It should come as no surprise that Elliotte Friedman recently linked the Philadelphia Flyers to Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson. The left-shot blue-liner is currently an unsigned Restricted Free Agent, and according to Friedman, he prefers a trade out of Detroit.
This creates a massive opportunity for the Flyers. It is not every day that a defenseman like Edvinsson becomes available. At 6’6″ and 220 lbs, he is extraordinarily tall and physical, yet he skates exceptionally well for a player of his size.
Should the Flyers trade for him? I would say yes.
Why? Because he would immediately become Philadelphia’s #1 defenseman. Last season with Detroit, he posted 9 goals and 16 assists for 25 points in 72 games while recording a +12 +/-.
Adding Edvinsson immediately re-shapes the left side of Philadelphia’s defense. Currently, the Flyers have solid pieces, but they lack a true game-breaking, top-pair anchor who can play 23+ minutes a night against opposing top lines.
Edvinsson gives them a massive presence on the blue line who can swallow up zone entries, kill penalties, and use his reach to transition the puck out of the defensive zone under pressure.
Good thing for Philadelphia, they have plenty of assets to dangle. A trade for Edvinsson would almost certainly have to start with Cam York and likely conclude with a first-round pick. A proposed package consisting of York, a high-tier prospect, and a protected first-round pick should be enough to get Detroit’s attention.
Trading for Edvinsson, however, is only half the battle; the Flyers would need to sign him immediately. Because he remains an unsigned Restricted Free Agent, acquiring him requires immediate cap flexibility to lock him into an extension.
Coming off a summer where Philadelphia saw two of their core RFAs sign four-year deals, the Flyers would likely prefer to commit to a long-term contract with Edvinsson to secure his prime years on the top pair.
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