Flyers play final game before trade deadline and a lineup change appears imminent

Share

The Flyers (19-15-6) play their final game before the NHL trade deadline when they host the Sabres (9-25-6) on Sunday.

Let's get into the essentials for the game:

  • When: 2 p.m. ET with Flyers Pregame Live at 1 p.m. ET
  • Where: Wells Fargo Center
  • Broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia
  • Live stream: NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com and the NBC Sports MyTeams app

• The Flyers are showing they're not out of the playoff race, which makes general manager Chuck Fletcher's objectives for Monday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline that much more difficult to sort out.

It's not as if Fletcher is going to suddenly buy like a madman because his team is in the vicinity of postseason contention. But if his team was completely out of the race, the decision to utilize some trade chips and prepare for 2021-22 would at least be easier.

Selling off pieces, say some pending unrestricted free agents, is a possibility for the underachieving Flyers. And it still will be if they beat Buffalo on Sunday. The Flyers can focus on next season while still making a push this season by trusting some of their younger pieces to jump in, fill holes and gain experience.

After Saturday's 3-2 win over the Bruins, the Flyers are hanging around in the East Division playoff race with 16 games left in their 56-game regular season.

While the Flyers on Sunday host the Sabres, who are in full-on sell mode, the Bruins host the first-place Capitals. Boston holds the fourth and final playoff spot in the East Division and is four points ahead of the Flyers.

• It appears that Tanner Laczynski could be entering the lineup. He was called up from the taxi squad Sunday morning.

After Saturday's game, Laczynski and Wade Allison were summoned from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley to the taxi squad.

Nolan Patrick played 8:58 minutes on Saturday. He has played under 10 minutes in three of his last six games, so perhaps Laczynski will get the nod at fourth-line center.

The Flyers are playing their fifth game in seven days. With data, the club closely monitors the load management of all its players.

We'll have a good idea around warmups if Laczynski is in and for which forward.

Update: Laczynski entered the lineup in place of Michael Raffl.

Projected lineup

 

Forwards

James van Riemsdyk-Sean Couturier-Joel Farabee

Jakub Voracek-Claude Giroux-Travis Konecny

Scott Laughton-Kevin Hayes-Nolan Patrick

Oskar Lindblom-Tanner Laczynski-Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Defensemen

Ivan Provorov-Justin Braun

Travis Sanheim-Robert Hagg

Shayne Gostisbehere-Philippe Myers

Goalies

Carter Hart

Brian Elliott

Subscribe to and rate Flyers Talk

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | YouTube

Contact Us