Flyers Post-Draft Recap, Werenski Trade Discussions

In this episode, we discuss the Philadelphia Flyers selecting defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii with the 27th overall pick, and how far are you willing to go to trade for Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zack Werenski? #LetsGoFlyers #PhiladelphiaFlyers #NHLonX

Transcript

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What's going on, folks? Welcome back into another episode of the 610 Podcast. I'm your host, Jay Hollaghan. We are now past the NHL draft as we sit here on this early June afternoon. We're going to discuss the Philadelphia Flyers selecting what they hoped to be their defensemen of the future. We'll talk about all of that. We'll discuss some other draft things as well. As, you know, we of course set our eyes on NHL Free Agency that is coming up July 1st. So tomorrow as we're recording this at noon, and hopefully as you're hearing this, it'll be tomorrow at noon, or maybe today at noon. But we of course want to talk about where everyone was throughout the weekend. And that was with the Flyers trading back and selecting defenseman Maxime Sakolovsky with a six foot eight frame that can prove to be, if developed properly, a feared defenseman for this Flyers blue line for the future. And I think it could let you know about how the Flyers feel about their depth on the defensive end and what they're looking to go after. Because as we know, the Flyers have been looking to make a trade this offseason to acquire that quote unquote 1D player, the quarterback for the power play, the guy that is going to make the difference, the guy that is going to potentially put the Flyers much, much closer to becoming a true Stanley Cup contender. We know where the Flyers' shortcomings were this past year, and really the past I mean fifteen years on their power play, and especially at the blue line. You know, a 1D is something that has been really escaping the Flyers for I gotta say, since I mean you could argue, well, trading away Shane Gostaspeer with what he brought here, but I would go even further than that. I mean, Ivan Provarov did not necessarily develop into that consistent guy that you wanted to. Also, probably wasn't the best guy for the locker room, which is something that's going to be tough to find as well, because as you go about bringing someone in, you want to bring someone in that is also going to be a fit with this team and for Rick Tocket. But, anyways, as we talk about Sakolovsky, who comes over from the OHL, last year he had eight points, had a plus ten rating. Uh he's again six foot seven, two hundred and thirty-eight pounds. And so far, as we begin the development camp, there have been some interesting quotes to come out of it. Denver Barkey was said he's quite big, especially beside me. It doesn't make me feel too good about myself, as Barkey's obviously about an entire foot smaller than him, five foot eight. He said he only watched two games of him this past year, but he's a big boy, throws his body around, he's got a lot of raw skills when I see him play. It seems like he moves really well, moves the puck well for being six eight or you know, six foot seven, whatever they have him listed. Uh it's pretty impressive, and I think he's got a really high ceiling. And obviously he is 17. So there's obviously a lot of developing here that's going to need to be done. Now, as we talk about, and Jack Nesbitt, who is going to miss some time here in development camp, he said uh he's what, around 240 pounds, he definitely looks like that. He's a good dude, nice guy, talk to him quite a bit. We're gonna get to know each other even more. Definitely a big guy, he can certainly hit, and uh someone you want to try and stay away from. Now, at 17, it's obviously unlikely that this year he's going to come up and play. We know this. We know it's unlikely next year he might even be back up. But as we talk about moving pieces, you know, as we talk about wanting to get better on the blue line, as we kind of transition into what's been in the news now for the Flyers recently, and that is obviously looking to acquire Zach Rorensky from the Columbus Blue Jackets. At twenty-eight years old and entering into his final year of his contract, Rorensky apparently wants to go to a winning franchise. That's certainly tough to say. I mean, for for Blue Jackets fans, that's tough to hear. I mean, especially when all things considered about what's happened within their franchise in the last couple seasons. You know, obviously, post the death of Johnny Goudreaux and what the 2024, 2025 Columbus Blue Jacket season meant, I think, to that franchise that had just seemingly fallen on some, you know, pretty difficult times and unfortunately did not qualify for the playoffs, but they achieved something to the degree of proving the prognosticators wrong, rallying around each