Anthony Di Marco reported this afternoon, relayed by NHL Rumour Report, that the Flyers would be open to a trade involving Owen Tippett.
The timing is strange. Tippett was activated Sunday alongside Travis Konecny after missing time, and he played in the 6-3 win over Utah last night.
Citing Flyers sources, Di Marco said the team would be open to a deal centered around prospect center Charlie Stramel and a first-round pick in the coming years.
The post does not name a trading partner, and nothing here is a done deal. It is a report of what Philadelphia would be willing to entertain, nothing more.
Stramel is 22, stands 6'3 and 210 pounds, and was a first-round pick in 2023 at 21st overall. He is on an entry-level deal and has no NHL games on his résumé so far.
Tippett's season has barely started. In 10 games he has 1 goal and 1 assist, and a -1 rating. Last night he logged 13:31 and put one shot on goal, no points.
Over his NHL career, the 27-year-old has 122 goals and 116 assists in 438 games. That is real production, and the kind a team usually wants to keep when it needs goals.
Why moving Tippett now makes little sense
Look at the standings. The Flyers are 4-8-4, 27th in the NHL, with 35 goals for and 54 against. A -19 goal differential does not point to a team with scoring to spare.
Selling a scorer right after he comes off the injured list, with 2 points to show for the season, means selling low. If the plan is to turn him into a pick and a prospect, the Flyers are choosing a bad week to do it.
Fans will also ask what a rebuild-style move says about the direction under Rick Tocchet. The Flyers played in Washington without Konecny and Tippett in the same week, and the lineup has hardly had a chance to look whole.
A healthy roster is the one thing the Flyers have not tested yet. Konecny has 5 points in 6 games, and he and Tippett only came back together when both were activated off injured reserve.
The Flyers host the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, a team 10-3-3 and third in the NHL. Tippett will likely be in the lineup again, and the rumor will follow him there.
