The Philadelphia Flyers are the NHL's version of Michael Corleone - every time you think they're out, they pull you back in...or something.
Despite some legit wins peppered in amongst the seemingly endless run of abject failures facing the Flyers this season, general manager Ron Hextall won't allow himself to be fooled by the wholly mediocre team he had almost no hand in constructing, but is tasked with turning into a Stanley Cup contender.
He told Frank Seravalli of the Philadelphia Daily News recently that, should a deal that can assist him in that endeavor potentially present itself ahead of the March trade deadline, he wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger.
"If we can help our team in any way, we'll do it," Hextall said. "You can't be in my position and stop because you like the way things are going. If you make the assessment that someone is going to help your team, you'll do it."
The NHL's roster freeze has ended and league-wide talks have begun to pick up and rumors are again swirling.
For the Flyers, while they may not have any established big-time pieces other teams could be interested in beyond Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek - who aren't going anywhere - they do have a handful of second-tier players and expiring or soon-to-be expiring contracts that could entice teams looking to make a run.
As Seravalli notes, one such player could be center Sean Couturier.
"Couturier, now 22 and in his fourth season, has 101 points in 241 career games. His defensive prowess is unquestionable. He needs to continue to push the pace offensively," Seravalli writes. "He still has significant trade value, but as he approaches the magical 300-game mark, many managers around the league believes players simply are what they appear to be by that point."
The Flyers also have a number of defensemen with one year left on their deals - Braydon Coburn, Luke Schenn and Nick Grossman - and another handful set to become unrestricted free agents - Michael Del Zotto, Nick Schultz and Carlo Colaiacov - who could pique the interest of the leagues other GM's.