other. Rorensky, who was the leading points getter for that team with eighty-two, and then this past year they obviously fell apart. Again, he led them in points with eighty-one, but this just has not been the greatest experience, shall we say, for him after being an eighth overall pick by the Blue Jackets back in 2015. Uh the Flyers that year, funny enough, in that 2015 uh NHL draft, the pick before was when they selected Ivan Provarov. So now you kind of have the obvious opportunity to write a little bit of a wrong here with the two-time All-Star and this past year's Norris trophy winner. Now, in terms of the production you would be getting out of Worensky, it is killer numbers. Last two years a plus eighty point performer. And the year before in 70 games in the 23-24 season, he had 57. He is certainly going to be a guy that from day one will hopefully hit the ground running for this Flyers team. Now, again, there's going to be a lot of molding that's going to need to be done here, and the trade compensation if the Flyers could acquire him is interesting. They were in on Bowen Byrum, the Sabres defender, whom they traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, from what they're what Yahoo Sports is saying, according to the athletic. The Flyers were in on him, very much in on him, they're very much in on Worensky, but let's be honest, as I as I talk about the names that they've been reported reluctant to trade, Matt Vimishkoff sounds like one of them, Porter Martin, which you know, and Tyson Forster. Now, there are people that believe those players are untouchable. Well, if you're all in on a guy, I understand Martone being untouchable, but some of your younger players, you can't be all in on a guy if what you have of value is not available to be traded. Again, Martone makes sense, but Mishkov and Forster, especially with the shortcomings of Mishkov in this past season and Tyson Forster, who had a you remember what I was saying about him before he got injured in December. Tyson Forster was really having himself what could have been a career year, and then he goes down, and fortunately he came back at the end of the year. Didn't really produce as much, but was still a contributing factor for that Flyers team. And what I believe is so intriguing, in my opinion, about looking for all these trades is you talk about the defensemen the Flyers have. Well, it doesn't seem like Rasmus Ristalina and Travis Sa Travis Sandheim aren't going to move the needles. Well, it's surprising to me that you would say that about Sandheim. Now I don't think the Flyers would be willing to offer Sani. Risto, it's pretty much widely believed for like the last three years that Risto was not going to be a flyer to start the 24-25 season, then he's here. The 25-26 season, he's still here. It was believed at the trade deadline they move him. He was here, obviously, for the playoff run, and he's still under contract. And obviously, as he moves into what is a contract year for him, as he's going to be an unrestricted free agent after this upcoming season, in his final year of his five-year $25 million deal, $25.5 million deal, A V of $5.1, the Flyers are no doubt going to look to move him. Because the other factor of it too is Worensky's going into a final to the final year of his deal. So as much as you're going to give up, which probably would also see Oliver Bonk also being moved as well, the former draft pick of the Flyers, it makes all the sense in the world for the Flyers to ante up, and hearing that he's not a needle mover is interesting. Now, this is going to tell us a lot about what people are saying about Bonk. Because he was a former first-round pick in 2023, and as the Flyers now select who they've selected, Sakolovsky, this past year, 27, you know that, okay, we've got a guy waiting in the wings. Now, granted, as I mentioned earlier, Sakolovsky's a little further down the road to be coming up. But under that same breath, the Flyers need to add on their blue line. You're going to have to give to get in this situation. There's just no doubt about it. You already are no longer having Emil Andre back there. There's no Igor Zamulla to have his even quote unquote depth. There might be a couple of guys that are intriguing prospects, but listen. Bonk was expected to be kind of the young guy waiting in the wings. And you're probably going to have to move him. Now, what else do you because you could attach Bonk or you could attach Risto and a young forward in either a Tyson Forrester or a Madvie Mishkoff as well. Now, I don't like bringing up Mishkov's name just as much as the next guy. But we have to face reality. If you're going to look to get your power play quarterback, a guy that come in here and make an immediate impact on a power play that was dreadful last year. The Flyers power play, as it was ranked in the seller of the NHL draft. I mean, there were teams last