The Philadelphia Flyers have not given anyone a real trade request to chase, but the noise around Travis Konecny is starting to take on a life of its own.
That’s the concern now: the rumors could end up becoming bigger than the team’s actual play. Konecny’s slow start, paired with Philadelphia’s rough opening to the season, has helped fuel speculation that the Flyers might need to make a move.
Before he was sidelined, the veteran winger had three assists in five games. That alone is not a disaster, but it has landed in the middle of a team story that has already been dragged down by a tough start.
The Flyers have improved quite a bit since opening the year with nine straight losses, yet the Konecny chatter has refused to disappear. The talk has centered on whether Philadelphia needs to shake things up to get itself pointed in a better direction. Still, there’s no sign the organization is actually weighing a deal.
If Daniel Briere were to seriously explore moving Konecny, it would not be a simple call. Konecny, 29, is in the second season of an eight-year extension, and his $8.75 million cap hit would be a major hurdle for any team considering a deal. Even with rising cap space around the league, that kind of contract commitment is enough to make plenty of clubs hesitate.
Then there’s the return. The Flyers would not be in a position to move him at a discount.
Konecny remains a legitimate 20-goal threat, has reached 30 goals twice, and is coming off a 27-goal season last year. That’s real offensive production, and players who can provide top-six scoring do not come cheap.
Even if Philadelphia wanted a major shakeup, trading Konecny would not automatically solve everything. The bigger question is who replaces him, and that answer is far from obvious.
For now, this looks like rumor more than reality. But if the chatter keeps hanging around, the Flyers could be stuck dealing with a distraction they don’t need. At some point, it would fall to Briere to shut it all down.
In Other News...
Flyers Showed Fight But One Familiar Problem Ruined It Again
For a Flyers team trying to keep building on signs of progress, Tuesdays loss in Columbus had the frustrating shape of a game that got away, then nearly came back, then slipped away for good. The Blue Jackets jumped out to a three-goal lead in the first period, and Philadelphia spent the rest of the night digging out of it before falling 4-3 in overtime, with Cam Talbot turning aside 28 shots for Columbus and Dan Vladar making 11 saves for the Flyers.
The rally was enough to make this one feel like two different games, which only sharpened the disappointment once overtime arrived. Philadelphia showed plenty of fight to erase the deficit and force the extra session, but the finish again left the Flyers with the same familiar problem they have been trying to solve: finding a way to turn effort and recovery into points before the night gets decided in the smallest of margins. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Face A Tight Division Test With Little Margin For Error
The Flyers head into Washington with little room to spare in a Metropolitan Division matchup that already feels like an early measuring stick. Both teams have had their share of recent ups and downs, and the setting only adds to the pressure, with each side trying to steady itself in a game where recent form, goalie play and the betting market all point to a tight one.
Philadelphia is also dealing with the usual late-season concerns that can tilt a game of this type, from injury status to the margin for error inside the division. Add in the fact that recent results for both clubs have not left much breathing room, and this looks like the kind of contest where every shift matters and the final score could hinge on one goal either way. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Keep Showing Fight But One Problem Wont Go Away
The Flyers keep finding ways to make games interesting, even if the early hole keeps costing them. In Wednesdays 4-3 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets at Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia dug itself out of a 3-0 first-period deficit and forced extra time, another sign that the group has not lost its fight even as it keeps chasing more consistency. Dan Vladar made 11 saves on 15 shots, and the home team at least gave itself a chance after a rough opening frame.
Cam York was back after missing eight games, which was a welcome sight for a blue line that has been dealing with turnover and injury, while Rasmus Ristolainen was out again because of a reinjured left hand. Still, the same issue lingered long enough to matter: Columbus eventually broke through in overtime and left the Flyers with another hard-luck result to sort through as the season keeps grinding forward. [Read more 🡒]