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What’s the cost of a few abominable moves made by an incompetent GM? Well, if you take a glance at the 2015-2016 Philadelphia Flyers, you would see the result of the aforementioned question. As Christoph Waltz was the “architect of James Bond’s pain,” so too is former Flyers GM Paul Holmgren the architect of this floundering Flyers roster. Whether it be the Ilya Bryzgalov disaster or the James Van Reimsdyk for Luke Schenn swap, there is a seemingly endless amount of detrimental moves made by this Flyers regime. As a result of all of this torment, Flyers fans are looking at a team that has only managed to register 21 points in the standings, just one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who, by the way, started this season 0-8.
However, things are slowly beginning to turn around in the city of brotherly love. The new regime, led by former Flyers great Ron Hextall, have begun to phase out some of those awful awful trades and signings, and have looked to rebuilding this roster through the draft. While this method is typically the tried and true way to rebuild a struggling team into a contender, it does take time, which is typically something that the inhabitants from Philadelphia just don’t have. With that being said, there are some difficult decisions that need to be made with this Flyers roster going forward. One of those decisions has to do with team captain Claude Giroux.
To many diehard Flyers fans, Giroux should be an untouchable asset. He’s truly an elite No. 1 center who possesses all of the necessary skills to lead a team on a Stanley Cup run. So if that’s the case, why can’t he stay and do that in Philadelphia?
Well, to answer that question, I’m not sure the Flyers have what I would consider a team. An overall lack of talent and depth leave a lot to be desired for this Flyers team.
For instance, the Flyers have centered Giroux between fellow elite forward Jake Voracek and the not-so-much Michael Raffl. While Voracek has been extremely sluggish to start the 2015-16 season, few can argue his right to be a top line player. The problem lies on the left wing. Raffl is by no stretch of the imagination a top-six forward. Sure, he’s a top-six in the AHL, but Raffl is much more fitted for a role on as a bottom-six player. This is the epitome of the Holmgren era. There’s just no depth, so players like Raffl and Matt Read are forced into roles that they don’t have the skill for.
So why trade Giroux? What will that solve?
It’s not advanced trigonometry, the simple fact is that the Flyers just don’t have a team that will truly compete for a cup for at least another three seasons. Giroux turns 28 this coming January. He is in the prime of his career and his trade value is also at its peak. I think if you asked any of the other NHL GMs, they would tell you that Giroux is just as valuable to his team as just about any other player in the league. If the Flyers decided that it was in their best interest to trade the superstar forward, they would most certainly get an enormous haul in return.
For example, if the Toronto Maple Leafs were interested in Giroux, they could offer a package that consists of Tyler Bozak, William Nylander and a high-end draft pick. If you believe in the potential of Nylander, that’s an enormous haul for the Flyers.
Having said all of this, I do understand that it’s extremely hard trading players who are the caliber of Giroux. It’s more than just the talent on the ice, Giroux is a fixture in the city of Philadelphia. He is very involved in charity work and through his foundation, the aptly named Claude Giroux Foundation. The deal would have to be right for the Flyers, although like I said, I would expect Giroux to bring an enormous return.
Ultimately, if I had to take an educated guess, I would say that the Flyers won’t move their captain — but I would be shocked if they aren’t at the very least listening to what’s being offered up for him.
Follow me on twitter @wtjefff.
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