February 25, 2015
Matt Slocum/AP
Flyers general manager Ron Hextall, right, speaks as chairman Ed Snider looks on.
The NHL trade deadline is rapidly approaching -- it's Monday, March 2 -- and the Flyers have just two games remaining before they'll need to decide whether to stock up for a postseason run this April or sell of spare parts in the hopes of retooling for next season and beyond.
Their inconsistent level of play is certainly a reason for concern, but at the same time, they've been winning -- or at least getting points -- at a rate that warrants seeing this thing through.
General Manager Ron Hextall said earlier this season that the team wouldn't trade away their entire roster in an effort to tank, but after pulling within four points of the Bruins thanks to an 8-2-4 record over their last 12 games, that's no longer an option. However, that doesn't mean they'll be buyers.
Last week, Hextall said the team wouldn't add anything.
"We're not going to find a piece," the GM said, according to Randy Miller of NJ.com. "We're going to do it as is or we're not going to do it. We're not going to give part of our future away to make the playoffs."
Buying at the deadline rarely works for teams as incomplete as the Flyers ... and comes at a steep price. Future draft picks and young players that have yet to fully develop are often sent packing in exchange for veterans with huge salary cap hits or expiring contracts, meaning no guarantee they'll be around past the current season.
That's hardly what this Flyers team needs, especially when you consider its has the second-oldest roster in the NHL.
So what can -- or more accurately, what should -- the Flyers do between now and Monday afternoon?
Perhaps their best route would be moving Kimmo Timonen, who could return to game action on Saturday against the Rangers.
Unfortunately for Hextall and the Flyers, Timonen will get at most one game in before the deadline. That won't likely be enough to get rival GMs excited about the prospect of adding the soon-to-be 40-year-old defenseman to their blue line. Throw in the fact that he already said he plans on retiring after the season, and the potential return one a Timonen deal would be less than stellar.
And if they're trying to make a postseason run themselves, the Flyers could be hesitant to help a rival Eastern Conference team like the Capitals, who visited Philadelphia Sunday and could have used an extra D-man in the 3-2 loss.
The biggest hurdle in a deal involving Timonen -- he's been sidelined since August with blood clots in his leg and lungs -- would be convincing teams he's healthy enough to contribute down the stretch after only one game of action.
CSN Washington's Chuck Gormley -- who unknowingly was sitting right next to me in the press box -- speculated Tuesday that the Capitals could be interested in Timonen even if he only gets one game in:
Why would Timonen make sense in Washington? Two words: Barry Trotz.
There is a mutual respect between Trotz and Timonen, dating back to Timonen’s NHL debut for the Nashville Predators in 1998. The two spent six seasons together in Nashville and Trotz loves the quiet leadership Timonen brings on the ice and in the locker room. [via csnwashington.com]
Hextall and coach Craig Berube have been watching the veteran defenseman in practice, so they know where he is at in terms of health and conditioning.
If they believe he's ready to contribute, I'm sure they'd welcome him back for one last playoff run.
And if that's the case, the Flyers have plenty* of other [read: healthy] defensemen that could be moved in order to make room for Timonen's return.
For the last few games, Luke Schenn -- along with Carlo Colaiacovo -- has been a healthy scratch. Prior to that, it was Andrew MacDonald who was relegated to the bench. Therefore, injecting Timonen into the lineup would force the Flyers to make a move anyway. If they're smart, that move would be a trade prior to the deadline, ideally involving a veteran defender.
Why a veteran? Simple. They make more money.
Braydon Coburn, Timonen's former linemate, could be the kind of player Hextall is looking to deal. He currently has one year and $4 million remaining on his contract.
Luke Schenn could be another option, but the fact that he has been a healthy scratch the last three games would suggest he isn't going anywhere. If the Flyers wanted to move him, they would almost certainly have him playing so the scouts in attendance could get a first-hand look.
Andrew MacDonald will be tough to move due to the fact that the Flyers signed him to a 5-year, $30 million deal this offseason. Teams won't likely be willing to take on that contract for a guy that is at best a second-line defender. However, the fact that he was recently inserted into the lineup for Schenn could be a sign that Hextall is at least trying to get other GMs interested.
Nicklas Grossmann, like Schenn and Coburn, has just one year left on his deal. So he could be another trade chip on Monday.
Nick Schultz, who has been a revelation this season for the Flyers, signed a two-year contract extension last week, meaning he's likely off the market.
But the defenseman most attractive to other teams, Michael Del Zotto, may be the one the Flyers are most hesitant to part with. Outdated Schultz reference aside, here's what Katie Strang of ESPN.com said two weeks ago:
With playoff teams clamoring for defensemen at this time of year, two cost-effective options that might seem attractive to buyers are Nick Schultz and Michael Del Zotto. Both were signed this summer to one-year deals as low-risk depth defensemen. Recently, however, they have been two of the Flyers' best defenders, and multiple sources have told ESPN.com that the team would like to keep them around. [via espn.com]
Perhaps, then, a deal similar to the one Schultz signed could be coming at some point soon for Del Zotto.
The Flyers may not have the best defensemen in the NHL, but they certainly have a lot of depth. Whether good or bad, there isn't much of a difference between their first blue line and their third.
And what about the last line of defense, the goaltenders?
Rob Zepp has not been spectacular this season, but given the sample size we have on the 33-year-old rookie, he's certainly played well enough to prove he can be a serviceable backup when Steve Mason returns from injury -- hopefully as early as Saturday.
Could that mean the end for Ray Emery's career as a Flyer?
The Flyers won't need Zepp to backup Mason forever, as prospect Anthony Stolarz could prove himself worthy in the next season or two. And Emery will be an unrestricted free agent after this year, meaning a team looking to add a serviceable back up netminder down the stretch could be intrigued by possibility of acquiring the 32-year-old.
His 10-10-4 record to go with a 3.15 goals against average and a .893 save percentage won't fetch a big return, but if the plan is to let him walk after the season, the Flyers would be foolish not to explore the idea of trading him.
At the very least, Hextall will have options ahead of Monday's deadline. But any kind of blockbuster deal seems highly unlikely.
And because of the wrinkle created by Timonen's return, coupled with the emergence of Zepp as a viable option in net, the Flyers could be sellers without losing much in terms of quantifiable talent heading down the stretch. Hell, they could be the first team considered a "deadline seller" that actually improved in the short-term.
Let's just hope Hextall doesn't try to outsmart himself as his first trade deadline as general manager rapidly approaches.
