Flyers Add Goalie Depth In Trade With Toronto

In this episode, we break down the news from earlier in the week regarding the Flyers trading for Maple Leafs Goalie Joseph Woll and Defenseman Stefan Benoit, in exchange for Sam Errsson and Emil Andrae and a 3rd round pick. #LetsGoFlyers #PhiladelphiaFlyers #NHLonX

Transcript

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Welcome in, ladies and gentlemen, to another episode of the 610 Podcast. I'm your host, Jay Holling, and we're back here on this Thursday afternoon. Glad to have you with us as we discuss breakdown the Philadelphia Flyers making their first off-season move, really significant off-season move here of the summer as they decided to trade to hopefully bolster their goaltending with acquiring Toronto Maple Leaves net miner Joseph Wall. And then they also figured to bolster their blue line as well, reacquiring Simone Benoit from both from the Toronto Maple Leaves in exchange for Samuel Harrison and Emil Andre. Now, first, it's obviously going to be pretty much decided that the impact of this trade is going to be ultimately felt. And the Flyers also acquired a third-round pick from the Maple Leaves. We of course don't want to fail to mention that. But when you look at so for the Flyers, the biggest issue this past year, and the reason why this was a good move by Danny Brere, is because Sam Arrison this past year, you did not have faith he could go out there and give you a chance in about half of his starts. There were some horrific starts by Sam Arrison in one and ones that the Flyers that who didn't really have a tremendous offense as is, they needed to really at times go out there and have to grind one out and have to go toe-to-toe with the other team. You know, five, four wins and things of that nature. But sometimes you have which sometimes you have to do. But I think if you have an opportunity to try and get away from that and try and bolster your backup goalie, because we know Dan Vladar is going to get the Lion Sheriff starts, we get that. But when you consider the fact that Wall comes in here, now he didn't have his best year last year with the Maple Leaves, but point to me s someone here who had a good year with the Maple Leaves. I mean, I get it. His save percentage was an eight nine eight, and his goals against was three three-four. That was far up from in years prior, the two pre previous years. The year prior, he actually had in his most starts out of his career in 42, the Maple Leaves were 27 and 14. He had a 909 save percentage and a 2.73 goals against average. It's pretty damn good. If you ask me. Now when you look at Sam Arrison, not so much. Sam Arrison, we've spoken about it on here before. He was a nice intriguing prospect. He was a nice intriguing young player, but we kind of now know what he is at the age of 26. Um in four years, he has an average save percentage of 0.884, uh, goals against average of 3.01. You know, he's I mean, in the most starts he had was in the 23-24 season, and that was because of the Carter Hart situation, and he performed pretty well. At an 890 save percentage of 2.82 goals against, he did pretty well. But then in 2024-25, in 45 starts, a 314 goals against 0.883 save percentage. Now, the the the defense in front of him, no doubt, did not play great. But I do think that there were some glaring issues even this year when you turn on the tape and you watch those Sam Harrison starts. And again, it's a big reason as to why Dan Vladar had to had to play as many games as he did down the stretch. Because as we talked about here many times, they the Flyers were spent. The Flyers were pretty spent physically. They were spent mentally, and I would envision that Vladar was way up there on that list in terms of guys who just at the end of the year, I need a couple weeks here to regroup and reset and get ready for you know the grueling season, that is uh the 2026-2027 hockey season as the Flyers look to potentially, you know, hey, get themselves a step further to becoming Stanley Cup contenders, and wouldn't that just be great? Now, Joseph Wall for Emile Andre, this could be a two-parter trade. Now, don't kill me here for what I'm about to bring up, but you could see with maybe getting a guy who's six foot four, plays a physical style like Benoit does, similar to that of Erasmus Ristalinen, and Risto who's going into the final year of his contract before he's going to be an unrestricted free agent next year, could the Flyers decide to make a move, package Risto in a trade, and in return get an offensive weapon? Now, we've got some guys here that obviously, in the past couple weeks, have made the decision that, you know what? I don't like where I am. I don't like the situation I'm being put in. I would like to have a chance to contend for the cup. And maybe you package Risto with, you know, a couple, I mean, picks could be there. Who knows what they look at prospect-wise, but there could be decisions that will be made from Danny Brer in the next couple weeks. Now, that that's totally just me speculating that if you make a bigger move, that could be one of the reasons why you do it, because you bring in a, you know, gritty, tough, scrappy defensive player in Wall. That's at least what he is projected to be. Now, he's not someone that's going to be a big-time, you know, performer. You're not going to confuse him with a Chris Pronger or anything like that, but I think the physicality could very much be there. I mean, you know, you look at the plus-minus in his career, he's a career minus 40. So that kind of tells you what you need to know. But he's played in he played in 73 games last year for the Maple Leaf, 78 the year before, 64 and 23-24, so a cut, you know, a few less there. 