With the NHL’s trade deadline just around the corner – Monday 3:00pm - General Managers will decide their franchises fate for the remainder of the season and beyond. Throughout the league they’ll ask, buyer or seller?
Philadelphia is in a very vicarious situation. Unlike most NHL teams preparing for their Stanley Cup run, the Flyers do not need to add a high profile player or a goal scorer. Philadelphia lights the lamp more than any other team in the NHL.
The elephant on the ice is their poor play in the defensive zone, from the net minding to the play of the puck. Philadelphia is 27th in overall defense, allowing a whopping 187 goals. The Flyers have already added two defensemen this month but are they done tinkering?
Faced with series cap problems, the Flyers rely heavy on two rookie forwards, Sean Couturier and Matt Read, to log significant ice time on the penalty kill (ranked 23rd). The two outstanding first-year players are 10th and 16th respectively in total short-handed ice time.
For a team that plays short-handed (253 times) more than any other team, the Flyers should look to add a veteran defensive forward, but certainly not at the expense of their young talent.
One of the issues GM Paul Holmgren must really consider as the team moves forward. Go for the Cup now or let his young players mature? Philadelphia has not won a Stanley Cup in almost four decades. The pressure is mounting for the Orange and Black to produce.
Barring a major let down, Philadelphia’s opponent for the playoffs is set. Tied with 75 points, the Flyers battle Pittsburgh for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, winner plays host in the first round.
An experienced defensive minded forward legitimizes the Flyers run at Lord Stanley.
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