The Flyers want a seat at the table in a Wild and Red Wings trade, and Friday morning's report says they'd take Yakov Trenin's contract to get one.
Speaking with team sources, DFO was told Philadelphia would act as a third-party broker between Minnesota and Detroit. The asking price would be Stramel, a player the Flyers like.
Trenin carries a $3,500,000 cap hit, and his offensive output hasn't come close to matching it. He's held scoreless through 15 games this season.
Two assists. That's the whole stat line, paired with a -3 rating.
Last night against the Islanders, he logged 15:04 in a 4-3 overtime loss and didn't put a single shot on goal.
The Wild sit at 9-3-3 and lead the Central, so nobody in Bill Guerin's office is panicking. They just want more out of that roster spot.
The Red Wings have the cap space to eat the salary themselves, as a Central Division executive pointed out to DFO. So why invite Philadelphia at all?
Rick Tocchet's Flyers turn cap space into a trade chip
Maybe Detroit would rather keep that room clean. Shawn Horcoff's club is 6-4-3 after beating Chicago 4-1 last night, and a scoreless forward is a tough sell anywhere.
Daniel Briere's club is 3-8-4 and ranks 30th overall. In Philadelphia right now, the currency is assets, and wins can wait.
The Flyers carry a -22 goal differential and have lost three straight. Adding a depth forward changes nothing for a group already sitting last in the Metropolitan.
This is a smart play by Briere. Eating a contract to land a player you actually want is exactly what a team at the bottom should be doing in October.
It's the hockey version of co-signing a buddy's lease. You carry the risk on paper, and you walk away with something you never could have bought outright.
There's a schedule wrinkle, too. The Wild visit Washington on November 1, then roll into Philadelphia on November 3.
Imagine trade talk hanging over that puck drop. Trenin could be skating against the team willing to take him off Minnesota's books.
Nothing is done. The Flyers are willing to take part only if there's a necessity for it, and the Red Wings still hold the cleaner path.
So it lands on Guerin's desk. If Detroit won't take Trenin straight up, is Stramel a price the Wild are willing to pay for the favor?
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More details to come.
Should the Wild give up Stramel to the Flyers just to move Yakov Trenin's contract?
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