Flyers' Final Guide for 2023 NHL Trade Deadline

The Philadelphia Flyers continue to be one of the biggest disappointments in the NHL.

They sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division standings with a 23-26-10 record and well out of a playoff spot. There's not much hope for the team to turn things around, either, as Cam Atkinson, Ryan Ellis and Sean Couturier—three of their best players—are on injured reserve.

Atkinson has already been ruled out for the season after neck surgery, and Couturier's status for the remainder of the year is unclear due to a back injury. Ellis, meanwhile, is also expected to miss the entire season with a multi-layered injury in his pelvic region.

With the team set to miss the postseason for the third consecutive year, the front office isn't likely to be a major player at the trade deadline. Instead, look for the Flyers to be sellers as they enter a rebuild.

So, let's take a look at some players who could be moved and what the return might look like.

James van Riemsdyk is in the final year of his five-year, $35 million contract with the Flyers, and the franchise will undoubtedly look to move him and capitalize on any value he may have on the trade market.

Jeff Marek told 32 Thoughts in December that Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher would listen to offers for the 33-year-old:

"The Philadelphia Flyers have made him available. The actual cash here is $5 million (and) $1 million has already been paid as a bonus going back to last summer. The cap hit is $7 million … and Philadelphia could eat some of that as well to make it more palatable for a team looking at James van Riemsdyk."

Van Riemsdyk has notched nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points in 39 games this season. He would be a solid addition for any contending team in need of some depth entering the latter stages of the year.

In February, Marek and Elliott Friedman named the Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights as the three main teams looking into a move for the Middletown, New Jersey native.

Unfortunately for the Flyers, he isn't going to net a significant return. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff listed the deal that sent Jeff Carter to the Pittsburgh Penguins in April 2021 as a comparable return.

The Penguins sent the Kings a 2022 third-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick in exchange for Carter. L.A. also retained 50 percent of his salary, which is likely something the Flyers would have to do with Van Riemsdyk.

Unlike Van Riemsdyk, defenseman Ivan Provorov comes with term remaining on his six-year, $40.5 million contract as he's locked up through the 2024-25 campaign at $6.75 million per year.

The 26-year-old's deal, coupled with the fact he's been a consistent point producer through his seven-year career, will likely make him one of the more desired assets the Flyers have to offer.

Provorov has been included in trade rumors for more than a year, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman told the 32 Thoughts podcast in February that the defenseman and the Flyers had discussed whether it was time for him to get a fresh start elsewhere.

The Russian isn't the same player he once was, having notched three goals and 18 assists in 59 games this season, and it's uncertain he would be a top-pairing defenseman on a contending team. But he would still be valuable for most playoff-bound teams, perhaps on a second pairing.

Provorov is probably one of Philadelphia's more lucrative assets, and he could net a solid return. NHL Network's Brian Lawton (h/t Giana Han of the Philadelphia Inquirer) pointed out in January that a return could be similar to the one the Anaheim Ducks received in exchange for Hampus Lindholm.

The Ducks traded the 29-year-old to the Boston Bruins at last season's deadline in exchange for Urho Vaakanainen, John Moore's contract, a 2022 first-round pick, and second-round picks in 2023 and 2024.

Kevin Hayes has a limited no-trade clause, meaning he would have to approve a deal to another destination, but there's no denying he could be moved this winter.

In November, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman speculated that the 30-year-old forward could be a buyout candidate this summer after head coach John Tortorella benched him three times over his play without the puck.

However, a buyout would leave the Flyers with $16.5 million in dead cap space through 2028-29, so a trade seems a much more likely scenario.

Hayes is under contract through 2025-26 at $7.1 million per year, and while his cap hit would be difficult for many contenders to fit under their own salary cap, his production would make the struggle worth it.

The Boston native has notched 17 goals and 31 assists for 48 points in 58 games this season. He has also been a consistent producer on offense throughout the entirety of his career, having posted at least 31 points in each of his nine seasons.

Considering Hayes is a consistent producer, it's possible the Flyers will want a first-round pick in exchange for the veteran. If they can't land a first-rounder, a second-round pick and more assets could be the asking price.