Flyers Daily: Latest on Zadorov, Patrick Kane to Buffalo Sabres?

The Philadelphia Flyers had a day off on Monday, but the rest of the league never sleeps.

Following their successful California road trip – which yielded wins against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings – the Flyers assigned goaltender Cal Petersen and defenseman Victor Mete to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. With his win on Saturday, Petersen earned his first NHL win in 361 days.

Because the former Kings netminder was sent down, Carter Hart is probably over his ailment now and officially ready to get back into game action. Hart was supposed to start against the Ducks, and then again against the Kings, but his illness prevented him from appearing in either game.

With Mete also gone to the AHL, the Flyers are left with just six healthy defenders on their roster. Marc Staal was ruled out for four-to-six weeks on Oct. 20, and the Flyers only play two games this week. Might the veteran be nearing a return towards the earlier side of this timeline?

In a distant hockey universe, the Flyers could emerge as an option for disgruntled Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

On Sunday, we paid our respects to former Philadelphia Flyers standout Roman Cechmanek, who tragically passed away at the young age of 52.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers will practice Tuesday morning in Voorhees, NJ before their game in Raleigh, NC against the Carolina Hurricanes. Then, they’ll return home on Friday to host the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.

More from Philly Hockey Now: standout Flyers prospect Denver Barkey was named OHL Player of the Week as his scintillating scoring form in junior rages on. Matvei Michkov has also been on fire in the KHL, and he and fellow Flyers prospect Alexei Kolosov went head-to-head last week.

Around the NHL

Buffalo Sabres

Heavy Hockey Network’s Jeffery Ade shared on X Sunday evening that Patrick Kane was set to sign with the Buffalo Sabres. Kane is from Buffalo, and most recently played for the New York Rangers before undergoing offseason hip resurfacing surgery.

Kane’s contract is rumored to be a two-year deal, worth somewhere between $3.5-$4 million.

The caveat is that this is not the most reputable source ever, but Ade in his crew accurately reported Jay Woodcroft’s pending dismissal from the Edmonton Oilers following the conclusion of their road trip last week.

Florida Panthers

Expanding upon that, this Patrick Kane jig is not up just yet.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on his 32 Thoughts podcast that Florida Panthers GM “Bill Zito… has been one of the most aggressive general managers when it comes to Patrick Kane.” “They don’t have a ton of money… but he is like the salesperson that calls you during dinner. He’s been very aggressive with Kane.”

A strong start to the 2023-24 season has seen the Panthers in pole position for another playoff appearance, and it seems they’re not done adding just yet.

Florida Hockey Now: Sam Bennett has been banged up quite a bit, appearing in just one game so far this season before getting injured again. The Panthers, however, will be welcoming Bennett back once again against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Hockey Now: Pavel Francouz has been placed on LTIR after an offseason adductor surgery, and his year is officially over. He’ll be heading back to Czechia.

New Jersey Devils

New Jersey Hockey Now: A source told New Jersey Hockey Now that Nikita Zadorov would very much be open to a move to the New Jersey Devils, given their status as contenders. There’s been no official movement on that front yet, but several NHL teams are closely monitoring the situation.

San Jose Sharks

San Jose Hockey Now: The Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel had high praise for San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn. The Stanley Cup champion believes Quinn has what it takes to fix the broken Sharks.

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