Welcome to Philadelphia Flyers News and Rumors. The offseason is underway after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 7. Duncan Keith will be playing for the Edmonton Oilers in the 2021-22 season and the duo of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter both had their contracts bought out by the Minnesota Wild.
There was some news this week regarding the Philadelphia Flyers, as general manager Chuck Fletcher held a press conference and there are reports of Vladimir Tarasenko having the orange and black on a list of teams as one of his preferred destinations.
Fletcher’s Offseason Agenda
Fletcher provided an update to the media on Tuesday morning regarding the Flyers’ priorities this offseason. According to Sam Carchidi of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the general manager is prepared to offer the team’s first-round selection, 13th overall, in the upcoming NHL Draft on July 23-24 if the return was a player that can contribute to the Flyers for multiple seasons.
.@NHLFlyers willing to deal their first-round pick if it brings them a player for the long run https://t.co/dBAoevAvHg via @PhillyInquirer
— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) July 14, 2021
The Flyers general manager is aware that a team usually keeps its first-round pick but is willing to part with the selection for the right return that would be an asset to the orange and black. Assistant general manager Brent Flahr noted that the team will select the best player available in the draft. Fletcher mentioned due to the expansion draft and the flat cap that there will be a few moves around the National Hockey League this offseason that will be unexpected.
Bill Meltzer, a contributor to NHL.com and a blogger for HockeyBuzz, mentioned on episode 199 of The Press Zone podcast that the top priority this offseason for the Flyers is to bring in a top right-shot defenseman to pair with Ivan Provorov such as Seth Jones, Dougie Hamilton, David Savard, Adam Larsson or another player through a trade. He mentioned the needs on the roster include better two-way players, speed, improvement on the penalty kill, and physicality, as the Flyers struggled in these areas last season. A backup goaltender for Carter Hart is another upgrade, as Brian Elliott is due to be an unrestricted free agent. He referred to the current state of the Flyers as a team at a crossroads entering a significant offseason where several improvements are needed throughout the roster.
Tarasenko Rumors
According to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic, Vladimir Tarasenko has listed 10 teams he would be willing to accept a trade to from the St. Louis Blues, and the Flyers were included among them.
Tarasenko has given the Blues a list of at least 10 clubs to which he can be traded, and we think we know a majority of those: the Rangers, Islanders, Golden Knights, Bruins and Flyers we reported previously, and you can add the Lightning, Capitals and Panthers to that list.
From “What I’m hearing about the Blues: Latest on Vladimir Tarasenko trade options, Jaden Schwartz’s contract and more” by Jeremy Rutherford – The Athletic, 7/14/21
Rutherford and Corey Pronman wrote the Flyers could include Morgan Frost and Philippe Myers in a potential trade for the Blues’ star player.
Rutherford: In 2017, the Blues traded two first-round picks to Philadelphia for Brayden Schenn, and the Flyers used one of them on Frost. Frost was hurt in 2020-21, and so far he’s played in just 22 NHL games and scored twice. He’s only 22 and has a lot of upside, so perhaps the Blues would have some interest. Myers, 24, may be a player who gets their attention more than Frost, but the Flyers might prefer to use him in a bigger trade to help bring an impact defenseman.
From “Vladimir Tarasenko trade packages: What the Rangers, Islanders, Knights, Bruins and Flyers could offer the Blues” by Jeremy Rutherford and Corey Pronman – The Athletic, 7/12/21
#OskarStrong T-Shirt Sales Help Raise Funds For Ewing’s Sarcoma Research
Flyers Charities and the Sarcoma Foundation of America announced on Wednesday that #OskarStrong t-shirt sales in support of Oskar Lindblom’s fight against Ewing’s Sarcoma helped fund a grant for research of the rare form of bone cancer.
Sales from #OskarStrong t-shirts supporting @NHLFlyers forward Oskar Lindblom funded a $50,000 grant for Ewing’s sarcoma research, presented to Dr. Margaret Chou of @ChildrensPhila.https://t.co/ckPBFd115T
— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) July 14, 2021
Members of the organizations presented a $50,000 check to Dr. Margaret Chou, a cancer researcher at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Lindblom was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in December 2019 and announced he was cancer-free in December 2020.
Voracek on the Move?
Jakub Voracek and the Flyers may be headed for a mutual split this summer according to Elliotte Friedman’s “31 Thoughts” column for Sportsnet.
I’m going to stress that this situation has been descried as “not acrimonious to me, but Philadelphia and Jakub Voracek have discussed that it might be time for a change, as well. Voracek is expected to be left unprotected for the expansion draft (and was told so), where former Flyers coach Dave Hakstol would weigh in. Should that fail, Philly will look elsewhere. There are three years left on his contract, with cash slightly lower than his cap hit of $8.25 million. Both sides are also prepared for the possibility a trade won’t occur, so he stays put. But there will be a legit attempt to move him.
It appears that Voracek will not be protected in the expansion draft, and he could be selected by the Seattle Kraken or be traded this offseason.