22-23 played in 78 in Anaheim. Um, obviously he is going to be viewed as kind of a reliable guy. Um that, you know, Flyers hope will be able to go out there and obviously put together put together a pairing on that blue line that will fit for him, probably as a, I mean, let's face it, a third liner. Now, as we talk about what could come with the potential of adding an offensive player, well, let's go over some guys who have uh been in the media in the last couple weeks, and the report is teams are looking to make a move. Obviously, at the top is Dylan Larkin last year, 34 goals, 67 points in 74 games, center for the Detroit Red Wings. Obviously, I don't need to tell you about his um you know credentials. You know it just as well as I'm sure all of us do. Now he's signed through 2031, has a no-trade clause. Now, it's an 8.7 million AAV, the cap obviously going up this year. So there could be a possible trade in the works for Larkin. I mean, just saying he is a name you could look out for, not for, you know, maybe not for the Flyers, but for anyone. Then you also have, now this seems to be a little bit it would be very unlikely he makes his way to Philly, but there's Vincent Trochek from the Rangers, 16 goals, 53 points, and 67 games. He's 32. He's got a $5.625 million AEV through 2029 as a 12 team, no trade list. Um, it becomes a 10 team in this upcoming season. Now, here's the thing between Larkin and Trochek, listen, any, you know, if you're if teams are looking to trade guys, obviously it means they aren't working out in their current situation. But with the way the Rangers last couple years have gone, I really wouldn't be looking to give anything to that Fran. And you don't want to, they're a rival or any rival anyways. But even if you were, even if it was this was the you know, say the Los Angeles Kings, let's just throw them out there. You wouldn't want a guy whom it's who's coming from a situation that, you know, really has fallen on its on its head. No one has really a clue necessarily as to what to exactly pinpoint as to what's been going on there in these last couple years, as they've, I mean, very much needed to potentially turn to another rebuild up there in New York City. So that's Trochek. There's Darnell Nurse, defenseman from the Edmonton Oilers, 9.25 million dollar AAV through 2030. Uh we'll see if Nurse, I mean, he's requested to trade out of Edmonton after spending the last 12 years there. You know, he the contract I don't think is going to be worth the performance that you're going to be getting. I mean, I you know, that's 9.25 through 2030. That's a lot of dough to be playing a to be paying a guy that you know, how much did he really have to do with how poor Edmonton's defense was these past couple years? I don't know. I it just I just don't think it would be a smart decision in order to go in that direction. Now he's got a no-movement clause, and Edmonton reportedly is working to make a trade. Uh Morgan Riley as well from the Toronto Maple Leaves. Flyers and Maple Leaves have been involved in a couple trades recently. Um, so we'll see if you know Toronto would be down to barter one more time. But Riley, $7.5 million deal through 2030. Defenseman let 11 goals, 36 points in 78 games this past year. Could give the Flyers more of a on that blue line, obviously, and you know, hopefully helping with a little more of the offense as well. Um, quarterbacking, you know, power plays and things of that nature. Riley could be a guy you could target, also bringing that veteran experience. So that of course could be a potential landing spot, but you know, if you were to ask me, what would I rather want? Would I rather want an offensive player that could come in and, you know, maybe it's not, okay, the best defenseman out there. You know, it's not, or I'm sorry, best offensive player that can really create as a center or anything like that. But if it can get me just a little bit closer to what I would ultimately need, and maybe someone coming in on a shorter contract, that would be fine. And I would probably value that right now more than I would value on the defensive end. So moving right along, there is Matthew Nice from the Maple Leaves as well. Winger, 23 goals, 66 points, 79 games. I think the Flyers have enough wingers. Uh Mason Miktavish from the Ducks, 75 games, 41 points, 41 goals this past year at age 23, 7 million dollar AAV. Now, he's on a 42 million dollar deal, six-year extension in September. I mean, he was a healthy scratch a couple times throughout the season, and as well during the playoffs. Um, his ice time saw a decline, his production saw a decline. Uh, this could be a player. Now, granted, again, like with the Maple Leafs, could this be a situation in which the Ducks once again would be willing to barter here with another young player? I mean, I you know, to be honest, I yeah, there's a lot of young guys that they are parting with, and uh, Muktavich is just another one, you know, like a Jamie Drysdale, like a Trevor Ziegris. I mean, you know, how much are you really gonna have to give Cutter Gauche um uh, you know, in terms of having options and things of that nature scoring-wise, so that should be um interesting as well to look at. A couple other guys to note as well. Um I mean, I personally think, again, what I would rather have is a center who can come in and not necessarily be not necessarily be like the ultimate turning point right now if you feel like, hey, I don't think this is gonna be a guy that's going to absolutely