From trade bait to untouchables, here’s where the Flyers roster stands less than two weeks before the deadline

The Flyers haven't committed to being buyers or sellers, but they have some pieces they could move for the right price by March 6.

Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is probably the Flyers' biggest trade chip this year, especially after his impressive showing at the Olympics.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

by Jackie Spiegel

Published Feb. 24, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET

Let the wheelin’ and dealin’ commence.

The NHL trade freeze thawed at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, and general managers have until 3 p.m. on March 6 to decide if their team is a buyer or a seller.

Flyers president Keith Jones and general manager Danny Brière have long said “the players will decide” which route they take during the team’s rebuild, but Brière expects this deadline to be a quiet one.

That doesn’t mean trades won’t happen between now and the buzzer, as the Flyers still have five games to sway brass one way or the other.

We broke the Flyers’ roster into five categories, ranging from the players most likely to be traded to those who are considered untouchable.

Which Flyers are trade bait?

Two seasons ago, pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Sean Walker was widely expected to be on his way out, and he was eventually dealt to the Colorado Avalanche in a package that included a 2025 first-round pick. Last season, after years of speculation, glue guy Scott Laughton was shipped north to Toronto for Nikita Grebenkin and a 2027 first-round pick.

But for the first time in Brière’s tenure, no player is a slam dunk to be traded.

Rasmus Ristolainen, D: If the Flyers trade anyone, all signs point to the 31-year-old Ristolainen. There are several appealing aspects regarding the 6-foot-4, 208-pound blueliner for playoff-bound teams. Finally healthy, the Finn is coming off an impressive performance at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, where he showcased a physical, two-way game while posting three assists, a plus-9 rating, and earning a bronze medal. A more tantalizing tidbit is that he wouldn’t be a one-and-done rental; Ristolainen has term, with one more year at a relatively cheap $5.1 million. Various reports on Monday indicate that there will be suitors.

Emil Andrae, D: In the last month, a question has arisen: Where does Andrae actually fit? Limited in stature but not in heart and drive, the 24-year-old Swede is an exciting puck-mover but also prone to miscues. Scratched the last five games before the Olympic break, it’s not clear whether the Flyers are looking to move him, but a change of scenery might suit all involved..

Carl Grundström, LW/RW: Acquired in early October in the deal that sent Ryan Ellis’ contract west, Grundström has brought speed, quickness, and a great shot to the Flyers’ fourth line. As assistant coach Todd Reirden said on Sunday: “He’s been such a good add for our team this year. Been able to help us in a number of different ways, whether it’s penalty kill or sliding up and down anywhere from the fourth line to the second line.” If the Flyers are selling, could he recoup a mid-round draft pick?

Nic Deslauriers, LW: The veteran will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and recently told The Inquirer that he thinks he has another year or two in him. A good locker room guy, he has the playoff intangibles of being a hard-working forward who plays the body with authority and can patrol the ice. Brière is known to do right by veteran players — i.e., Erik Johnson and Scott Laughton — so maybe it’s Deslauriers turn.

Noah Juulsen, D: Someone coach Rick Tocchet knew from his days in Vancouver, the blueliner is a capable depth defenseman that might provide depth for a contender.

Which Flyers could be in play for the right price?

Owen Tippett, LW/RW, and Bobby Brink, RW: It’s unlikely — for the moment — but the Flyers are going to need to start making space for young wingers like Porter Martone. And while the Flyers assuredly wouldn’t want to subtract either player from their lineup, Tippett and Brink are players other teams might want. Tippett, who has a 10-team no-trade list beginning on July 1, has officially become the guy everyone expected, using his speed, skill, and physicality to become a true power forward. Small in stature, Brink is a two-way player who has built a solid foundation to his game and can slide into any system.

Noah Cates, C/LW: This one has an even lower probability, but Stanley Cup teams are always looking for third-line centers who play a checking role while also chipping in offensively. Cates has shown he can shut down the game’s best, and contenders assuredly wouldn’t mind adding someone as fundamentally sound as the Minnesotan.

Sam Ersson, G: Inconsistent is a good word to describe Ersson, who has had stretches of brilliance but also long stretches of struggle — notably the latter this season. Could the Flyers trade the pending restricted free agent? Anything is possible, especially with the decision of whether or not to extend him a qualifying offer on the horizon. But as of today, the young goalies in the system aren’t ready for the leap to the NHL, so it’s foreseeable that he’s sticking around for now at least.

