NHL Rumors: Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings

Welcome to another edition of Full Press Hockey’s NHL Rumors! The 2022-23 regular season is nearly halfway done and players will be evaluated. Now, with the trade deadline less than two months away, rumors are still around. The NHL holiday trade freeze ended at 12:01 am on December 28th. That could mean trade activity or NHL rumors could be picking up.

Clubs are always working to improve their rosters for next season. Some teams are having difficulty creating enough cap space to make moves. Others are experiencing severe injuries to star players. Trade rumors/signings are still possible. In this Wednesday’s edition of NHL Rumors, we will take a look at the Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, and the Detroit Red Wings.

Philadelphia Flyers – Ivan Provorov

Rumor: Per – Jeff Marek/Elliotte Friedman – sportsnet.ca. It could be time that the Flyers move on from Provorov.

Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on their 32 Thoughts podcast mentioned that the Flyers have issues, but Provorov has not performed as he did in 2017-18 when he tallied 41 points. The Yaroslavl, Russian Federation native could be moved especially if the Flyers decide to break it down and do a re-tool/rebuild. At this point the question becomes is it the player or the team? Provorov must have some frustration with what’s going on in Philadelphia. There’s the Tortorella drama and the team’s poor showing that factors into things.

Marek brings up the point that maybe the issue is that the Flyers haven’t been able to find the right blueline partner to make Provorov effective. He stated that when Matt Niskanen retired after the 2019-20 season, it really affected Provorov. He also thought that Provorov could be a good addition for the Vegas Golden Knights or the Winnipeg Jets. It’s fair to assume that Provorov’s name will be coming up in NHL rumors for the foreseeable future.

Florida Panthers – Possible Moves

Rumor: Per Frank Seravalli – dailyfaceoff.com. Seravalli listed the Panthers as trending sellers, and they have some decisions to make.

With names like Anthony Duclair, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett listed as trade possibilities, the Cats are looking to make some changes. Duclair and his $3 million cap hit is scheduled to return soon, and when he does some salary cap issues will ensue. The Panthers have crashed and burned this season compared to their successful 2021-22 season when they collected 122 points. Both Bennett ($4.425M), and Reinhart ($6.5M) could alleviate cap concerns if moved. Both players’ production has decreased significantly, making them trade targets.

Then, of course, they could decide to trade Duclair instead, but his production last season is difficult to trade away. He collected 31 goals and 27 assists in 74 games last season. Adding Matthew Tkachuk should have made this team better, especially with his 20 goals and 29 assists in 38 games this season. Another option on the table would be to trade goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and his mammoth $10 million contract good through 2025-26. The Panthers are attempting to right the ship, but time is running low to get things turned around.

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Detroit Red Wings – Jakub Vrana

Rumor: Per – Frank Seravalli – dailyfaceoff.com. After placing Vrana on waivers, will he now be traded?

Vrana has had his issues going through the player assistance program. He has only played in two games this season with one goal and one assist. He’s been one of the NHL leaders in goals per 60 minutes, so goals based on the ice time given. It’s always a touchy situation when a player returns from the assistance program. Will he be able to keep his head in the game, or will he falter again? The relationship between player and team management can be tested to its limit.

While the Red Wings are not hurting for cap space with $10.3 million in the coiffures, losing Vrana’s $4.125 million cap hit through 2023-24 seems like a good move. Much depends on if he can come back and play to the level he has in the past. General manager Steve Yzerman may give him a shot, but it seems the relationship has been destroyed at this point. Look for Vrana to be moved in the near future if some team wants to take on his issues.

That concludes this edition of NHL rumors. With all the numerous trade rumors floating around, be sure to watch for our next article, and thanks for reading!