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The Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly ready to press the accelerator on their rebuild with a blockbuster trade that could reshape the entire 2024 NHL Draft.
Rather than tank, the Flyers finished with the 12th-worst record in the NHL in 2023-24, landing themselves squarely in the middle of the 2024 draft.
But according to Elliotte Friedman of SportsNet Canada, Philadelphia is exploring a monster trade to move into the top five of Friday’s first round.
Friedman on PHI/CBJ/#4 via 32 Thoughts: "Columbus wanted something big. The #12, the 32nd pick, and Colorado's 1st next year, and what I heard was that was too much for Philly. BUT, the two teams were expected to speak again, today, (Friday).#LetsGoFlyers #CBJ pic.twitter.com/F43C59zEnT
— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) June 28, 2024
“Columbus wanted something big. The No. 12, the 32nd pick, and Colorado’s firstt next year, and what I heard was that was too much for Philly. BUT, the two teams were expected to speak again, today, (Friday),” Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts podcast.
The Columbus Blue Jackets currently hold the fourth overall pick.
Since the introduction of the NHL salary cap in 2005, top-five picks just don’t get traded. They’re seen as far too valuable of an asset to give up.
Flyers Reportedly Targeting Ivan Demidov With Blockbuster NHL Draft Trade
But Philadelphia, which is on the verge of signing Russian star Matvei Michkov (whom they drafted No. 7 overall in 2023), is reportedly eyeing another top Russian talent: Ivan Demidov.
Demidov, like Michkov, plays for SKA Saint Petersburg in the KHL. He, like Michkov, is seen as perhaps the second-best talent in the draft (behind Macklin Celibrini) but could fall due to the complications of playing in Russia.
“Demidov is a dextrous, mechanically sound puck handler with the sort of fast-twitch wrists necessary to bring his ideas to life,” Elite Prospects said of Demidov in its scouting report. “Every move serves a purpose, whether improving the quality of his look as a shooter or creating openings in the defense that he can exploit as a distributor. And the same dexterity and touch that makes him so effective as a handler is every bit as present when he’s ready to send the puck elsewhere”
Demidov recently measured in at 6-foot-1 with NHL teams. That further solidified the belief that he could play center in the NHL. Philadelphia would then pair him with Michkov, a wing, in hopes of forming one of the league’s most dangerous top lines.
No deal has been announced yet. But it’s clear the Flyers are doing everything possible to make it happen.