Elliotte Friedman reported in his 32 Thoughts column, “Not sure we’re going to see much trade action too early, but Philadelphia is definitely checking what’s out there on defence.”
Nothing about the team’s philosophy to this point suggests they are going to hand over young prospects for an older, veteran player. The team explored the possibility of adding Bowen Bynam during the off-season in a trade with Buffalo, but that did not come to fruition.
Cam York and Jamie Drysdale remain players the team wants to build around and focus on, but it badly needs to enhance the roster around them. Unfortunately, that will be easier said than done and will likely result in more of the same for Philly: trading for a young player with upside.
There will be options available, such as Thomas Harley in Dallas, who is on an expiring deal; however, any deal for him will likely wait until later in the season. Harley had a 50-point season in 2024-25 and led all Stars defensemen in goals with 16. He would be an interesting fit in Philadelphia and at 24 years old, a potential high-potential contributor for the next decade.
The Flyers have put themselves in a position where fixing their biggest weakness will likely have to wait. Considering how loaded the Eastern Conference is, that could put them in an unenviable position early on.
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