put us on the track in terms of, you know, he's he's that can't miss player. And if I don't think that's there, then why am I gonna trade for it? One guy that I would be curious to see if the Flyers would decide to take on because of his age would be Shane Wright. Now, this could be a completely separate move, kind of like what they just pulled off uh for Wall and Benoit. And Shane Wright, who in 74 games this past year with the Kraken, 74 games played, 27 points, 12 goals, 15 assists, at the age of 22. Um now, naturally, for a first-round pick, drafted fourth overall, hasn't really lived up to the expectation. Seems like maybe a in the final year of his entry-level contract, seems like perhaps a fresh start could be in the works. Now, again, this is taking a gamble on someone, and you're not gonna be giving up, like I'm not giving up wrist aligning for him or anything like that. You know, you're making, now you're gonna have to give something up, but I would hold off on Risto for if I'm going after a Dylan Larkin. If I feel like, hey, he matches with our system, he matches with what we want to do, Tox on board with him, the boys in the room are on board with him. Let's go get the deal done. Because that could be an ultimately a decision and a trade that could put the Flyers to where they want to be. But ultimately, we'll see what Danny Breer and his uh staff want to do, as it's gonna be up to them, of course, to try and improve this team for the 26-27 season. It's gonna be very intriguing. For the first time, we have a summer in which we're anticipating the Flyers to make some moves. They've already made one move already. Well, really, one move for two players, so we'll see what more is going to be in the works for Danny B and the front office. But first, real quick, Flyers fans, I want to talk about the Stanley Cup finals that just wrapped up earlier this week. The Carolina Hurricanes, former Flyers head coach Rob Brindamore winning their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. It was a long time coming for the Canes, as we very well know. Kind of seems like, you know, right year, right time. They took advantage of the moment. Now, I think I spoke about this on the episode prior, but when it came to rooting for either the Golden Knights or the Canes, you're not gonna catch me rooting for the Vegas Golden Knights. I'm just gonna tell you that right now. So I was pulling for Carolina. Wasn't going crazy, but I wanted to see them win. And it didn't really have much to do with torts or Carter Hart, it's just I just can't stand the Vegas Golden Knights franchise because you know how many Stanley Cup appearances they've had and they haven't even been in existence for ten years. I've seen the Flyers make it once, right? So a little bit of jealousy there. Pure jealousy, pure jealousy. No reason to really hate the team, just pure jealousy. Regardless, this is a, I would say, interesting or was an interesting Stanley Cup final. Why? Because the final game was the only defense you really got out of the whole shebang. The entire series was just totally offensive based, and you know, finally Carolina, which great decision by Brenda Moore to take Anderson out, and to instead put in Busy, whom was instrumental, in my opinion, for Carolina uh really down the stretch. I mean, you know, he makes he goes out and he makes a switch. He starts Bussey for game four, but I believe he made the switch in game three, when once again Vegas was out to, you know, a four-goal barrage coming right at the Canes, goes to game goes to overtime, canes tied up in the third, but yeah, he pulls Anderson, puts in Busy, and he never went back to Anderson. And I thought, honestly, that was a strong decision to make, and a decision that had to be made. And you give all the credit to Bussey for being able to stand on his head the way he did at, you know, tr at different times. I mean, game five early on got a little hairy, but hey, he he for sure pulled through down the stretch for them. And in a six-game series, you know that the netminder is obviously everything that you need to have for making the big save at the right time, being able to be the quarterback out there for your team, and he was able to do just that. But again, what a Stanley Cup finals it was, filled with lots of offense, a lot of intriguing games early on now, because of the two teams, Carolina and Vegas. It'll be interesting to see how this kind of gets reflected on in the last couple years, in the next couple years, you know. Carolina, not a huge market. Vegas, I would argue a little bit bigger of a market than Carolina, but you know, I I don't think, and granted, in the last couple years, I mean, who's not, you know, really tuning in for a Vegas Golden Knights game because obviously they've been so good, um, and obviously a team that people have been paying attention to, but naturally you just kind of sit there and you kind of look at it and you go, Man, this was a hell of a series, but I hope it's not going to be one of those kind of forgotten series um in the next couple years because it was it was a wild one. I mean, at every different point, every turn, you know, it was it looked good for Vegas um after that game three, but then Carolina came roaring back. And Jordan Stahl, who just had a tremendous playoffs, and that whole entire Carolina team finally was able to put it together. So um obviously going to be one that I think we're all going to look back on and say, wow, you know, in the next couple years, I mean, what a what a finals that truly was. Thanks everyone for tuning in. We'll talk to you next time.