Frank Seravalli says the Philadelphia Flyers are one of many teams with interest in defenseman Zach Whitecloud.
The Flyers won 6-3 over Utah on Sunday night, but the standings still tell the story of a team that needs help on the back end. Any defenseman rumor lands in a place where fans have been asking questions for weeks.
Seravalli's report, relayed by NHL Rumour Report from Sportsnet, was that Philadelphia is "just one of many teams with interest."
Philadelphia is 4-8-4, 27th in the NHL and seventh in the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers have allowed 54 goals against 35 scored, a -19 goal differential that sits mostly on the defensive side.
Keep this in its place. It is interest, not a negotiation, and nothing in the report says talks have started. We have no details on terms, on his contract or on any conversation between clubs, so none will be invented here.
Why the Flyers' blue line is under the microscope
Look at the plus-minus numbers. Travis Sanheim is a -6 and Oliver Bonk is a -6, while Simon Benoit sits at -5. Cam York is a -7 in just 8 games, and David Jiricek is a -3 in 9. Jamie Drysdale, at +3, is the lone defenseman in the black.
That matters because Rick Tocchet putting David Jiricek on notice was not a one-off. The coach said publicly on Saturday that he wants more from the 22-year-old, and the numbers around him suggest he isn't the only one.
Whitecloud himself is a -7 through 14 games this season with one assist. A defenseman with that number is not an obvious cure for a group that is already deep in the red, and Philadelphia should know exactly what it would be buying before it spends anything.
It's also a busy Monday for Flyers rumors. The desk is following a separate Dylan Larkin item, and the report that the Flyers are open to moving Owen Tippett arrived this afternoon.
None of it is confirmed as movement, and the team has to play first. Philadelphia hosts Minnesota on Tuesday, with the blue line back under a spotlight that no rumor will dim.
