The Flyers are about three and a half weeks out from the March 21 trade deadline.
As we all know, "everything's on the table" for the club, as general manager Chuck Fletcher said Jan. 26.
The Flyers are fighting another losing streak and stand at 15-26-10 entering this weekend. With the trading period drawing closer and Fletcher set to "aggressively retool," let's get into our latest three thoughts on the Flyers.
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1. The deal with Risto
To no real surprise, there will be plenty of publicity around Rasmus Ristolainen's name as the deadlines nears.
The Flyers have fallen severely short of expectations and Ristolainen is on an expiring contract with a style of play well-suited for playoff hockey.
When the Flyers acquired Ristolainen in a July trade, the bruising Finnish defenseman said he felt he was a "playoff type of player." In his ninth NHL season, the 27-year-old has yet to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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Contending teams will be interested and the Flyers could run the risk of losing Ristolainen for nothing in free agency after paying a "big price" to acquire him. So they'll listen to offers and could part ways by cashing in.
But the situation hardly translates to Ristolainen being a definite goner at the deadline.
Some things to consider:
Ristolainen does like being on the Flyers and has liked Philadelphia. He said it on record and he shows it every day in practice. He is often seen enjoying himself with teammates, who have grown to love him after hating to play against him.
"I love Risto and what he brings to the lineup," Flyers interim head coach Mike Yeo said Friday. "And what I love about him is I know that other teams hate to play against him. I know that our team hated to play against him, I know that other teams hate to play against him.
"I think he's playing really good hockey for us. He's a warrior, he shows up to play night after night and, to me, that is what I think of the Flyers being and what I want the Flyers to be and I think what we all expect the Flyers to be. For me, I know that he loves being here and we love having him."
Many folks in hockey appreciate Ristolainen's brand of defense, including folks running the Flyers. Fletcher said the Flyers' goal when they traded for Ristolainen and his expiring contract was to keep him.
A key to the decision is the obvious: the Flyers have leverage because they have his rights. They can negotiate with Ristolainen and potentially sign him before anyone else can on July 13, when free agency opens.
Fletcher had to convince Kevin Hayes to sign with the Flyers after trading for his rights in June 2019, and this came after the organization went through one of its worst seasons since 2006-07.
It's worth noting this season has been much worse than 2018-19 and Ristolainen endured eight playoff-less years in Buffalo. But the Flyers like him and want him for a chance at a turnaround. They can conceivably win him over. In many ways, having him already here is half the battle.
More: In a ray of light, Flyers nearing a 'luxury' they haven't had much this season
2. Konecny the goal scorer
Because of his lack of goals, it's easy to forget Travis Konecny is on a season-best seven-game point streak (one goal, six assists).
Since Yeo took over Dec. 6, Konecny is second on the team in points with 21 (three goals, 18 assists), behind only Cam Atkinson at 24 (nine goals, 15 assists).
"Overall, I'm obviously not pleased," Konecny said Friday. "For the year, I feel like in ways I've not been at my best at times. That's hard, you're trying to put in the time and effort and it's just not going for you. I've been sticking with it and trying to do the best I can to be a good teammate and try to get through this hard time that we're going through. Doing the right things and lately it's just been paying off."
Everyone, including Konecny, would like the energetic winger to pot some more goals. He has three goals in his last 34 games for a team that is 28th in the league this season with 2.53 goals per game.
Konecny has eight total.
"That's the one that just stands out," Konecny said of how he can be better. "But at the end of the day, there's a lot more to it. I could talk forever about it. Just little details. For example, just moving my feet when I get the puck, it just creates more space and opens up other things. Just stuff like that that I think I was lacking and I'm starting to do a little bit better."
Konecny's goal total doesn't mean he hasn't been effective. It may just mean the Flyers are in need of more pure goal scorers, which has become increasingly evident throughout this season.
"I would say he's been almost a little bit more of a playmaker lately," Yeo said Thursday about Konecny. "He's making some great plays, he's creating some offense. I feel like T.K.'s game is coming in the right direction. He's putting himself in more scoring positions, every game he's getting at least two quality, grade A chances and a lot of that stuff is from doing the right things.
"I think that there are times where he is still passing up shots. For me, he should be a shooter first, he should have a shoot-first mentality. But I am seeing him control the puck more, attack with more speed, moving his feet more and I think that's a big part of why he's making those plays and creating that offense. We want him scoring goals, we want him to be a goal scorer, I think he's putting himself in a position to.
"But I think shooting the puck and having a shot-first mentality could put a little bit more of that into him."
Konecny was an All-Star in 2019-20 and turns only 25 years old in March. One would think the Flyers still see him as a big piece to the future. But as Fletcher said, everything is on table.
If the Flyers look to make a "hockey trade" — moving players for players to address current roster needs — perhaps Konecny would be somebody they'd dangle.
As we've noted before amid trade buzz with Konecny, he is a good and valuable player. His goal numbers going back to the 2020 playoffs should not shrink his value.
More: Braun, a sneaky-good trade chip, knows his situation with Flyers
3. The captain's wishes
There's no doubt the organization and his teammates will respect Claude Giroux's decision ahead of the deadline.
Will the 34-year-old captain waive his no-move clause? Nobody truly knows other than Giroux and those close to him.
Giroux doesn't have just his future in mind, which is commendable.
Atkinson, in his first season as a teammate of Giroux, put it well Friday:
"He's in a unique situation. He's the heart and soul of this team, the heart and soul of this organization," Atkinson said. "It's been an honor to get to know him and whatever he decides to do, it's his decision. He's put himself in that situation, in that position. He wants to win more than anyone I've ever seen and I love that. He pushes me every day and I hope that I push him a little bit, as well. He lives and dies putting on that jersey and being a Flyer."
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