Flyers checking out Colorado prospects for potential Claude Giroux trade; Cam York injured

Ten NHL scouts, including at least two from the Philadelphia Flyers, attended the Colorado Eagles’ AHL game against visiting Tucson on Friday.

The Flyers are heavily scouting the Avs’ NHL team and their AHL affiliate for a potential Claude Giroux trade. Danny Briere, newly named as a special assistant to general manager Chuck Fletcher, was at Friday’s AHL game; he was also at the Colorado-Tampa Bay NHL game Thursday in Denver.

Giroux, 34, a potential unrestricted free agent this summer, has a no-movement clause but is expected to waive it.

The Flyers would need Colorado’s first-round pick, for starters. The Avs don’t have a first-rounder this year — it was traded to Arizona — so it would have to be one down the road, which might be more attractive to the Flyers because the 2023 draft is stronger and because the Avalanche will get a lousy draft position in 2022.

The Flyers also are believed to be pursuing a top prospect and a player from Colorado’s roster, such as center Tyson Jost or left winger J.T. Compher.

Jost, who turns 24 next month,was drafted in the first round (No. 10 overall) in 2016 and has played parts of six seasons with Colorado, never topping 12 goals.

Compher, 26, drafted by Buffalo in the second round in 2013, has eight goals, 16 points, and a plus-6 rating in 33 games with the Avs this season.

Sources say the Flyers are enamored with Sampo Ranta, 21, a Colorado Eagles AHL left winger who was drafted in the third round (78th overall) by the Avs in 2018. He has spent this season between Colorado’s NHL team (0 goals in 10 games) and the AHL’s Eagles (10 points, six goals, plus-5 rating in 29 games).

A native of Finland, he once starred at the University of Minnesota.

Giroux, the Flyers’ captain, is generating interest from lots of teams. He is having another strong season and was named the MVP of the recent All-Star tournament in Las Vegas.

York injured

Defenseman Cam York, one of the Flyers’ best prospects, was injured in the Phantoms’ game Friday night against Hershey.

York absorbed a hit in the neutral zone late in the opening period, returned for a shift, and then sat out the second period, according to Phantoms reporter Tony Androckitis.

The Phantoms won the game, 6-3, and Lehigh Valley winger Linus Sandin was also injured. Center Morgan Frost missed the game with an illness.

Cam York takes a bit of a late hit in the neutral zone, and he's slow to get up & heads to bench and is being looked at by Phantoms' trainer.

York is staying on the bench for now during a stoppage with 5:13 left in 1st period. pic.twitter.com/dwFtM7AjG4

— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) February 12, 2022