year who were picking in the top five this season that had a better power play than the Flyers. It's amazing that they were able to get to the playoffs with that. Now, conventional wisdom tells you that to be the same two years in a row to go to the playoffs again with that bad of a power play ain't gonna happen. Let's just face reality. So the Flyers need, need to add at the defensive position. Now, there are other players that the Flyers obviously can look to acquire. And, I mean, let's be honest, it's not exactly, you know, the most sexiest players available comparative to Worensky. Darnell Nurse being among them. Nurse who, at the age of 31, you know, would be coming over from the Edmonton Oilers. He's under an eight-year $74 million deal. Um, he would become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2030 season. Uh, you know, so you're looking at a guy with a ton of tread on his tires by the time that contract would no doubt come to an end. AAV of 9.25. Now, the contract that he would be playing under, and he would become an unrestricted free agent at the age of 35, but nurse, the contract he's playing under, you know, you can't really compare, well, he's making less money than Werensky. You're gonna have to pay Werensky. If you trade for him, number one, you have to know, hey, we got enough money set aside to where he is going to be here for the long term if you're gonna be giving up that much. And Nurse, who has the full no trade, no movement clause in his contract as well, uh, would obviously have to look to waive that to go to certain spots. Now, here's the thing with Nurse. What's the one thing people are saying about the Edmonton Oilers and their team? Their defense has always been their Achilles heel over the last three or four seasons. It's what's been really holding them back. They've got an elite offense, obviously led by Connor McDavid, and Leon Dreisidel, but their defense has been their problem. And Darnell Nurse wouldn't necessarily move the needle for me on the defensive end, especially with that big contract. But when it comes to you have to get a guy, I could a hundred percent see the Flyers if they don't get Rowensky and the Blue Jackets deny them, that the Flyers would end up just settling on Darnell Nurse. But to be honest, you're not giving up an arm and a leg for Darnell Nurse. I mean, you're really not. Now, some more notes out of development camp. Jet Lechenko's an early absence. He has a lower body injury, so that obviously raises some eyebrows as I, you know, I mean, Lichenko, whom was able to make his playoff debut this past year. Uh, it's it's unfortunate because, you know, as we talk about them maybe trying to move guys out, forwards out to get, you know, a Rowensky, you're gonna need guys to take the place of the guys you're trading out. So, you know, Jack Nesbitt, Jet Lechenko, they obviously become more and more enticing for Danny Barriere to say, hey, we've got the young guys here to replace. Now, granted, are they gonna come up and make an immediate an immediate impact? We don't know that yet, but it's why you go out and make the trades you do as a team that's looking to get back to the playoffs and obviously get closer and closer to being a true Stanley Cup contender. Now, in terms of what the Flyers did in the rest of their draft, as they took six players, they added more depth in the defensive end in the second round by taking Brett Lisk, uh 6'1, 190 out of the WHL. Mark Gregg, uh, as well as very positive. One of the Flyer Scouts on Lisk says he's got nice size, has some maturation and growth to continue to come. Um he is sound on both ends of the puck. He took a step in the second half of their season, um, and you know, hopefully he's going to in time be able to come in. Now he's young, he's 18. But obviously, let's see where they go from there. The Flyers took uh goaltender and Solovek, Martin Solovek, 18 years old out of uh out of uh the Czech U-20 league. Um hopefully, you know, we'll see where he ends up this year. They also took Merek Sklinica um as well. That was uh a uh with a 120th pick at 17, so two young goaltender prospects as well. Took KJ Sauer um later on in the draft as well to add some depth to their forward. Uh Max Latikinen as well on the defensive end to add some more depth on that side. And the Flyers, of course, traded away, Garnet Hathaway, and uh in exchange for um fourth round pick, they also sent a sixth-round pick as well to the Florida Panthers. So the Flyers obviously saying goodbye to Garney, which is unfortunate, unfortunate to see, but at the same time, under the same breath, kind of had a feeling moves were going to be made in this offseason, and we'll see as we approach tomorrow's free agency where the Flyers go from here. But until then, folks, when we will be back on to talk more Flyers hockey. Thanks for tuning into this episode, and we'll talk to you next time.