The Philadelphia Flyers got the last news they wanted to hear on Wednesday regarding Tyson Foerster. With Philly missing Foerster for the next five months or so, the club could be looking to external options to replace the 23-year-old.
However, the trade market remains at a standstill, even with two major trades happening last week. That being said, the Flyers could find a viable alternative to replace Foerster in Vancouver. The Canucks placed forward Lukas Reichel on waivers last week, amid his awful showing with the team.
That’s not an indictment of Reichel’s poor play. It’s just a symptom of the terrible situation in Vancouver. The 23-year-old had four points in five games with the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this season before being traded to Vancouver. Then, he had just one assist in 14 games there.
That may scare off some Flyers fans. But there’s reason to believe that a solid, structured system like Rick Tocchet’s could give Reichel a truly fresh start.
Now, the Canucks acquired Reichel from the Blackhawks for a 2027 fourth-round pick. At this point, the Flyers could land Reichel even for just future considerations. But let’s be a little bit kinder and offer some value.
So, the trade idea could look like this:
Flyers get:
Lukas Reichel, F
Canucks get:
2027 seventh-round pick
Meanwhile, the Flyers would be taking on the full $1.2 million cap hit Reichel carries for the remainder of this season. He’s on track to become an RFA next summer. So, that might also be a hot potato Philly will have to deal with during the summer.
Flyers Landing Reichel Is Low-Risk Move
Reichel is a former first-round pick from the 2020 NHL Draft. The Blackhawks took him 17th overall, but he never really seemed to live up to his pedigree. After his trade to Vancouver, Reichel’s struggles continued.
But with the Flyers, Reichel could get an extended audition with Foerster out. Philly could use him in a bottom-six role, offering him sheltered minutes at the start. From there, Reichel could gradually work his way up.
Of course, there’s always the chance things don’t work out. It could be that the Flyers figure out what the Blackhawks and Canucks already knew.
But then again, bringing in Reichel would be a low-risk move for the Flyers. They don’t really lose much by giving the German native a shot.
Philly Could Just Cut Ties with Reichel if Things Don’t Work Out
The most concerning bit in this move would be figuring out what to do with Reichel if things don’t work out. Reichel is in the final year of a two-year deal.
The main sticking point would be Reichel’s $1.3 million qualifying offer (QO). If the Flyers wanted to keep him, they would have to extend a QO to maintain his rights. But if they don’t, the Flyers could just decline to make a QO. Doing so would make Reichel a UFA immediately.
At that point, Philly could still re-sign him to another cheaper deal or let him walk. Either way, the Flyers wouldn’t really have a considerable burden with Reichel. There’s an easy way out, that is, if the Canucks don’t want an arm and a leg for Reichel.
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