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On Monday, the Philadelphia Flyers made their first trade of the offseason. The Flyers acquired Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Ryan Poehling, the 45th pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, and a fourth-round pick in 2026. This is a notable move as Zegras has long been discussed as a change-of-scenery trade candidate.
This move gives Philadelphia some help down the middle. He may not solve their need for center depth all on their own. But he can definitely slot in as a top-six center in the City of Brotherly Love. This is less of a pressing need as the offseason begins to kick into gear over the next 10 days.
However, the Flyers still have work to do. They could use more depth in the top-six, for instance. Adding a top-pairing defenseman is not out of the question, either. Goaltending is potentially the team's biggest flaw at this point. This is an imperfect roster, and if they want to win games in 2025-26, this needs to change.
General manager Daniel Briere has shown he is willing to make trades for immediate help. With a thin NHL Free Agency pool, they could look to turn back to the trade market this summer. And there is one player who makes a lot of sense as a trade target for the Flyers.
Canucks' Thatcher Demko has history with new Flyers coach
As mentioned, the Flyers could do well to upgrade their goaltending. Philadelphia struggled to keep the puck out of the net in 2024-25. This is an area that needs to be addressed. And the team acknowledged this before the 2024-25 campaign finished in April.
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“I’d say expectation No. 2 (is) that the goalies will continue to improve, or we’ll find a solution there, without getting into specifics. In terms of adding, I think they’re not going to add for the sake of adding,” Flyers governor Dan Hilferty said in early April, via The Athletic. “It will have to be somebody that really has an impact at key positions of need. So my expectation is continued improvement. Maybe a couple younger guys will step up.”
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko is a smart fit for the Flyers. Demko did struggle with injury through the 2024-25 campaign, which will cause the franchise some hesitation. However, when he's healthy, he is one of the best goaltenders in the world.
Moreover, Demko has experience with the new Flyers head coach. Rick Tocchet spent two and a half seasons at the helm of the Canucks. He helped them make the Western Conference Semifinals in 2024 and came within a game of the Western Conference Finals. His goaltender during this time was Demko.
Demko did get hurt during the 2024 playoff run. But he did turn in his best career year in 2023-24. The Canucks goalie finished with a .918 save percentage that season. His efforts helped Vancouver win the Pacific Division. Additionally, he finished second in Vezina Trophy voting that year.
The Flyers need a starting-caliber goaltender. Demko's availability is a bit up in the air, but there is a reason behind the idea. Demko hits NHL Free Agency next summer. He could be due for a big raise, and Vancouver may not be willing to pay up, especially after paying Kevin Lankinen during the 4 Nations Faceoff. If Vancouver puts him on the market, the Flyers should be among the first teams to pursue Demko this summer.
