NHL Trade Rumors: 5 teams who need to trade for Mitch Marner

1. Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers have only won two playoff series’ since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2010, having last accomplished the feat in 2012. The organization has also qualified for the postseason just three times in the past seven years – 2014, 2016 and 2018.

General manager Chuck Fletcher has to shake up this core a bit if he wants to rebuild the Flyers into a Stanley Cup contender, instead of icing a team that might qualify for the postseason once every couple of years.

Hiring Alain Vigneault as the new head coach was a great starting point, but Fletcher needs to bolster an offense that ranked just 17th in goals for this season with 244. Remember, he traded away power forward Wayne Simmonds, a pending UFA, to the Nashville Predators. There’s one void in the top six that must be filled.

The Flyers have three strong centers in perennial All-star Claude Giroux, two-way stud Sean Couturier and 21-year-old Travis Konecny. But if Fletcher lands Marner and puts him behind Giroux, Philadelphia’s offense would reach another level of dominance under Vigneault. The Flyers are also loaded with quality young blueliners, so Fletcher would be offer to put together a big package for Marner.

This may seem like a lackluster return for the Maple Leafs, but it’s not. They already have Matthews and Tavares, so why pay Marner over $10 million a season? The above proposal would be addition by subtraction for Dubas.

In Konecny, Toronto would be getting a much cheaper center with back-to-back 24-goal seasons on his resume. Konecny is also the same age as Marner. But the real prize here would be blueliner Shayne Gostisbehere, who would give the Leafs an elite puck mover.

With so many good prospects already in the system, it doesn’t hurt Philly to surrender Lindblom or a second rounder. They get the best player in this trade, while Toronto gets two young and cheap roster pieces.