From Spector's Hockey...
ESTIMATING PROVOROV’S TRADE VALUE
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Giana Han examined the pros and cons of the Flyers trading
Ivan Provorov. The 25-year-old defenseman has recently become the subject of rumors suggesting it might be best for all concerned if he was traded to a playoff contender.
Han believes potential buyers would want to determine how much of Provorov’s struggles stem from himself or his current environment. With an annual average value of $6.75 million through 2024-25, he wouldn’t be a rental player. Given his age, he could still have some upside for contenders as a top-four blueliner.
NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton believes the Flyers shouldn’t trade Provorov for anything less than a first-round pick. He also thinks two other pieces should be included in the return. Han points out the Flyers aren’t under pressure to move Provorov by the March 3 trade deadline. However, they should be willing to listen to offers given their need to accumulate assets for the future.
THE SCORE: Josh Wegman lists the
Los Angeles Kings,
Edmonton Oilers,
Detroit Red Wings,
Ottawa Senators and
Buffalo Sabres as five clubs that should try to acquire Provorov. He believes the Flyers defenseman would make a good consolation prize for teams that fail to acquire
Jakob Chychrun. Provorov could also be more affordable to acquire than the
Arizona Coyotes blueliner.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Time is on the Flyers’ side here. They can afford to wait for the offseason if they don’t get any suitable offers for Provorov before the trade deadline.
Provorov has heard the recent trade talk but insists he wants to remain with the Flyers. He lacks a no-trade clause so he won’t have any say in the matter if GM Chuck Fletcher (or his replacement?) decides to peddle him.
His contract offers interested teams cost certainty for the next two seasons. However, his cap hit could prove difficult to move this season given the high number of cap-strapped teams.