Although the Philadelphia Flyers remain in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race through over a quarter of the 2024-25 season, president of hockey operations Keith Jones made it clear the front office will not be looking to improve the roster ahead of the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline.
“We’re not going to be adding. We’ll be subtracting. We’ve been clear about that,” Jones told Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne on the Real Kyper & Bourne show this week. “We are not in a position where we’re ready to be a Stanley Cup contending team yet. We’re gonna battle and try to win every night, but at the same time, we’re not losing sight of where we need to get to in order to be a team that can consistently compete for the Stanley Cup.”
The Flyers executive continued: “We’re open to a lot of ideas, I’ll tell you that, there’s no doubt. I can’t rule out any member of our team not being a part of that future.”
Philly is having a decent if unspectacular year, currently right at .500 at 12-12-4 and just a single point out of the final wildcard berth in the East. Samuel Ersson just returned from injury, and the hope is that the starting goaltender can help the Flyers turn things around after a tough stretch.
Flyers struggling in December
After winning eight of 14 games in the month of November, Philly has failed to triumph since the calendar turned. The Flyers have lost three games in a row, dropping back-to-back-to-back contests at the hands of the Florida Panthers (7-5), Boston Bruins (4-3 in OT) and Utah Hockey Club (4-2).
It’s a battle in the East, with six teams all within three points of each other — and only two wildcard spots to go around. There’s certainly a chance this roster can go on a run and advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2020, although there won’t be much, if any outside help in that quest.
The Flyers have a ton of players who could be on the move — and have already been involved in trade rumors — including forwards Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen also continues to appear near the top of trade boards around the National Hockey League.
At least year’s deadline, the Flyers were in the thick of the playoff race, but still ended up shipping Sean Walker to the Colorado Avalanche. They did acquire Stanley Cup champion Erik Johnson, but the veteran hasn’t moved the needle too much during his tenure.
It’ll be interesting to see what moves Jones and Briere make ahead of March 7, and which roster players will end up getting traded. Even more intriguing will be seeing where the Flyers are in the standings at that time.
