VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 22: Chuck Fletcher of the Philadelphia Flyers attends the 2019 NHL Draft at the Rogers Arena on June 22, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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As the clock keeps ticking towards the NHL trade deadline, there are some holes within the Flyers lineup that Chuck Fletcher would like to shore up between now and then. Flyers fans can cross off a blockbuster type deal for a top-six forward off their wish list. This type of trade might take place in the off-season, not at the trade deadline this year for the orange and black. However, a minor move is definitely in store, and will transpire between now and the trade deadline.
Unfortunately, the Flyers only have approximately $1.3 million of cap space left, per Cap Friendly. With that being said, it’s unlikely the Flyers move JVR’s contract, as many NHL teams are in the same situation as the Flyers, in regards to the cap. These type of cap deals usually take place in the off-season. However, what Fletcher could do is add a bottom 9/bottom 12 player by the deadline, to provide much needed depth within the bottom six units. From now until the trade deadline, I will feature one player a week that the Flyers could realistically add for depth purposes. This week let’s talk about a Left Wing/Right Wing from the Buffalo Sabres Conor Sheary.
Sheary is an intelligent hockey player. He is strong defensively, and really has a keen hockey sense. Sheary isn’t the fastest skater, but he can pot goals in tight spaces, and is tough to move off the puck. He plays a two-way game, and possesses puck skills to succeed at the NHL level. For his efforts, Sheary can play the penalty kill, and he can really score some big goals on the Power Play.
This 27-year-old in Sheary is a solid versatile, bottom 9 player that plays the game the right way, and is good in the locker room. He could also play in the top six if need be, and more importantly has Cup experience. Moreover, Sheary would fit in well in Head Coach Alain Vigneault’s system, as he is a defensive first type of player. However, Sheary can pot a big goal or two, as well. For the season, he has registered 8 goals, and 10 assists for 18 points in 51 games played.
I know what everyone’s thinking, what would it cost to acquire Sheary? Sheary is a UFA at year’s end, and currently has a cap hit of $3 million, per Cap Friendly. Realistically the Sabres would like a prospect like Mikhail Vorobyev or Pascal Laberge, and a fourth round pick, possibly a fifth or sixth round pick, as well, to the Sabres for Sheary. The only reason I would think about adding a fifth or sixth round pick is to sweeten the pot for the Sabres to retain at least approximately $1 million of Sheary’s salary to fit in his cap hit. The Flyers would have approximately $2.0 million in cap relief by sending Connor Bunnaman to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms ($736,000). Of course, add in the available $1.3 million in cap space available now, and woolah that gives the Flyers approximately $2.0 million of cap space. This deal honestly could work for both clubs. The Sabres would be receiving at least one prospect and picks for a player that may not re-sign with them next season. In the Flyers case, Fletcher wouldn’t have to trade a player within their current lineup, plus he has two fourth round picks to begin with.
With the uncertainty to Nolan Patrick, and the loss of Oskar Lindblom being felt within the lineup. Sheary could be a huge asset for this young Flyers team. Even if and when Patrick returns, Sheary could still plug a hole in the bottom 9 or 12, thus giving Head Coach Alain Vigneault four really solid lines to work with.
Ghost and vorobyev first pick to Brent burns sharks retain 2 million
Jamey, please don’t encourage Fletcher to make any trades. You know he’ll give away young players, or high draft picks to get a “loaner who will be gone at the end of the season.
Thanks for the read Gregg. I hear you my friend
nothing to do with the flyers but i think the new name in Seattle should be Seattle stealth going with the aerospace industry in their region
I actually like that name Darren
If a guy like Sherry is the Flyers only option I would absolutely pass. He’s no better than the options the Flyers have at LHV. Especially at that proposed asking price. .. Call someone up from the minors. If they can’t get someone for a reasonable price who can make a difference, just stand pat and see how things go.
Brett,
thanks for the read, and I respect your opinion. Thanks for the support we wouldn’t be here without you guys today. The one thing Sheary provides is cup experience, he may be underperforming in Buffalo as they are going through a rebuild. He might be better than his stats show.
I think we are good now as a team, and we should not waste any assets in next summers deep draft, quite the opposite! We have good enough team to go far, with current roster, and we should trade Braun to assets, which we in my mind wasted on him in a first place, and trade Ghost at the draft, while his value has risen a bit hopefully! Mark Friedman has shown as that Ghost and Braun are expendable, because Nashville and especially Chicago has show”d us, that you can win championship with great top-four in defense! So i hope Chuck don”t make any major add”s to our team, and instead gather more assets to next summers draft in mind! We have good enough team, that dominated Tampa despite our loss, the physical we play, the better we play!