Possible trade? The Habs may have the solution for the Flyers following the likely departure of Claude Giroux
Thursday morning, the Philadelphia Flyers extended the contract of defender Rasmus Ristolainen for a period of 5 years. The Finn, who will not finally become an unrestricted free agent this summer, will receive an average salary of $5.1 million.
Many were disappointed to see this extension, because it takes many chances away from a trade between the Habs and the Flyers including Jeff Petry. Many rumors once sent Ristolainen elsewhere so that he could finally make the playoffs. With a possible departure, Jeff Petry could very well have replaced him on the blue line of the Flyers.
If a trade involving Petry is now very unlikely, that does not mean that a move between the two teams is no longer possible. The Habs could have in its ranks a replacement option for the possible departure of the captain of the Flyers Claude Giroux. According to rumours, it is more than likely that the latter will leave the organization that drafted him by March 21, leaving a gaping hole, both in the payroll ($8.275 million) and in the position of center.
You may have forgotten him, because he has been absent for a while, but the Canadian has a certain Christian Dvorak in his ranks. The latter, who has been absent since January 24, recently returned to training with his teammates, wearing a non-contact jersey. He could very well return to the game soon, just in time to see him play a few times before the trade deadline.
The 26-year-old American still has good years ahead of him. His contract valued annually at $4.45M for another three years also makes him very attractive. He is capable, in addition to playing very well defensively, of accumulating around forty points per season. Before getting injured, he still had 16 points in 34 games.
According to Maxim Guerin, the Flyers called Kent Hughes on Wednesday night about the center player. Guerin even wonders if a trade including Dvorak and Travis Sanheim might be a possibility.
Sanheim, 25, will receive an annual salary of $4.675 million, for yet another year. There's no doubt the 6-foot-3 left-handed defenseman will get a nice raise when his contract ends. Nevertheless, the Habs cannot afford to ignore the Flyers, especially if Ben Chiarot leaves the organization.
In 54 games this season, the Canadian defenseman has 4 goals and 16 assists for a total of 20 points. He also maintained a +2 differential in addition to earning 20 penalty minutes.
Ah yes, even Darren Dreger thinks signing Ristolainen hints at a possible Sanheim trade!
