PhHN Daily: Flyers Heartbreak; Devils Dysfunction; Ryan Ellis on the Move

Welcome to the 1/9 edition of the PhHN Daily. On today’s edition, we talk about the latest Philadelphia Flyers news, including their last game and an injury to a key player.

Around the league, we have trade rumors, a look at a couple of former Flyers, and a shocking, but necessary statement made by an NHL GM.

Get it all and more on the 1/9 edition of the PhHN Daily!

Philadelphia Flyers

Philly Hockey Now: Heartbreak. That is the one word I’d use to describe the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2-1 overtime loss vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. Scott Laughton stunned his former team with a late-game equalizer, forcing the extra frame in a game that was controlled by the Flyers for nearly 50 minutes.

So if the Flyers controlled most of the game, then what led to the loss? Well, that would be missed opportunities. The simple fact of it all is the Leafs had a much smaller sample size of great chances, and cashed in twice. The Flyers, well, they had too many to count, and just could not convert.

Philadelphia has a good hockey team. The Flyers are good. But what is separating them from being a legitimate contender: closing out games against great teams. The Flyers had their chances on Thursday, but could not put the Leafs to bed.

During Thursday’s game, the Flyers lost their third player in the last two games, as Travis Konecny exited the game after the second period and did not return. The Flyers’ winger left the game with an upper-body injury, and no further update has been provided.

NHL rumors & news

Well, let’s start with the not-so-fun. Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark has been out on personal leave. Following that, some wicked rumors have been spread about him and the team. That forced the team and GM Steve Staios to release an official statement, calling out the internet trolls.

Vegas Hockey Now: The Golden Knights now have back-to-back games in the win column. They erased a two-goal deficit to get the win. However, the win came at a cost. Vegas lost goaltender Carter Hart to injury during the play in which the Blue Jackets scored their first goal. If you saw the play, it did not look good.

San Jose Hockey Now: The Sharks made a trade on Thursday, including a former Flyer, well, kinda. Ryan Ellis (contract) is headed to the Chicago Blackhawks in a deal that is sending Laurent Brossoit to the Sharks. Maybe Brossoit will emerge for the Sharks like Carl Grundstrom did for the Flyers.

Toronto Hockey Now: Continuing the theme of former Flyers, apparently, there was, in fact, a market for Egor Zamula. The former Flyers’ blueliner had his contract terminated and became a free agent, signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, Dave Litman writes that the Maple Leafs were one of six teams that missed out on Zamula.

Forever Blueshirts: Trade rumors! Who does not love trade rumors? Well, they have been circling the New York Rangers all season. From the sounds of it, GM Chris Drury is not afraid to trade a big name, sending a message to his team. It might be difficult, but the Rangers GM does not want to wait too long.

New Jersey Hockey Now: Wrapping this up, our daily dose of the Devils’ dysfunction. It’s not all happy and bright up the turnpike right now. That has led to questions about head coach Sheldon Keefe’s job security. However, James Nichols writes that Keefe should not be the scapegoat for this disaster.

Read More: PhHN Daily: Flyers Cruise; Trouble in Jersey; Mini Trade Deadline?