The Philadelphia Flyers suffered an unfortunate late-season collapse in 2023-24. The Flyers fought for the final wild card spot until the last weeks of the season before ultimately missing the playoffs. Philadelphia had a hold on a Metropolitan Division playoff spot for most of the year. However, they lost that after a brutal run of form late in the year.
It's a tough end to a promising season, and the prevailing reaction can be one of two things. On one hand, it's impressive that the Flyers were in the playoff race for as long as they were. However, for them to get as far as they did and miss out can be soul-crushing. Even if Philadelphia is still working through a rebuild.
The Flyers could very well shake this off and contend next season. In saying that, though, there's a chance this collapse lingers into 2024-25. With that in mind, here are two potential Flyers trade candidates to keep in mind over the next year.
Rasmus Ristolainen could be moved
Rasmus Ristolainen had a rather promising 2022-23 campaign. He struggled during his early days with the Flyers following a trade from the Buffalo Sabres. Entering 2023-24, Philadelphia hoped the veteran rearguard could continue his impressive form.
Unfortunately, it didn't happen. Ristolainen did play well enough when he was on the ice. However, the Flyers defender was limited to 31 games in 2023-24. He did record 2.4 defensive goals above replacement, according to Evolving Hockey. This represents the second-highest DGAR of his career outside of the 8.8 DGAR he had in 2022-23.
The obstacles involved with trading Ristolainen pertain to his contract. He is signed through the 2026-27 season at a $5.1 million cap hit. The salary cap did shoot up this summer. And it's expected to continue rising through the next few years. However, his contract will still present some problems depending on his performance.
If Ristolainen can stay healthy, the Flyers could very well keep him. However, keeping him makes sense if they are in a playoff spot. If they aren't, Philadelphia may benefit more from trading the veteran rearguard around the NHL Trade Deadline.
Flyers may make Joel Farabee available
Joel Farabee has long been an interesting player for the Flyers. He broke out with a 20-goal campaign with the Flyers in his sophomore season. But in the years following, he ran into some struggles. That said, he proved a lot of doubters wrong in 2023-24.
Farabee had an incredible season. He scored 22 goals and 50 points, both totals representing career highs. He turned in this performance while receiving slightly less ice time on average than he did the year prior, as well.
Farabee's impact is represented by advanced analytics, as well. He had the fourth-highest goals for per 60 minutes among Flyers forwards, according to Evolving Hockey. Additionally, the Philadelphia winger had the fourth-highest individual expected goals among his teammates.
It wouldn't make a ton of sense to trade Farabee given his 2023-24 performance. That said, he could be moved in a larger move if the Flyers are doing well. Farabee is a quality player with a $5 million cap hit over the next four seasons. As of now, the Flyers are in a dollar-in, dollar-out situation.
This could lead the Philadelphia front office to making tough decisions. The Flyers could use his cap hit to make a larger trade in a push for the playoffs. However, they could also try moving him should the team fall down the standings. In any event, Farabee is a name to watch in 2024-25.
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