4 Win-Win Trades for the Philadelphia Flyers and NHL Playoff Contenders (2024)

The Philadelphia Flyers and their fans won't look back on the 2022-23 season with any fondness.

With core players such as Sean Couturier, Cam Atkinson and Ryan Ellis sidelined indefinitely, they're mired near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Barring a dramatic reversal of fortune, they're going to miss the playoffs for the third straight season and the fourth time in five years.

In early December, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said he and head coach John Tortorella are building a foundation for the future, per the Philadelphia Inquirer's Giana Han. Fletcher avoided using the word "rebuild," but he moved off from what he described last summer as his plans for an aggressive retooling of the roster.

Whatever Fletcher wants to call his plans going forward, it's likely to involve becoming a seller by the March 3 trade deadline if his club remains out of playoff contention.

The rumor mill hasn't wasted any time mentioning Flyers players who could be on the move by the deadline or perhaps in the offseason. Veterans such as James van Riemsdyk and Kevin Hayes surfaced in media chatter leading up to the recent holiday roster freeze.

Which players could Fletcher put on the trade block in 2023, and where could they end up? What type of return could he hope to get? That's what we'll try to sort out as we look at possible win-win trade scenarios for the Flyers and their potential trade partners.

Feel free to express your views on this topic in the comments section below.

Despite sitting second among Philadelphia Flyers scorers, Kevin Hayes might not have a future in the City of Brotherly Love under head coach John Tortorella. In mid-December, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman wondered if the Flyers might buy out Hayes due to rising tension with Tortorella over his defensive play (h/t Philly Hockey Now's Sam Carchidi).

Hayes carries a $7.1 million average annual value through 2025-26. Buying him out would cost the Flyers a total of $16.6 million over six years. A better option could be attempting to trade Hayes by retaining 50 percent of his cap hit, leaving them to carry just $3.6 million annually for the next three years.

The Dallas Stars could be a suitable trade partner. On Nov. 29, TSN's Darren Dreger reported they're in the market for a top-six forward to skate alongside Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment on their second line. Hayes' scoring abilities could make him a good fit.

Stars winger Denis Gurianov, 25, is a former 20-goal scorer who might benefit from a fresh start with a new club once he returns from his current leave of absence. He has an affordable $2.9 million cap hit for this season and is slated to become a restricted free agent in July. The Stars could also include a draft pick or prospect in the deal.

The Detroit Red Wings could soon face a decision regarding Tyler Bertuzzi, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July. MLive.com's Ansar Khan recently speculated that Wings general manager Steve Yzerman could shop the 27-year-old by the March 3 trade deadline rather than lose him for nothing in free agency.

Yzerman could be in the market for another top-six forward if he parts ways with Bertuzzi. Perhaps he'll make a pitch for Flyers winger Travis Konecny. The 25-year-old winger carries a $5.5 million annual cap hit through 2024-25, which is only slightly more than Bertuzzi's $4.8 million.

Konecny is a feisty playmaking winger with four seasons of 47 or more points on his resume. He could be a good addition to the Wings if the Flyers begin to rebuild before this season's trade deadline or in the offseason. His youth and contract would fit well into the Wings' long-term plans, while his skills and experience would help their roster right away.

The Red Wings have plenty of young assets on their roster (Filip Zadina, Jonatan Berggren, Elmer Söderblom) and in their pipeline (Marco Kasper. Simon Edvinsson, William Wallinder) to interest the Flyers. Yzerman could also include one of the Wings' two second-round picks in the 2023 NHL draft.

On Dec. 1, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the Los Angeles Kings were looking for a left-hand shot for their blue line. He noted they had been linked to the Arizona Coyotes' Jakob Chychrun, but he doubted they'd pay the Coyotes' asking price.

If the Kings are exploring their options beyond Chychurn, they could look into acquiring Ivan Provorov of the Flyers. Like the Coyotes defenseman, the 25-year-old Provorov is signed through 2024-25. His annual cap hit of $6.8 million, however, is more expensive than Chychrun's $4.6 million.

Friedman noted that the Kings have a surplus of right-side defensem*n. Parting with one of them could offset part of Provorov's cap hit. Two of them, Matt Roy ($3.2 million cap hit) and Sean Walker ($2.7 million), are signed through 2023-24.

The Kings would have to include more than Roy or Walker in the deal to make it palatable for the Flyers. They could be reluctant to part with their 2023 first-rounder, but maybe they would part with their second-round pick. They could also offer a prospect such as Alex Turcotte, Samuel fa*gemo, Jordan Spence or Helge Grans.

After finishing third in the Western Conference last season, the Calgary Flames are jockeying for a wild-card spot. After replacing Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk with Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri, the Flames' goals-per-game average has dropped from sixth overall in 2021-22 (3.55) to 21st (3.06) this season.

In mid-November, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the Flames had been searching for a scoring forward since August. Perhaps Calgary general manager Brad Treliving will consider acquiring James van Riemsdyk.

On Dec. 17, Friedman's colleague Jeff Marek said the Flyers were making the 33-year-old winger available. He set to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

Van Riemsdyk has exceeded the 20-goal plateau seven times and has netted 40 or more points eight times. The 6'3", 208-pound left winger missed 20 games this season with a broken finger but has 13 points in 15 games for the low-scoring Flyers. His size and scoring ability could bolster the Flames' scoring and help their power play.

The Flames will accrue $4.3 million in cap space by the trade deadline. That means the Flyers would have to retain up to half of the remainder of van Riemsdyk's $7 million cap hit.

The Flames could offer up their 2023 second-rounder to replace the one the Flyers traded to Buffalo in 2021 for Rasmus Ristolainen. They could also bundle that pick with a prospect.