The All-Star break is finally here, and while we haven’t seen many teams pull the trigger on a trade yet, there has been plenty of trade talk.
While the rumors have been relatively quiet in the past week for the Flyers, time is running out for general manager Paul Holmgren to make a move. The Flyers are faced with some tough decisions in the coming weeks leading up to the trade deadline. Does the club trade for a clear-cut, stud defenseman like Shea Weber or Ryan Suter? Or will they go for a rental like Tim Gleason or Bryan Allen and make a move for a stud blue-liner after the season concludes?
One thing is for sure. The Flyers have to do something. It’s not looking good for Chris Pronger, who is still suffering from symptoms of a concussion. In a recent interview with Lauren Pronger, Chris Pronger’s wife, Lauren told CSN Philly that Chris has “good days and bad days”. Forget about the rest of the season and the playoffs, there’s no certainty Pronger will come back at all.
There’s been plenty of names being thrown around in the past few weeks that could be a potential replacement for Pronger. I’ve heard the club has been talking with Carolina, Los Angeles, Montreal, Anaheim, and there still might be something going on with the Leafs. The past week has been a quiet one, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the dominoes start falling right after the break.
As far as specific players go, some of the obvious still remain. Obviously the Flyers would love to pry one of Ryan Suter or Shea Weber out of Nashville, but I’ve been told by a source “The asking price is just too high right now, things will heat up as the deadline nears”. If the Flyers are serious about Suter or Weber, don’t expect a deal to go down until the final days leading up to the deadline.
So, what if the Flyers can’t work out a deal with Nashville?
Well, Philadelphia has some back-up plans. Even if the Flyers do manage to work a deal with Nashville, I was told the Flyers could potentially make another separate move.
The Flyers were in talks with Carolina, but there may have been another team who stepped in and put a wrench in their plans. It’s my understanding that the Flyers were, and still may be, working a deal for Tim Gleason. With so many teams looking for help on the blue-line, the asking price on Gleason may have gone up a little more than the Flyers were looking to pay.
More recently, I’ve heard that the Kings and Flyers have had some discussions, although I can’t confirm any names. No surprise here, as the Kings and Flyers have always been good trade partners.
There was word out last week that the Flyers were talking to Montreal, but I wasn’t able to get a good read on who it was they were talking about. I’m now able to confirm that Hal Gill was a name that was mentioned, although I haven’t heard anything since, so it’s possible a potential deal fell apart. There’s also another interesting name on the Habs that the Flyers could have their eye on, but as of now it’s more speculation than anything right now.
It seems like every time the trade deadline nears, Anaheim and Philadelphia are talking. Would you really be shocked if I told you the Ducks have had discussions with the Flyers? I didn’t think so. I had heard a few days ago that the two clubs were potentially working a package deal. Luca Sbisa was one name I had heard, but I couldn’t confirm who else might be coming to Philly. I will say this, don’t be shocked if Beauchemin was discussed.
Nothing new on the Luke Schenn and James van Riemsdyk rumors. The last I had heard was that Toronto general manager Brian Burke had received word that JvR’s concussion was a risk worth taking in a potential trade, and was mulling over a deal. Whether it will happen remains to be seen, but it has certainly been quiet the past week.
I’ll be sure to update you with anything new I hear, but for now, enjoy the All-Star weekend!
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Nice article Mike, it’s nice to have you on board here at TSP!