One more month, just one more month until the NHL Draft that will commence on June 28, 2023. With that being said, here are our answers to your questions.
Noah Cates could very well be a Sean Couturier 2.0. There is no way I move him, he is part of the solution.
Scott Laughton is a leader and one that John Tortorella loves. Again, he is part of the solution, and the Flyers are thin at the Center position.
Simply put, I would not move either player right now as their leadership can prove to be too valuable right now, at least until some of the younger crop of players prove themselves.
Trading Kevin Hayes at the draft.
The four Senior Advisors, such as, Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Paul Holmgren, and Dean Lombardi will be given jobs elsewhere within the organization.
The Flyers will continue to make changes and add to the medical staff, but the scouting and player development aspect will remain the same.
The likeliest Defenseman to be traded will be Travis Sanheim. Ivan Provorov will remain with the team, and John Tortorella will be “A” ok with that. If the Flyers move Provorov, who on the roster could shoulder playing 27+ minutes a night? Sanheim can’t shoulder those minutes consistently, Provorov is actually a good defenseman.
if I’m Danny Briere one of my priorities this offseason would be to be to extend both Owen Tippett and Carter Hart. If Tippett pops 50 next season the price jumps big time for his next contract, and vice versa for Hart in terms of wins. Sign them both now while the prices are a bit cheaper.
I would avoid both RHD David Reinbacher and Axel Sandin Pelikka. This is the draft to draft a Forward, there are a plethora of good selections at the seventh position. The Flyers could have a one-two punch with Cutter Gauthier and player “X”. Take a Forward like Dalibor Dvorsky, don’t mess this up Danny B.
Most Flyers rumors have cooled, but Brad Shaw nailing down a head coaching vacancy remains a hot topic. If indeed he does depart look for Brad Larsen to take over the vacant associate coaching duties.
Three out of the four Senior Advisors I’m hearing will be moved to other parts within the organization with the likes of Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, and Paul Holmgren.
They have not decided as of yet, but I hope to get more concrete information on this when either Danny Briere or Brent Flahr speak about a week before the draft.
Right now since Cutter Gauthier is a prospect in the Flyers cupboard, I will go with him, to pair along with Tyson Foerster. Both have lethal shots, and are FINALLY not afraid to shoot the puck. Trust me with these two young prospects Flyers fans will no longer have to yell SHOOT. Gauthier is a better skater than Foerster, but Foerster’s skating appears to not be holding him back at the professional level.
The best playmaker the Flyers can get at 7 are Zach Benson or Dalibor Dvorsky. Both can score at will, and have good wrist shots. In addition, both are good skaters, and are worthy of a top 7 selection. I do not envision Danny Briere paying assets to move up two or three slots, especially with them being in the midst of a rebuild, but anything is possible.
It is also possible that the Flyers select a defenseman at pick 7 with the likes of David Reinbacher or Axel Sandin Pellikka. Both are Right-Handed defensemen and it would definitely restock the cupboard of right-handed Dmen in the Flyers pipeline. Flyers’ President Keith Jones has previously stated to Frank Seravalli that the blue line is important top fix, “The blue line, to me, is the most important thing. We want to have a really advanced back end,” Jones stated to Seravalli last week.
Danny Briere will be busy and creative this offseason. Creative in a way of shedding some long-term contracts. Two contracts that I think Briere will part ways with are Ryan Ellis and Kevin Hayes. It would be of the Flyers best interest to rid themselves of that Ellis contract, thus affording them more cap flexibility. Secondly, I do expect Hayes to be traded at the draft. These are just two of three possible long-term contracts to move, unless Briere offloads Travis Sanheim at the draft before his No Movement Clause kicks in on July 1st.
One prospect that will be on the move is Wyatte Wylie. I do not expect Wylie back next year with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
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