Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Time To Sell In Philadelphia

02/18/2017 at 8:49am EST

from Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer,

This team, well, the parts just don't seem to fit. Some of the players have aged quickly. Others have underperformed and look as if they need a change of scenery.

So what should general manager Ron Hextall do?

My suggestions:

At some point before the March 1 trade deadline, sell, sell, sell.

Try to get some draft picks for soon-to-be unrestricted free agents Mark Streit, Nick Schultz, and Michael Del Zotto, three defensemen who don't figure to be here next season. And attempt to get a team to throw in a backup goalie who can be exposed in the expansion draft, enabling the Flyers to protect Anthony Stolarz.

Deal one of the goalies. Michal Neuvirth and Steve Mason also will have the potential to become unrestricted free agents after the season, and playoff-bound Edmonton is shopping for a backup goalie. Neuvirth, who didn't help his value in Thursday's embarrassing 6-3 loss to the Oilers, or Mason could fill the bill....

Listen to offers for one of the core players because the makeup of this team is not working. In other words, nobody should be deemed untouchable if the right offer came along.

Find out why Claude Giroux looks as if he's 29 going on 34.

Maybe Giroux is playing injured, though he denies it. Maybe past injures, including a concussion, have just taken a toll. Maybe he just needs big wingers by his side - he was at his best when he played between Scott Hartnell and Jaromir Jagr - to give him more skating room.

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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