The top player available at the NHL trade deadline is Flyers Claude Giroux. If Giroux decides to waive his no-movement clause, every playoff contender will want a shot at the Flyers captain.
However, due to the no-movement clause, Giroux will select which team will be his next. Which, over the past few weeks, one team is coming to light.
Over the past few weeks, the Flyers front office has been consistently & heavily scouting one team in particular. That team is the Colorado Avalanche.
At the moment, the Avalanche currently sit atop of the Central Division & the NHL. As well as, are the current odds on favorite to win the Stanley Cup.
Special assistant to GM Chuck Fletcher, Danny Briere, has been the one leading the charge. Making multiple stops in Colorado for Avalanche games. As well as, making stops to watch the Colorado Eagles, the AHL affiliate of the Avalanche.
If Claude Giroux were to waive his no-movement clause, Colorado is expected to be a team Giroux happily would go to.
Per source, the Flyers are looking for a deal centered around a current roster player. As well as, a NHL ready prospect & a 1st round pick in return for Giroux.
For Colorado, that would mean their 2023 1st round pick. As they traded their 2022 1st round pick to Arizona for Darcy Kuemper in July.
The two current roster players the Flyers could seek in return are Tyson Jost or J.T. Compher.
Jost (23), 6’0″ 187lbs, is a former 1st round pick of Colorado in 2016. Jost carries a $2.0M cap hit thru 2023 and has 45G & 58A in 313 career games. This season, Jost has 6G & 8A in 51-games.
Compher (26), 6’1″ 190lbs, is a former 2nd round pick of Buffalo in 2013. Compher carries a $3.5M cap hit thru 2023 and has 62G & 64A in 310 career games. This season, Compher has 9G & 8A in 39-games.
In addition to Compher or Jost, the Flyers also like a lot of Colorado’s prospects.
As reported a few weeks back, the Flyers are very high on Sampo Ranta. Who is a former 3rd round pick in 2018 & is currently with the Colorado Eagles.
Ranta is a big bodied, 6’2″ 195lb, winger from Finland. The Flyers know him very well from his time at Minnesota playing alongside 2019 pick Bryce Brodzinski.
But, Ranta isn’t the only prospect the Flyers are high on. Defenseman Justin Barron & winger Oskar Olausson are two others the Flyers like a lot.
Barron was selected 25th overall in the 2020 NHL draft out of the QMJHL by the way of Halifax. With the Flyers selecting 23rd, Barron was a possible selection & in the final running to be picked at 23. But, the Flyers selected shoot-first winger Tyson Foerster instead of Barron.
Olausson was selected 28th overall in the 2021 NHL draft out of the SHL by the way of HV71. Where Olausson played with current Flyers prospect Emil Andrae.
It is still early, but the Flyers are already doing their due diligence for what a possible return maybe for Claude Giroux.
PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Nwachukwu – Getty Images
