My Flyers Trade Deadline Wish List Part 2

If you missed part one of my wish list, here's a link. I can break it down for you pretty simply:

• I think we should keep Sam Gagner
• I think we should keep Radko Gudas
• I think we should trade Evgeny Medvedev, and he should net at least a second round pick
• If we can take on an expiring contract in the Medvedev trade to create some cap room for the other team, that would be worth it if we can get more picks or prospects

Did I miss any big names that are in the Flyers' pool of players that might be shipped out this weekend? 

Is there anybody that you guys can think of?

STREIT SNIPE pic.twitter.com/3xmclz5kWR

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) February 26, 2016

Oh yeah, it's our veteran puck-moving defenseman that we've been talking about trading for like a full calendar year at this point.

I wanted to break Streit out into his own post, because it's a lot more complicated than just comparing his measurables to other defensemen that were recently traded. Because all of them - Harrison, Larsen, Weber, and Polak - have contracts that expire this summer.

Streit, as we know, is due $4 million cash next year on a $5.25 million cap hit.

That complicates things, and it probably craters Streit's return for Ron Hextall. But, as they tend to do this time of year, teams are calling to inquire about the offensively-gifted blueliner.

@BarstoolJordie from Friedman's AMA pic.twitter.com/jcYj8xqLDT

— Jay (@jaylike) February 22, 2016

So if the plan is to try to dump Streit's money from the books next year, Hexy should be able to make moves. But there are a lot of questions surrounding the deal, so let's go a little more in depth:

Should We Just Keep Him Around?

There's something to be said for a steady veteran presence in the locker room, especially when the blue line may include rookies Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, and Sam Morin next year. Look at Edmonton - you can't just have a bunch of young talents in a room and expect them to succeed.

Because the Flyers' cap issues will be somewhat alleviated next year, it might be worth the $5 million to keep Alternate Captain Streit around to help mold the youngsters.

Why The Fuck Would We Keep Him Around??

I can, however, see the case against keeping Streit. He's old, he's noticeably slower, and we're going to be stuck with a huge cap hit next year for an old, slow defenseman as he limps to retirement. He's also going to take a roster spot from one of our five blueline prospects.

Can We Get Anything For Him?

Based on the comparables from the past few days' trades, if Streit was expiring this summer he'd be worth a second or third round pick.

But that's not the case, and the cap hit next year means he's worth less than if he was expiring.  Is it worth losing Streit for something like a fourth or fifth round pick?

Verdict

I'm deferring to Hextall here. I think their are pros and cons on both sides, and I really just trust Ron's judgment.

If I had to pick a side in the fight, I'd say we keep him. Hockey, like a lot of sports, seems to require a veteran locker room presence. That's why Kimmo Timonen fetched a pair of second round picks even though his legs were broken.

And it's why we should keep Mark Streit on as an alternate captain and a mentor for the Big Five.