Latest Trade Talk Shows There Are No Untouchables On Flyers

First, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said he would listen to offers for goalie Carter Hart. Now, The Fourth Period reports that the Flyers are looking for a trade partner for defenseman Tony DeAngelo.

What you can deduce from those news items is simple.

Every player is available. There are no untouchables on the Flyers’ roster. Once Hart’s name was tossed out there, that was a given. Looking to shop DeAngelo was less of a surprise.

What else you can deduce: The Flyers are going to back up Briere’s pledge in March to rebuild. They want to deal.

The Hart and DeAngelo news tells me the Flyers aren’t looking for a tweak. They want to dramatically change the roster and the culture. This is just the beginning.

Culture change might take more than one offseason. That’s going to take commitment from management to begin the process and stick with it.

That’s going to take commitment from the players. Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson, both of whom are expected to return from season-long injuries, are dedicated professionals and what the Flyers need.

The Flyers will continue to get leadership from gold-medal winning Scott Laughton, a Canada alternate captain at the World Championships.

“It’s huge for me to try and get this thing turned in the right direction, help the franchise and be part of the solution,” Laughton said on the Flyers’ Twitter account Wednesday.

No Stars To Keep

The rebuilding Flyers were 31-38-13 last season, missing the playoffs for a third consecutive season. There are no stars on the team. There’s no one the team needs to keep.

Hart is the only player who should not be traded. I’d keep Owen Tippett, too. Briere should be praised for listening to Hart offers. It’s what he should do. It’s what general managers always do. He just shouldn’t trade him.

Realistically, Kevin Hayes will be traded and James van Riemsdyk will move on in free agency. There has been persistent talk about trading Ivan Provorov. If those three transactions happen, the Flyers instantly get younger and faster.

If the Flyers keep Provorov, that’s fine. If he buys into the rebuild, his game might bounce back. He’s a player with value on or off the team.

A revitalized Provorov can help a weak defense. Provorov could bring in a meaty return in a trade. He would be valuable to several teams on the cusp of Cup contention.

That said, Briere and president of hockey operations Keith Jones must ensure a fair-trade price for their players. DeAngelo is a right-shot defenseman, a treasured commodity in the NHL. 

The Fourth Period reported the Flyers are willing to retain money “to help facilitate a deal” for DeAngelo, who was benched for the final five games of the season.

Briere is ready to deal.

We won’t be surprised in the future when we learn what other players the Flyers might be shopping, or with whom Briere is on phone and for what reason. Everyone is up for grabs.

That’s the uncertainty of a team on the mend. That’s the reality of roster-washing.

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Stanley Cup Finals:

Game 1: Panthers at Golden Knights, 8 p.m. Saturday, TNT