Will Laughton, Ristolainen get traded? Dissecting Flyers' outlook at deadline

For a second straight NHL trade deadline, Danny Briere will be taking calls and keeping just about everything on the table.

As the general manager of the Flyers' rebuild, Briere has always been "open for business."

That hasn't changed.

"We're always listening," Briere said a little over six weeks ago, "and if something makes too much sense for the future of this organization, we're going to take it."

At the end of January, the Flyers moved Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost to the Flames in a trade about cap flexibility and draft capital. And Briere could have some more tough decisions before Friday's 3 p.m. ET deadline.

Let's get into what you need to know:

Where do Flyers stand in playoff race?

The Flyers have regressed from last season, when they had an inside track to the playoffs at the trade deadline.

They've hovered around .500 for most of this season and have yet to put together a significant run. With 20 games to go, John Tortorella's club is 27-27-8 and entered Wednesday with a 3.5 percent chance to make the postseason, according to Hockey-Reference.com's probabilities report.

"We've seen it all year long with us, that's why we're .500," Tortorella said Monday. "It comes and goes."

The Flyers are five points back of the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot. However, they have six teams ahead of them and trail all six in regulation wins (a key tiebreaker). If the Flyers miss the playoffs, it would be their fifth straight season doing so, matching the franchise's longest drought.

How will Flyers approach deadline?

Expect Briere to have a continued focus on the offseason and future. But he won't be in a rush to make a trade if the return isn't right.

Some of the Flyers' most appealing trade chips are not on expiring contracts. So if Briere isn't happy with the offers, the Flyers can always revisit the trade market come the summer or next season's deadline. They shouldn't expect a perfect return, but they're in a position of leverage considering they're not up against the buzzer.

The Flyers have seven picks in the first two rounds of the 2025 draft (three first-rounders, four second-rounders). Given the sheer number of picks for this summer, perhaps the Flyers could be more open to acquiring first- or second-rounders in 2026 or 2027 or a young player with upside.

Which Flyers could be moved?

Scott Laughton is once again one of the Flyers' most notable names at the deadline. He has dealt with uncertainty this of year for the last five seasons, going back to when he signed his five-year, $15 million contract extension on the day of the 2021 deadline.

TSN's Darren Dreger reported Tuesday that "as many as eight teams" had called on Laughton.

"It's the same thing, same thing every year," Laughton said a week ago. "I understand the business side of it. But I signed a five-year contract here and that's pretty much it. If they have to make a move, they make a move. That's it. So I'll continue to go as business as usual."

The heart-and-soul Flyer can play center or winger, he's an excellent shorthanded scorer and he has a team-friendly $3 million cap hit. The Flyers will hold him in high regard, especially considering the 30-year-old has another year left on his contract and has been a glue guy for the organization. You can bet Briere would shoot for at least a first-round pick if he was to move Laughton.

Rasmus Ristolainen is the Flyers' other headliner at the deadline. He's not a stranger to trade rumors.

"It's obviously not the first time and it's one of those things I can't really control, so I don't really bother my mind with it," Ristolainen said Monday. "I just come in every day and work hard."

The 30-year-old defenseman is playing arguably the best hockey of his career. He provides quality size and an in-your-face brand on the back end, attributes contending teams like to have come the playoffs.

The Flyers won't sell him short. After this season, Ristolainen has two more years left on his five-year deal, which has a $5.1 million annual cap hit. So there's no real pressure to move him right now. And if the Flyers do move him, one would think they'd aim for a high-round pick and no salary retention in order to create more cap space moving forward.

"I'm not trying to get rid of a Risto or a Scott Laughton," Briere said in January, "but it's our duty to listen and do the right thing for the organization."

The Flyers would seemingly listen on Andrei Kuzmenko if the pending unrestricted free agent had a serious suitor. But the Flyers might find more value in holding onto the 29-year-old winger for an audition down the stretch than moving him for a mid- to late-round pick. Having his rights until July 1 is not a bad place to be for the Flyers.

If Briere had something big up his sleeve, something outside the box, Cam York would be an option. The top-pair defenseman is a pending restricted free agent and due for a considerable raise this summer.

Maybe the Flyers would be willing to listen on York if they had a chance to fill a glaring need at another position. But York is only 24 and still very much viewed as a foundation piece.

As an under-the-radar guy with the Phantoms, Rodrigo Abols is a 6-foot-4 center who might draw a little bit of interest. He has had a nice season, including a stint with the Flyers, and would come cheap on an expiring contract.

Any chance Flyers add at all?

Last season, the Flyers had reasons to acquire veteran defenseman Erik Johnson. They were in playoff position and their depth defensively had taken hits by the Sean Walker trade and injuries.

A way for Briere to reward his team was to bring in some help and not have it be decimated at a key area.

But the Flyers are in a much different spot this season. If they were to add at all, it would likely be a younger piece or taking on a contract to help facilitate a deal.

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