4 Flyers Mock Trades That Could Land a First Round Pick – Hockey Writers – Flyers Trades

It's now less than a week until the June 28 draft, which means the Philadelphia Flyers have plenty of time to expand their trade window. A self-styled rebuilder, general manager (GM) Danny Briere will likely seek more opportunities to select high-caliber players in the 2024 NHL Draft other than his 12th overall pick. Let's mock some trade-offs.

In the four mock trades below, the only condition is that the Flyers cannot give up their 12th pick. It would be a bit counterintuitive for them to give up such a valuable pick in this draft, just to keep it. Without wasting time, how can the Flyers turn heads in Las Vegas?

Flyers-Senators Rumors Lead to Something Big

The Flyers and Ottawa Senators have been in some trade rumors, and that's all we know. Whether the Flyers want to add their player, a draft pick, or the two sides are not interested at all, everything is a mystery. Rumors and speculation aside, there could be a way for the Flyers to get their seventh pick without giving up their 12th pick. It can be expensive, but there is something motivating on both sides:

Philadelphia gets the seventh pick; Ottawa acquires Joel Farabee, 2024 first-round pick (via Florida Panthers), 2025 second-round pick (via Anaheim Ducks), 2025 fourth-round pick

Until the All-Star Break, Joel Farabee looked like a 70-point player for the Flyers despite playing just under six minutes—the 24-year-old finished with 50 at the end of the season. He could be a real asset to the Senators with even strength on both ends of the ice, something that could help make them a playoff team in 2024-25 if they are aggressive enough. At $5 million for the 2027-28 season, they'll be making their left tackle depth even stronger. Getting more draft money on top of that seems like a fair return for their seventh pick. Ottawa, having missed the playoffs every season since 2017, doesn't have time on its side—it may be hard pressed to make a move.

While Farabee is a good player for the Flyers, being able to get the seventh overall pick without giving up their 12th pick won't be easy, in theory. As they are rebuilding, acquiring a high draft pick should be their first order of business. Instead of playing with multiple picks, it can be sure that they get an amazing prospect. In this case, they absolutely are.

Philadelphia picks: Zeev Buium

While the Flyers probably shouldn't make left guard their priority going into the draft, when a talent like Zeev Buium is on the board, you don't really have a choice. He's not big by any stretch of the imagination at 6-foot-0 and 183 pounds, but his upside is undeniable—he could be a force in the NHL.

In the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in his draft year, Buium scored 11 goals and 39 assists for 50 points in 42 games. In the United States at the U20 World Junior Championship, he scored three goals and two assists for five points in seven games as the youngest player in his team's tournament—and took the gold medal. He is very accomplished and has a lot of potential with both his on-ice prowess and offensive upside.

Flyers, Sabers Set For Draft-Day Shocker

The Buffalo Sabers would be an interesting trade partner for the Flyers. They expressed their willingness to buy a first round pick, and it makes sense why. They have a lot of great young players in their program and on the roster, but they could use a veteran to finally get over the hump and make the postseason for the first time since 2011. GM Kevyn Adams may be feeling the pressure. , so you make the following agreement:

Philadelphia gets the 11th overall pick; Buffalo acquires Travis Konecny ​​(extended to $8.5 million cap-hit contract over eight years on July 1)

Moving Travis Konecny ​​would come with a huge setback on the Flyers' part, but it's something they should be doing anyway. If they're rebuilding as Briere insists they are, this is the end of the line for the 27-year-old—there are very few, if not zero, examples of an apparently rebuilding team giving an eight-year deal to someone who isn't. superstar player. Konecny ​​has a lot of prime years left in him considering his style of play (he doesn't tend to age too much over multiple seasons), so he might be better used on a Sabers team that's approaching contention than a Flyers team that's far out of it. In that sense, this deal seems like a no-brainer for the Orange and Black.

Related: Flyers Can't Give Travis Konecny ​​Long-Term Extension

Konecny ​​scored 68 points for the Flyers in 2023-24 while averaging about 20 minutes of ice time. With a reduced workload and perhaps on the Sabres' second line, he can put up the same numbers and not be as pressured as he was in Philadelphia—he regressed late in the season, scoring just 14 points in his final 19 regular-season games. the season. This has been a constant struggle for him throughout his NHL career, combining that with some very poor postseason numbers. If he can get a little pressure off himself and get comfortable in a lineup where he doesn't have to be the best player, he might be able to take the next step. The Sabers should invite a speedy player, too.

