It's no secret the Philadelphia Flyers are poor defensively.
Their blueline group is comprised mostly of talented castoffs that failed in previous NHL stints and overpaid veterans who are slow of foot; if not necessarily slow of mind.
They've apparently been scouting a team with a few pieces that could help them stem the defensive bleeding and make better use of the phenomenal offensive seasons they're currently getting from Captain Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek.
"The Flyers and Jets have been scouting each other way more than you'd expect cross-Conference teams to be keeping tabs on one another... but with good reason..." writes Eklund of Hockeybuzz.com.
The belief is that, though player for player trades have cooled somewhat in recent seasons, the Flyers and Jets could rekindle that age old tradition.
"The Flyers have long liked Byfuglien and Bogosian while the Jets have always wanted Couturier and the Schenns."
The Jets (15-9-6) are seemingly always on the cusp of the postseason, but with little-to-no serious expectation for the Cup. A change for the sake of change, while often ill-advised, could be the right move.
Dustin Byfuglien has bounced around the NHL and the lineup during his nine-plus year career, spending time at wing when he was still with the Chicago Blackhawks. But he's returned to his natural position of defense with the Jets and seems to have found a permanent home there.
Zach Bogosian is still only 24-years-old despite already boasting nearly seven years of NHL experience. He's a former first-round draft pick of the Jets when they were still in Atlanta.
The Flyers (10-13-5) and Chairman Ed Snider have perennial Cup aspirations but have been hampered by defensive failings since Chris Pronger began suffering from post-concussion symptoms.
For Philly, the Schenn's are probably both on the trade block. Luke is one of those big, slow defenders hampering the team -- he just recently returned to the lineup after two games as a healthy scratch. Brayden, the younger of the two and a former first-round draft pick of the Kings, is a talented player with room for growth who has yet to reach the ceiling the Flyers keep hoping to see.
Couturier is one of the best defensive forwards in the league who the Flyers keep pushing to develop an offensive game -- he managed a goal and an assist against the Devils on Thursday.
To move him, and possibly more, the Flyers, even with their cap concerns, would need to get serious value in return.
