After a fourth straight loss to open the season Monday night - and a night in which they were outshot by more than 20 by the Tampa Bay Lightning - the Flyers have some obvious work to do. A splashy forward addition would be nice, especially at center, but that kind of move doesn’t look realistic this early. The more immediate need is on the back end, and an injury to Rasmus Ristolainen only sharpened that problem after he missed Monday’s game.
That’s why the focus has shifted to defensemen, especially depth options with size. Based on the Flyers’ needs, the handedness of available players, contract situations and which teams might actually be willing to deal, a few names stand out.
At the top of the list is Zach Whitecloud of the Calgary Flames. Flyers sources mentioned Whitecloud last week as the kind of defenseman Philadelphia would be looking to add.
He has been in trade chatter since Calgary acquired him from the Vegas Golden Knights last season, and his value remains strong because of what he’s already shown in a depth role. Whitecloud won a Stanley Cup with Vegas while playing on the third pair, which has made him a useful, proven stabilizer.
Calgary doesn’t sound eager to move him right away, though. He’s now on the Flames’ top pair with Kevin Bahl, and on a young blue line, his veteran presence could drive the asking price even higher.
Whitecloud, 29, has two years left on a deal that carries a cap-friendly $2.75 million AAV and no trade protection.
Justin Faulk of the Detroit Red Wings is another possible target. Detroit’s situation is murky, with interim GM Shawn Horcoff taking over a team that appears to be sliding in the wrong direction.
Former GM Steve Yzerman paid a significant price to bring in the 34-year-old Faulk, but if the season keeps going sideways, Horcoff could try to recoup value. The Red Wings are also using seven defensemen in games this season, not counting RFA Simon Edvinsson, who could be another Flyers target if they want to swing bigger.
Faulk isn’t a towering presence at six-foot, but he’s built sturdily and still brings the offensive instincts that could help Philadelphia’s power play. His scoring has fallen off a bit - he’s averaged 34 points per season over the last three years after a career-high 50 points in 2022-23 with the St.
Louis Blues - but the pedigree is still there. Through two games with Detroit this season, he has no points while working on the second power-play unit.
Faulk is on an expiring deal worth $6.5 million annually and carries a 15-team no-trade list.
Luke Schenn of the Vancouver Canucks rounds out the group. Schenn returned to Vancouver on a one-year contract this summer after spending last season with the Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres, and his $2.25 million AAV would be easy for the Flyers to fit in.
He also has a direct connection to Philadelphia, having played there from 2013 to 2015. The catch is that he’d have to approve any move, since his contract includes a full no-movement clause.
Schenn is currently on Vancouver’s third pair with Zeev Buium, and he would give the Flyers a straightforward fallback option on their own third pair if David Jiricek and/or Simon Benoit can’t handle the job. A Schenn-Nick Seeler pairing would not exactly fly, but it would bring stability lower in the lineup.
His rugged style also checks the size box the Flyers are clearly looking to fill. And if Cam York continues to struggle, Schenn could even be used beside him until York’s game settles down.
Seeler and Jamie Drysdale have also played together before, so adding Schenn could let the Flyers spread the minutes around on defense.
In Other News...
Oilers Trade Interest In Young Center Suddenly Gets More Complicated
The Flyers early offensive issues made the front office move quickly, and Michael Bunting was brought in on a one-year, $1.2 million contract as part of that effort. Philadelphia had been short on finish through the opening stretch, and the hope is that Bunting can help add a little more spark to a group that has been searching for goals and cleaner looks in the attacking zone.
Elsewhere around the league, trade chatter involving a young center has only added another layer to the Flyers corner of the rumor mill. Edmonton has reportedly talked with an Eastern Conference team about a possible deal, with Bostons Matt Poitras among the names being floated, though nothing has been finalized. For Philadelphia, it is the kind of background noise that can matter, especially as the club keeps trying to sort out its own scoring picture while other teams weigh whether to make a move. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Face Growing Pressure Around Two Crucial Roster Situations
The Flyers are back in the early-season spotlight for all the wrong reasons, with Rick Tocchet and his staff already feeling the heat after a winless start. There is always a little panic baked into October when the details slip and the results do not follow, and Philadelphia has given its coach and assistants no real cushion as they try to settle the group down and get the season pointed in the right direction.
Across the league, Detroit has its own roster questions building in the background, and those decisions could ripple well beyond its own locker room. Contract talks with restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson have yet to show movement, Dylan Larkins situation remains fluid, and Kris Drapers shift into the pro scouting department only adds another layer to the evaluation process as the Red Wings weigh what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Already Look Stuck With A Roster Problem They Created
The Flyers came into training camp with a roster that felt mostly decided before the competition even got going, and the shortened preseason only made that approach harder to challenge. Danny Briere acknowledged the team had a preset mindset, which meant there was limited room for younger players to force their way onto the opening night lineup even as Cole Knuble and Jett Luchanko showed enough promise to at least keep the conversation alive.
Philadelphias caution has left it with a familiar early-season problem: a roster that may not have much flexibility when opportunities appear. Even with injuries creating openings, the Flyers still did not lean into them for a young forward, a choice that speaks to how carefully the organization is managing its prospects and how quickly a self-imposed logjam can turn into a real issue once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]