Garnet Hathaway, RW: Although he has struggled this year to put the puck in the net and has been a healthy scratch for nine games, Hathaway has intangibles that playoff-bound teams want at the deadline — like penalty killing ability and a gritty, edgy game that gets under opponents’ skin. That formula helped the Florida Panthers win back-to-back Cups and is why Hathaway been moved to contenders at previous deadlines.

Nick Seeler, D: There’s been a bit of a buzz around the hard-nosed blueliner in the press box from visiting scouts. A solid defenseman who blocks shots and provides physicality, Seeler could be the perfect depth guy for a team heading for a deep playoff run. The only thing is, he would have to waive his no-trade clause, which does expire on July 1.

Which Flyers are unlikely to be traded?

Sean Couturier, C: The Flyers captain has a no-movement clause and a likely unmovable cap hit of $7.75 million for the next four years. With a cheaper and short-term contract he might be enticing to a playoff team as the 33-year-old center’s analytics are still solid, and what he does in the faceoff circle could change the course of a game. But the contract is probably a nonstarter for most teams.

Jamie Drysdale and Cam York, D: Teams need guys like Drysdale and York to round out their defense, as both are young with offensive upside and solid defensive games. York has a team-friendly contract at $5.15 million for the next five years, while Drysdale is a restricted free agent. While there might be interest, the Flyers need both players to hit on their potential.

Christian Dvorak, C: Inked to a shiny new deal, the Flyers are less inclined to trade a guy they just promised four years to. But, if they were to do it, they need to do it now, as Dvorak received a no-trade clause the first two seasons and a modified no-trade the last two that kicks in on July 1.

Nikita Grebenkin, LW: A key part of the swap for Laughton at the last trade deadline, the Flyers like what the young Russian brings. A gritty but skilled winger, Grebenkin is a work in progress; however, the upside and potential could be too good to part with this soon.

Which Flyers would only get traded for a star or massive haul?

Tyson Foerster, LW/RW: Since Foerster, 24, went down with a likely season-ending injury in December — a yellow non-contact jersey has been in his locker during the Olympic break — it’s become more evident just how important the Canadian is to the roster. Prior to his injury, Foerster seemed to be trending close to “untouchable” given his goal scoring and defensive acumen.

Denver Barkey, LW: Expected to be in the minors this season, Barkey was recalled in late December and has been not just a revelation but a reminder that not every guy needs to “marinate.” The Flyers do not want to lose the 20-year-old rookie and his high hockey IQ, but he could be a key part of a larger deal to land that center or top-pair defenseman the team covets.

Who on the Flyers is untouchable?

Matvei Michkov, RW: Brière on Feb. 3: “One thing I can tell you, first of all, is: Matvei Michkov is not going anywhere. Let’s make that clear. OK. Matvei is going to be here for a long time.” Despite a difficult season, Michkov remains one of the most important pieces to the Flyers’ rebuild.

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Trevor Zegras, C/LW: It took the Flyers some patience to get Zegras, 24, from the Anaheim Ducks, and they are not partying with him now. The only question is how much the restricted free agent, who has 20 goals and 49 points in 56 games as a Flyer, will make when he inks his new contract.

Travis Sanheim, D: Coming off an impressive silver-medal-winning twirl with Hockey Canada, Sanheim is among the team’s untouchables right now. The blueliner has a unique combination of size and skating ability, which he just showcased on the international stage. Sanheim, who turns 30 next month, also has a full no-trade clause through the 2026-27 season, and a modified 12-team clause for the remaining four years of his deal.

Travis Konecny, RW: Currently in Year 1 of an eight-year extension signed two summers ago, with a no-movement clause through 2031, Konecny has become not only the team’s top scorer but a leader. Before the Olympic break, it felt like the soon-to-be-29-year-old strapped the Flyers to his back and tried to will them to victory — on a bruised and battered body, no less. The time off has helped the winger recoup, and he is on pace to achieve yet another career year.

Dan Vladař, G: The goalie needed someone to believe in him and give him the chance to carry the workload. He has paid the Flyers back two-fold with a top-20 save percentage and the 10th-best goals-against average in the NHL. He has an eight-team no-trade clause, but there is no doubt the netminder is sticking around given the Flyers’ checkered history between the pipes.