The Philadelphia Flyers, under general manager Danny Briere, have commenced a rebuild. Briere kicked that off last Tuesday when he sent defenseman Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets and received multiple draft picks and other futures in return.
That rebuild is certainly not done after just one trade and rumors are swirling about multiple of the Flyers’ top-six forwards being on the move this summer. Namely, Travis Konecny, Scott Laughton, and Kevin Hayes.
According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, Eric Duhatschek and Michael Russo’s latest offseason trade board update and The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravali’s similar post, all three players are being shopped by Briere.
“GM Danny Briere is open for business and listening on almost anyone who would help the organization get younger and fit into his long-term vision,” LeBrun, Duhatschek, and Russo write.
“So yes, he’s listening on the likes of Carter Hart (No. 5 on the trade board), Travis Konecny (6) and Scott Laughton (21). Konecny would be a great, top-six pickup for a contender. Edmonton and Carolina make sense as suitors.”
Konecny, who turned 26 years old in March, is coming off a 2022-23 campaign where he was an above point-per-game player for the Flyers. In 60 games, he matched his previous career-high in points of 61 (31g, 30a). The 30-goal season was the first of his career in that regard.
The three-time 50-plus point scorer is now an all situations player for Philadelphia under head coach John Tortorella. He is locked into a relatively cheap deal when you take his scoring into consideration, signed through the 2024-25 season for $5.5 million per year. The Flyers could demand a pretty penny for Konecny after his breakout age-25 season just as they did for Provorov.
Laughton, 29, is a good bit older than Konecny and less of a prolific scorer but he is also coming off his best point-producing season in the NHL. The versatile forward put up 43 points (18g, 25a) in 78 games.
The only player to wear a letter on their sweater for the Flyers last season is signed through the 2025-26 season for just $3 million per year. The on-ice and off-ice leader, who participates in Pride initiatives year-round, could be a great fit for a team that needs middle-six help at center or on the left wing.
Seravalli says it’s a similar story for Hayes in terms of availability. “Interim Flyers GM Danny Briere acknowledged in a recent interview on Frankly Speaking that some players simply aren’t fits for the Flyers – either through timeline or with John Tortorella or both,” he writes. “Hayes seems to check a lot of those boxes. The Flyers seem willing to retain salary if need be. Expect them to help facilitate a deal for Hayes.”
Hayes is a lot more expensive than both Konecny and Laughton, carrying just under a $7.2 million cap hit for the next three seasons. Last year in Philly, he recorded 54 points (18g, 36a) in 81 games and was the Flyers’ lone representative at the 2023 All-Star Game.
Philadelphia showed with Provorov that they are not afraid to make deals within the Metropolitan Division and that could intrigue Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan as he continues to hunt down top-six forward help. While Konecny and Laughton would fit that billing, it’s Hayes that Seravalli thinks would be a good fit in DC.
“I’ll throw a couple of teams out there; the Minnesota Wild, Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche and Washington would be a great fit,” Seravalli said on Daily Faceoff Live. “But I think there will be some significant interest in Hayes for the right price because he does play a two-way game and can give you that 25-goal push that you’re looking for.”
At 31 years old, Hayes isn’t exactly the younger piece that the Caps seem to want to add, but could be a fit if they can’t find a bigger deal.
