Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher spoke with the media on Wednesday about the team, their plans and certain players on it. Acknowledging that things haven’t gone the way the franchise would have hoped the past couple of seasons, the Flyers are heading towards an aggressive rebuild. That means dumping pending UFAs, asking and answering tough questions about franchise players, and building for the future. In other words, the Flyers are officially sellers, but who are they selling?
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Immediately, questions about Claude Giroux’s situation took center stage. There were already rumors the team might consider asking him to waive his no-trade clause if the club was going to be out of the running. Now it’s all but guaranteed. If Giroux is open to a move, he’ll easily become the highest-profile rental available and there will be teams that inquire, despite his high price tag. If the Flyers agree to retain salary in any move, that opens up the door even further for teams to throw themselves into the mix. All that said, Giroux has a full NMC and will have a lot of control over what happens next.
What About Ristolainen?
There’s also talk about what will happen with defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. As per Adam Kimelman of NHL.com, the Flyers have begun initial conversations with the defenseman about a new contract. Fletcher noted the team would like to extend him and noted, “It’s difficult to get physical defensemen, never mind physical right-shot defensemen.” Calling Ristolainen a big part of the Flyers blue line future, he brings an element to the group that not a lot of people have.
Like Giroux, Fletcher noted that Ristolainen has some control over his future. He noted, “He’s a pending UFA and he will control a lot of that discussion, and we’ll work with his representation to see what makes sense.” If the Flyers are keen to keep him, it would stand to reason the two sides can get a deal done.
One thing was clear, CEO and Flyers Governor Dave Scott had full confidence in Fletcher’s ability to get this team headed in the right direction.
Next: Evander Kane Decision Imminent: Two Teams In, Oilers the Favorite
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