Flyers have several players in limbo as the March 8 trade deadline nears

Twenty-two days.

That’s all that’s left between now and the NHL trade deadline on March 8 at 3 p.m. Twenty-two days for the Flyers brass to decide which direction they will take.

Entering Wednesday, the Flyers are situated in third place in the Metropolitan Division. Thanks to a four-game winning streak, the team is six points ahead of the New Jersey Devils (whom the Flyers face Saturday in the Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium) and seven clear of the New York Islanders. Both teams have games in hand.

» READ MORE: Examining which Flyers could be moved before the trade deadline

It’s a good spot to be in considering it’s mid-February and the Flyers have 28 games left. As general manager Danny Brière said at his midseason chat with the media and coach John Tortorella reiterated on Feb. 4, the team is in a situation not many people expected but the eye is still on the future.

“We are not backing off at all as far as what we’re trying to do with the organization and the big picture as far as rebuilding,” Tortorella said then.

“I don’t want to speak out of turn for Danny, but if it’s a situation where it’s a really good asset that comes back, it’s going to happen. We cannot lose sight of what we’re doing here. But on the other side of that, we’re trying to win every ... game we play.”

Here’s an updated look, from two weeks ago, at who could be in play for the Flyers at the deadline.

Sean Walker (Jan. 31: same) — The Flyers’ blueliner is still expected to get moved. Tortorella said on Friday that the team isn’t out shopping Walker, “but we’d be dopes if we didn’t listen.” As a pending unrestricted free agent who is a right-shot, Walker has become a highly-coveted rental on the open market. But Philly would hate to lose Walker, who has become glued to Nick Seeler to create one of the most reliable duos in the NHL.

According to Natural Stat Trick, they are the 11th-best pairing in expected goals for percentage (54.96%) and No. 4 in shots for percentage (58.30%) at five-on-five in the league, with a minimum of 400 minutes together. Translation: they don’t spend a ton of time in their own end. The Flyers have a gluttony of defensemen — you’d have to think showcasing their blueliners to the other 31 teams is part of why the team is regularly going with seven defensemen — and will need to make a move. Daily Faceoff has Walker at No. 6 on trade targets and the Fourth Period has him at 12th, listing the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Devils as linked teams.

Scott Laughton (Jan. 31: same) — The good news is that Laughton has elevated his game in the last week when it comes to getting on the score sheet. The bad news for the room is that it makes him that much more enticing to the rest of the NHL. A veteran voice, the alternate captain is someone teams will be hankering for as a center who can play a 200-foot game and has term. The centermarket has already seen Elias Lindholm (to the Vancouver Canucks) and Sean Monahan (to the Winnipeg Jets) yield first-rounders, and there is nothing to stop the Flyers from expecting the same — which is what they could have gotten for the 29-year-old over the summer. The Fourth Period lists the Leafs, Oilers, Avalanche, and Buffalo Sabres as interested parties.

» READ MORE: Flyers takeaways in Coyotes win: Laughton 'getting rewarded' as he and Konecny go streaking

Rasmus Ristolainen (Jan. 31: Maybe yes. Maybe no.) — Another case of too many quality defensemen and not enough room, the right-shot Finn has also long been rumored to be on the move. Ristolainen has had an up-and-down season. He missed time at the start with a lower-body injury, was a healthy scratch on Jan. 25 against the Detroit Red Wings, and is now out with an upper-body injury that the Flyers initially thought would be a short-term. The team ended up announcing on Wednesday there is no timetable for his return, which could put a kibosh on a trade. Could they still move him? Sure, if the prognosis is that he’ll be back in 4-6 weeks, which at the latest keeps him out to the end of March. When he is on his game Ristolainen is a solid defensive defenseman, a valuable commodity come playoff time.

The biggest hindrance to moving the 29-year-old is he has a hefty $5.1 million cap hit and is just in Year 2 of a five-year deal. Per the Fourth Period, the Flyers may be willing to retain 25% to 35% of his contract but want a first-round pick in return. The question is, will anyone give a top pick for him?

Marc Staal (Jan. 31: Gone, baby, gone) — What the Flyers do with Staal is really anyone’s guess. They’re not showcasing him in games — he’s played just twice since Jan. 13 — but when he does play, he’s been steady in terms of positioning and acted as a calming presence. In just 12 minutes, 32 seconds of ice time against the Arizona Coyotes on Monday, he was a plus-2. As stated two weeks ago, you’d have to think Tortorella would want to give a guy he’s known since 2009 another chance to win a Stanley Cup before he retires. At 37, he is a depth defenseman who could enter the lineup in a pinch when an injury hits late in the season for a Stanley Cup contender.

Nick Seeler (Jan. 31: Gone, baby, gone) — He’s the biggestmover on the board. The consensus is now the Flyers will do everything to keep the gutty, gritty, shot-blocking machine (No. 1 in the NHL). This is a guy who blocked shots against the Florida Panthers last week that appeared to cause considerable pain but who was all smiles chatting about where the puck hit him in the locker room afterward. A free agent come July 1, the 30-year-old — as mentioned above with defensive partner Walker — has become a key cog to the Flyers’ success.

Morgan Frost (Jan. 31: same) — Like Laughton, Frost has turned it up of late and has enthralled Flyers fans with his quick feet, strong skating ability, and impressive creativity. He’s also impressed Tortorella with his elevated game — and how he “addressed” some things with him at the beginning of January. Frost has found success playing alongside Joel Farabee and Cam Atkinson, but he is, like Laughton, a highly coveted center. In a never-say-never world, the Flyers have their ears open. But with the 24-year-old stepping up and playing with some new-found confidence, and with one year left, at a cap hit of $2.1 million, there is no rush here for Brière and Co.

Cam Atkinson (Jan. 31: same) — Speaking of having an up-and-down season, Tortorella called Atkinson’s play “inconsistent” on Feb. 10. Atkinson himself said later that day that his game is, “A work in progress right now.” Regardless, Atkinson is a guy who is unlikely to be moved unless a team gets desperate for a veteran guy who has a high hockey IQ, can play both special teams, and likes to get to the dirty areas. But Atkinson does have one year remaining with a cap hit of $5.875 million, so that could stymie any action.

Off the board

Garnet Hathaway — Tortorella loves the human wrecking ball, who is now fourth in the NHL in hits (178). He moves Hathaway up and down the lineup to add some energy and the forward is a critical component to the Flyers’ penalty kill that is No. 2 in the league .

» READ MORE: How Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway recorded 43 hits in a single night

Travis Konecny — Before the All-Star break, Konecny had one goal and six points in 11 games. In the four games since, , he has been on a tear with seven points (three goals, four assists) and has mucked it up more. There will always be rumors about a move, as he is clearly the Flyers’ best asset, and they are in a rebuild, but there is no reason this team should ship him out. The way things are going, the rebuild could be short and Konecny (25 goals, 24 assists) is a big reason why.

» READ MORE: The Flyers’ Travis Konecny has blossomed from ‘rat’ into one of the NHL’s top goal scorers

Bobby Brink — Down in the AHL, the right wing has shown he still has some work to do to become a full-time NHL player.