Philadelphia picks: Berkly Catton

The Flyers got a home run this time by selecting center Berkly Catton out of the Western Hockey League (WHL). A smart and gifted attacking player, he is the type of talent the Orange and Black should be on the lookout for. He led the league in goals (54), tied for first in assists (62), and was first in points (116) among the most eligible players.

While Konecny ​​is an outstanding player, Catton has the potential to be even better in his prime. For context, the former scored 68 points in 60 games during his 2014-15 draft season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)—the two were on a different level as prospects. There's a lot to like about Catton, and the Flyers would be a steal at 11th overall, even if he's under 5-foot-11, 163 pounds.

Flyers' Rage Meets Wild Rescue

The Minnesota Wild would be an interesting trade partner for the Flyers. They missed the playoffs last season, but they have both the pieces and a ton of cap space in 2025-26 and beyond to build contenders. In this trade, they started doing so early.

Philadelphia gets the 13th overall pick; Minnesota gets Farabee, a 2026 second-round pick

The Flyers will be offering a simpler package here than the seventh pick, for example, but it's still a lot to get the 13th pick. If anything, the Wild actually look like villains even if both teams get what they need. Minnesota gets a middle-of-the-six roster player with top-six potential and doesn't need high-level usage on the power play to get points and a second-round pick, while Philadelphia loads up their future.

If you just look at the ridiculous trade, the Flyers could actually trade the Sabers and Wild in the same draft while holding on to their 12th pick, which is very interesting to consider. This may all be for fun, but there is legitimately a world where the Flyers can be the masters of this draft. Minnesota hasn't expressed a desire to give up the pick, but this return of theirs seems too good to pass up. With the pool already full, they try to take the next step and happily help the Orange and Black in their rebuilding efforts.

Philadelphia picks: Konsta Helenius

With the 13th pick, the Flyers should run all the way to the podium to select center Konsta Helenius. I won't bore you with the details since I've already gone into why he's such a good fit in Philadelphia, but it's important to note how good Helenus can be. His rise to their program and the fact that he is playing a role of necessity seems too important to pass up.

Flyers Take a Gamble On Upside

The Colorado Avalanche have now won just eight playoff games since winning the Stanley Cup in 2022, which led to them receiving the 24th pick in the class. Instead of using it, they took their bad luck out of the postseason and got good value back in a trade with the Flyers:

Philadelphia gets the 24th overall pick, a 2026 fourth-round pick; Colorado gets 2024 first-round pick (via Florida), 2025 second-round pick

The Avalanche are a contender, but getting value in the draft is always something to look for. Maybe their eyes are on a player they might be willing to trade—getting another second-round pick while giving up a fourth is a sweet deal. As for the Flyers, however, they will get one last shot at landing a top player in the first round. Seeing as most of the elite talent expected in the class has to go through teenagers, this is a high-stakes gamble but one that could pay big dividends.

Philadelphia pick: Aron Kiviharju

Never say never, but I'm willing to bet that left guard Aron Kiviharju is already off the board by the time the Flyers trade their first-round pick with the Florida Panthers, which will be one of the last two first-round picks. Kiviharju didn't play much in his draft year due to injuries, but his talent suggests he could be a top-four defenseman at the NHL level. He's only 5 pounds 165 but has a great job, a very promising hockey IQ, and some amazing vision. The upside here is that the Flyers don't have a good excuse not to take a chance. Talent like this doesn't fall this far, so this deal makes sense for them.

Not everyone is crazy about trading roster players to the Flyers, but the fact of the matter is that they are in a rebuilding situation. If you don't make it a priority to find young players who can step up to the NHL level, you've never rebuilt in the first place. If the Orange and Black are serious about the process, they should try hard to double up at this stage of the draft. If Briere and his team aren't putting in the effort, it's more than fair to question the validity of their names. The future could be even brighter for Philadelphia if they make a trade a priority.