How will the scuffling Flyers approach the trade deadline?

With 56 games down and the All-Star break in the rearview mirror, the Flyers are headed for the home stretch of John Tortorella’s first season at the helm. While the team has probably overachieved with a pesky 22-24-10 record going into the weekend, unfortunately, it doesn’t look as if it will be a playoff year for the team.

That means the Flyers are set to be sellers ahead of the March 3 trade deadline. Will the Flyers rock the boat and move on from a core player like a Kevin Hayes or Ivan Provorov? Or will they stick to the script and make the more minor and expected hockey deals? The Flyers possess some potentially interesting trade chips and certainly have some difficult decisions to make before March 3.

With just a couple weeks until the trade deadline, we asked our beat reports Giana Han and Olivia Reiner for the latest from the NHL hot stove:

GH: First of all, the Flyers will probably have to retain part of van Riemsdyk’s salary. He’s on the final year of a five-year contract with a cap hit of $7 million. Even the remainder of his salary is a lot for a team to take on. Luckily, the Flyers have a lot of space because of all their players on long-term IR. If they agree to shoulder about half of his remaining salary, van Riemsdyk is almost certainly traded. He’s been scoring this season, and he’s also helped the players around him to produce (Morgan Frost and Owen Tippett have played their best hockey by his side). He’s valuable for both his skill and his knowledge. The Flyers could hope for a second-rounder in return for him or a combination of lower picks.

OR: What the Flyers are able to get in return for van Riemsdyk, hypothetically, will depend on how much of his remaining cap hit they’re willing to retain. Last year, the Flyers had to retain half of captain Claude Giroux’s remaining salary and throw in a 2024 fifth-round pick in their trade with the Florida Panthers to (A) acquire Owen Tippett, Florida’s 2023 third-round pick, and their 2024 conditional first-round pick, and (B) dump the contracts of Connor Bunnaman and German Rubtsov. Van Riemsdyk won’t be able to draw the same haul as Giroux did, but he should demand a better return than 34-year-old Derick Brassard did last season (a 2023 fourth-rounder). Considering his age (33), hefty remaining cap hit after the trade deadline ($1.55 million), and production (22 points in 35 games this season), van Riemsdyk should warrant a high mid-round pick ideally.

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GH: I would have said Ivan Provorov could be a trade piece to keep an eye on. However, I’m not sure how his recent protest against Pride Night will affect that. It’s not a good look for teams — but then again, the Flyers traded for Tony DeAngelo, who comes with just as much bad publicity. I’d guess Kevin Hayes is someone to keep an eye on, especially since he continues to produce offensively, but I don’t know that the Flyers’ return would be that great considering how high Hayes’s contract is. It’s hard to speculate, though, because the Flyers have given such mixed signals about their plans. Do they still think they need just a few pieces? Or do they want to play the long game, accumulating draft picks and developing their youth?

OR: Sure, but it could be challenging. Nearly half of the league is operating in LTIR currently, and next season, the salary cap is projected to rise only $1 million, to $83.5 million. Given where they are in the standings, the Flyers should be in sell mode, and few players should be off-limits as far as a prospective trade is concerned. But it takes two (or three) teams to tango.

GH: Seeler has been defensively reliable and consistent through the season. It’s what he was advertised as, but this year, he has more help than he did last season. He’s also exactly the type of player Tortorella likes — a gritty shot blocker who plays with heart — and as a result, he’s earned a lot of playing time. That’s bound to help a player improve. The Flyers also are paying almost nothing for him. Since he took a break from hockey, Seeler was just trying to get a chance rather than a big check. Considering how reliable he’s been and how inexpensive he is, it’s not super surprising people are considering him someone with trade value. And since he’s in his late 20s, he’s not exactly on the Flyers’ timeline if they’re committing to a youth movement. However, if it’s a buyers’ market, I don’t know how much the Flyers could realistically get back for him.

OR: Seeler has consistently been in the lineup this season, appearing in 52 of 55 games (three goals, seven assists, plus-2). Last season, he played just 43 games, rotating in and out of the lineup as the team’s seventh defenseman. Tortorella has taken to him because of his gritty approach to the game and willingness to stand in front of the net and block shots. He ranks third on the team in blocks (95) behind just Ivan Provorov (126) and Rasmus Ristolainen (105) and seventh in hits (88). Seeler has averaged 14 minutes, 24 seconds of ice time, playing primarily on the third defensive pairing. On a better team, Seeler isn’t a sixth defenseman, so it’s a bit surprising to hear his name tossed around in trade rumors. But more power to GM Chuck Fletcher if he’s able to move Seeler for a decent return.

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GH: It’s not Konecny’s streakiness that I think makes him “untouchable.” It’s that trading him would truly be committing to a rebuilding. No one seems worried about Konecny’s current scoring drought, and I’m sure there are other teams out there that are convinced they can get him back on track. He’s shown he can contribute in ways other than scoring, as well. And his contract isn’t that high for a guy who can go on a 10-game scoring streak. He’s definitely someone the Flyers could trade for a good return. Konecny’s also just a little bit on the older end, so his best years might not coincide with when the Flyers’ young prospects make it to the NHL. So if the Flyers are truly going to rebuild, it could make sense to move him. But the Flyers have to actually decide that they’re going to rebuild.

OR: Could they? Sure. Will they? I doubt it. Moving Konecny at this point in his career, scoring drought aside, would signal a true rebuilding, a word the organization has refused to utter. They’ve done nothing to indicate that they’re going to rip the roster down to the studs and start collecting as many high draft picks as possible. Right now, Tortorella is treating Konecny like he’s part of the solution. He has reiterated throughout the season that Konecny is someone he trusts in every phase of the game, utilizing him on the power play and the penalty kill.