The rebuild approach that the Philadelphia Flyers have had has been rather unique. While they did trade some veterans last offseason, it was not to the extent that many true rebuilders do. They hung onto some pieces and, thus, are riding a 25-19-6 record, which is good enough for third in the Metropolitan Division. Their style won’t land them a first-overall draft pick like most teams trying to build themselves up typically do, but it allows them to build on the fly.
While general manager (GM) Daniel Briere’s hand was forced when he traded highly-touted prospect Cutter Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks for a young and promising roster player, Jamie Drysdale, on Jan. 8, it shows that the Flyers are doing anything but being ordinary. They’ve thrown everything we know about a rebuild out the window, and it just might work.
Briere, Flyers Building Off of Success
The Drysdale trade might encapsulate what Briere is trying to do. Instead of completely nuking the roster of everything of value at the trade deadline or even the offseason, the team is meticulously building on what’s made them successful.
This doesn’t mean that the Flyers won’t sell off pieces — because they definitely will — but it does mean that they’re assessing their options. If a young player like Drysdale, whom they view fondly, arises in the trade market, they will pounce on that chance. Every single time.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to acquire young players with definitively high floors. In fact, in some instances, it makes more sense to trade for developing NHL players than it does draft picks. That’s what the Drysdale acquisition was about, with the alternative being to trade for boatloads of draft capital — the former objectively sounds better. With that said, can Briere catch lightning in a bottle again?
Related: Flyers Should Remain Aggressive in the Trade Market
A player like 20-year-old defenseman David Jiricek would be a nice target, given he has expressed discontent after getting sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL). That doesn’t necessarily mean he wants to be traded, nor would a Columbus Blue Jackets team near the bottom of the NHL standings want to sell a player like that. However, this suggests that there are opportunities to acquire young players without drafting them. For the right price, a trade could be pulled off.
In addition, someone like 22-year-old forward Trevor Zegras would also be a solid target. Again, he doesn’t align with the “sell all” philosophy of many rebuilds, but he could be a valuable player now and in the future. At $5.75 million for the next three seasons, he’s on both a friendly contract and is a solid top-six star.
Trades like these would help the Flyers today, but the main point is that they could elevate the team in the future. Instead of banking on the magic beans that are draft picks to push the team in the right direction, they could leave no room for doubt that they’re improving.
Flyers Still Selling at the Deadline
The situation with Gauthier and Drysdale was unique — it’s not going to happen again. As such, they will almost definitely be selling off some veterans at the trade deadline, with Sean Walker, Scott Laughton, and Nick Seeler considered the big three who could be moved. Not only is this essentially the only option for a rebuilding team to improve as much as possible for the future, but it also makes room to acquire players like Jiricek and Zegras.
Walker appears to be on the way out, which would be a great way for the Flyers to recoup some assets. If they could get a first-round draft pick, they would be able to either trade up at the 2024 NHL Draft and land an even better prospect or go out and get a youngster at minimal value.
As for Laughton, while his value not be at its highest, as he is having a poor season to his standards, that doesn’t mean he won’t be shipped off. Twenty-nine years of age, trading him would align with the average rebuild. What the Drysdale deal suggests is that the Flyers might be willing to use the draft capital they get from him in a trade and flip that for a young player rather than drafting a prospect of their own. This is atypical for a rebuilder, but it would align with the Flyers’ “rebuilding but competitive” philosophy they’ve employed this season.
Despite what their record shows, and the trade they made early in January, the Flyers are still rebuilding and aren’t running away from the basics. Briere isn’t trying to reinvent anything here. He’s likely going to sell at the deadline — it’s just that he might be acquiring youth differently than most other GMs in his position.
Flyers Will Benefit From Keeping Players Around
Now, there is a benefit to keeping players around. Young or old, there are valuable players that even a rebuilder might not want to trade off their roster. Logically, it makes sense to cherish some stars just a little bit more than the middle of the lineup and depth pieces.
For example, 26-year-old Travis Konecny will probably stand the test of time. Unless there’s a major trade on the table, this is the right choice. It’s very hard to land players like him, even with a top-10 selection in a draft, much less one that is later. If contenders are bidding for him, the Flyers will have to settle for the latter.
Even a player like Timo Meier had one of the more prized assets in his deal be a late-first-round selection. For the Flyers, in particular, trading someone like Konecny for this sort of package might not be the best idea. Sometimes, it’s just better to hang onto some pieces.
There are few veterans that the Flyers should hang on to, but it all depends on what’s offered. Typically, the best player in a deal ends up being the best one when all is said and done. By the time prospect Matvei Michkov is ready for the NHL in 2026-27 and some other young players find their stride, Konecny will still only be around Sean Couturier’s age (31). The latter is still an exceptional player, so there are still likely good days ahead for Konecny. This can be applied to skaters like Joel Farabee and Travis Sanheim, too.
This might not be a traditional rebuild, but that doesn’t mean it will be any less successful. Sitting in a playoff spot at the All-Star Break, they’re only getting started. Instead of selling everything like other teams in their position might, the Flyers have been picky about it. It will make for an exciting next few months as they enter the trade deadline and offseason.
