Philadelphia Flyers Must Trade Luke Schenn Before Opening Night

The Philadelphia Flyers thought they’d be getting a big, reliable defenseman to guard the blue line when they traded James van Riemsdyk for Luke Schenn back in 2012. Well, that certainly didn’t happen.

Three years later, the Flyers are dangling one half of Philadelphia’s Schenn duo (maybe Brayden Schenn too?) on a string for any interested teams to take a nibble at. Schenn has only one year left on his contract, making him an attractive trade candidate.

Schenn is still relatively young, so there’s still some time for him to develop into the player the Flyers thought they were getting in 2012, but it’s pretty evident that his potential blooming won’t happen in Philadelphia. Since joining the team, he has been a liability on the blue line. While he certainly is physical, he’s also a turnover machine and simply does not fit in with Dave Hakstol‘s scheme, which calls for quick, versatile D-men. Schenn is neither of those things.

The Flyers also have a logjam on the back end with eight defensemen under contract for the coming season and young guns like Shayne Gostisbehere and Robert Hagg still in the fold, who remain on the Flyers’ roster for the time being. And considering how the Flyers have used Schenn primarily as a fourth line defenseman throughout training camp, things aren’t exactly looking up for the former No. 5 overall pick.

It’s been reported that Flyers GM Ron Hextall is “desperate” to trade Schenn before the season opener. The Flyers are only half a million under the cap, and Schenn is due to make $3.6 million in his final year. Seems like a bit much for a bottom-of-the-barrel defenseman, no? It’s essential for Philadelphia’s cap situation that they move Schenn as soon as possible, which would benefit both the team and the cap room.

It’s crazy how things change over three years. From young stud to bust, Schenn’s days in Philly seem to be all but over.

Ryan Quigley is a Sports Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the NFL and the NHL. Follow him on Twitter @Quigs311 or add him to your network on LinkedIn or Google.