Given Provorov’s play going back to Christmas, the Flyers feel hesitant to move on from the player unless it is for the perfect move. Provorov is averaging north of 23 minutes per game overall along with just under three minutes on the penalty kill. The next closest defender in terms of PK TOI is Rasmus Ristolainen, who is averaging 43 seconds less than him per game.
Although Provorov is not a true, stand-alone No.1 defenceman, he plays a role on this team that the Flyers don’t feel can be internally replaced right now. His effort level and work ethic has also got him in the good graces of Head Coach John Tortorella, I’ve been told. Save for Seeler, all Flyers defencemen have either been healthy scratched or sent to the AHL at one point or another this season except for Provorov; that alone says a lot.
As for Travis Sanheim, whose eight-year, $50 million contract extension is set to kick in next season, he has had a tough go under Tortorella. After a career year last campaign, Sanheim has regressed this season, having found himself in the press box this week against the Calgary Flames as a healthy scratch. Despite a down year, I’m told the Flyers are committed to Sanheim and believe Tortorella’s “tough love” will have him bounce back, as it did with Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen.
It is hard to imagine the Flyers will go the long haul with both Provorov and Sanheim given the organizational depth at left defense, but it doesn’t appear the team is in a rush to trade either player.
Decision Looming with Goaltenders
The Flyers have found themselves in foreign waters this season with three goaltenders vying for NHL jobs. But while Carter Hart and Samuel Ersson have impressed, Felix Sandstrom has become the odd man out due to his subpar play.
Sandstrom, 26, would have to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL, something the team has been reluctant to do. While he will likely never be a starter in the NHL, the team believes he has the potential to be a strong backup. But at this point, Ersson (who is waiver exempt) has played so well that it has forced the Flyers into carrying three goaltenders for the last week. But as we all know, carrying three goaltenders is never an ideal situation, and something will eventually have to give.
Friedman reported earlier in the week that the Flyers are hoping to salvage a draft pick for Sandstrom, but with the goaltender market so quiet, it may be a stretch. If no trade can be worked out, I imagine Sandstrom may be heading to waivers. The Flyers really like the goaltending depth they’ve built in their system and don’t want to weaken it (especially for nothing), but a decision will eventually have to be made.
Joel Farabee unhappy?
According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, Flyers forward Joel Farabee is not pleased with how things have gone under Tortorella and his camp has voiced their displeasure to the Flyers.
Checking in on this, a team source played down the player’s unhappiness, although not entirely dismissing it. Tortorella was asking about it on Friday and responded that it was “news to him,” going on to say that Farabee’s agent should “shut up.”
Farabee, 22, has been one of the few (if not only) players under 25 who has vehemently struggled under Tortorella this season. In 56 games this season, Farabee has tallied just nine goals and 26 points. Farabee did have major neck surgery (the same as Jack Eichel) over the summer, which affected his ability to be properly conditioned heading into the season.
I don’t imagine Farabee will be moved over the next seven days, if at all. Farabee is still part of the Flyers’ future and, despite a bad start with Tortorella, still has a ton of potential. He is also in the first year of a six-year, $30 million contract the Flyers invested in him.
While I don’t envision a divorce between the two sides, it can’t be completely ruled out given the player’s clear discontent and willingness to leak it to the media.
