Very little has changed in the standings since the start of the Flyers' current win streak, which reached a season-high four games after they shut out the Maple Leafs, 1-0, on Saturday night. It began back on January 20 after they grabbed a 3-2 victory over the Penguins in their last game before the all-star break.
The Flyers, who have won five out of their last six games, are currently 10 points behind the Bruins for the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. Before their current streak started, Craig Berube's team was 11 points out, meaning for all the winning they've done since the all-star break, they're not in a much better position to make a playoff run.
"We put ourselves in a little bit more of a manageable position to get back in the hunt, but there’s still a lot of work to be done," Steve Mason said.
That presents a problem for general manager Ron Hextall.
The NHL trade deadline is less than four weeks away. Between now and then, the Flyers front office must decide if they want to add players in the hopes of making a playoff run - keep in mind that two of the last three champs were not high seeds - or unload some contracts that would otherwise handcuff the organization in the offseason.
After Saturday's win over the Leafs, goalie Steve Mason had the following to say:
"We put ourselves in a little bit more of a manageable position to get back in the hunt, but there’s still a lot of work to be done."
Winger Jake Voracek, who leads the NHL in scoring, echoed Mason's sentiment, saying the team needs to take it one game at a time.
"We have got to go game by game. We can’t just look too much ahead. We know how many points we’re out and how many points the other teams have. We have just got to keep grinding. Like I said, it’s all in our hands.”
That's what you'd expect the players to say. But what about the front office? Even if they're hopeful the team can make a late run, they must be discouraged by the fact that the team has gained little to no ground in the standings over the past two weeks.
Last month, Hextall said that the team wouldn't "mortgage the future" by trying to sneak into the playoffs. So it appears they have no interest in being buyers at the deadline.
Sellers? Maybe.
The one thing that seems apparent, however, is that Hextall has no plans on tanking the season to try to improve the Flyers' draft position.
The Flyers complete their current five-game homestead Thursday against the Islanders before heading out on the road for four games. After that, the March 3 trade deadline will be just two weeks away and the Flyers, as well as their fans, should have a much better idea of how likely a postseason birth will be.
In the meantime, here's a look at what other media outlets, both local and national, are saying about the Flyers and what they may or may not do at the deadline:
Tanks for nothin'
"Tanking" is a dirty word in hockey, with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman scoffing at the idea last week following the "Connor McDavid Bowl" between 30th-place Buffalo and 29th-place Edmonton.
It's an even dirtier word in the Flyers' lexicon, a proud organization that wants to win at all costs. Somehow, the other teams that the Flyers just blew by in the standings this week - Toronto, Ottawa, New Jersey - don't seem to be hyping the playoff chatter.
"You've got to have credibility and this organization, [losing] is not what it stands for," general manager Ron Hextall said a couple of weeks ago. "We're going to try to win. You don't dictate necessarily where you finish. You owe it to your fans. You owe it to hockey to try to win every game."
What happens, though, when the fans ultimately see the bigger picture at play? Everyone wants to cheer a winner, but the goal is a Stanley Cup in a few years, not 42 wins this season. Present fans with the option of 32 wins instead of 42 with a better chance for the future and they'll make that choice every time.
Hextall’s dilemma
Considering the Flyers are still nine points out of a playoff spot, don't expect them to be buyers. What makes matters worse for the Flyers is that the difference between a playoff spot and first place in the division is only four points.
That shouldn't tempt general manager Ron Hextall to the point of wheeling and dealing in hopes of a late push, though.
He'll more likely be willing to sell off what he has and get some young prospects up with the big club to see what life is like in the NHL. Hextall has said for more than a month that he's open to potential trades.
- Dave Isaac, delawareonline.com
Selling does not equal tanking
Going forward, Hextall is planning on being a seller before the NHL's March 2 trade deadline. Candidates to go include defensemen Nick Schultz, Luke Schenn, Braydon Coburn and Nicklas Grossman. Schultz will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, while the others have deals running through next season.
"Yeah, we'd love to get some picks," Hextall said. "It's a good draft. It's a deep draft and if we get a chance and it makes sense, yeah, we'd love to get some picks."
Hextall wants to get younger, but doesn't sound like he's interesting in blowing up his team.
Read all about it
There’s just about no hope for the Flyers to make the playoffs, even with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek pacing their offense. Steve Mason’s health and a rattling defense have combined to make this a forgettable season for Ron Hextall. The Philadelphia GM has to improve the blue line next season, which won’t be easy with Andrew MacDonald, Luke Schenn, and Nicklas Grossman all signed through 2016. Up front, teams would be interested in Matt Read, who is under contract through 2018. But Hextall would have to sell low on the all-around forward, who had just three goals through 45 games. Read has had awful luck with a 3.7 shooting percentage, plummeting from 14.6 last season (22 goals). This is Read’s fourth NHL season, but he’s 28.
- Fluto Shinzawa, bostonglobe.com
Canadian currency? Really?
Frank Seravalli of the Daily News had a great story on how the plummeting value of the Canadian dollar could hurt the Flyers’ rebuilding efforts.
It’s very detailed, and I suggest you read the whole thing, but the short version is that it could have an impact on the salary cap for next season, since Canadian teams are seeing their franchise value drop along with their country’s currency. That means the upper limit of the cap could be a few million less than commissioner Gary Bettman’s prediction of $73 million.
Here’s Seravalli on how that may impact this year’s trade deadline:
For one, the Flyers already have $62.2 million committed to next season, excluding the injured Chris Pronger.
More important, it is no secret that Hextall would like to move one of the five defensemen he has under contract for next season. That does not include Michael Del Zotto, Nick Schultz or Nick Colaiacovo, who are scheduled to become free agents.
As the March 3 trade deadline approaches, playoff teams will look to acquire defensemen to plug holes created by injury. Tampa Bay, for instance, is already missing two of its top six defensemen for the next 6 weeks.
If the salary cap were to increase to only $71 million or $72 million, teams might be less willing to acquire players such as Braydon Coburn ($4.5 million), Nick Grossmann ($3.5 million) or Luke Schenn ($3.6 million), who all have considerable cap hits for next season.
That couple of extra million on the salary cap could have made such an acquisition easier for a cap-strapped team. Nearly half of the league's 30 teams are within $1 million of this year's $69 million cap.
Another young goalie?
Will Eddie Lack be the new Cody Hodgson? Canucks Nation loves back-up goalies and they really love Eddie Lack. The problem is that the Canucks have a lot of depth at the goaltending position with Jacob Markstrom and Joacim Eriksson playing well with the AHL Utica Comets and promising draft pick Thatcher Demko in the pipeline. Lack is a UFA after next season and carries low $1.15M cap hit. Lack is an upgrade for most teams at the backup position and is ready to take on a starter’s role if given the chance.
… The Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers are most likely to land Lack based on need.
Depth on defense
You don’t have to be wire tapping Jim Benning’s land-line to know that Zack Kassian is very likely to be moved on or before March 2nd. Kassian has had his name bandied about in trade talk for most of this season after multiple healthy scratches and lackluster play. …
It is a bit sad that Kassian is the most likely Canuck to be traded given he has the size, speed, and skill that the Canucks need in their top 6. Kassian has a favourable contract signed through 2015-16 at an average cap hit of $1.75M. The Canucks should have no shortage of teams calling regarding the availability of Kassian.
Look for Kassian to be moved to an Eastern Conference team. The Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins are likely landing spots for the enigmatic Kassian…