Mark Streit, Flyers ponder future as deadline looms
VOORHEES — For the past few days, Mark Streit doesn’t know what to think.
Free agency is only 21 games away for the Flyers defenseman…unless he gets traded. He’ll be 40 in December and wants to keep going, so he isn’t in the situation of Kimmo Timonen a couple years ago where he’d prefer to go to a contender at the trade deadline.
With a playoff spot a half dozen points ahead of them, the Flyers don’t look like playoff contenders.
The Flyers don’t need permission to trade Streit before Wednesday’s 3 p.m. deadline. His limited no-trade clause is that he provided the team in July with a list of 10 teams he’d go to.
“Maybe there’s demand for me, I don’t know,” Streit said. “I didn’t really think about it. I know I’m an older guy, my contract is up so usually you talk about those guys being dealt. That’s just the nature of the business but I’m all for here. I love the guys and love the team. I want to win with this team.”
His teammates feel the same way about wanting to stay as Sunday night the league started making moves.
Reigning Vezina Trophy finalist Ben Bishop, a pending UFA, went from the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Los Angeles Kings along with a fifth-round pick for goalie Peter Budaj, prospect Erik Cernak, a seventh-round pick and another conditional pick that could be as high as a second rounder.
As playoff hopes slip away, Flyers still try to believe
That’s not a big price for one of the league’s best goalies, even if he is a “rental” at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, center Martin Hanzal, ex-Flyer Ryan White and a fourth-round pick were traded from Arizona to Minnesota for a minor-leaguer, first-round, second-round and conditional pick that could be another second.
“I have no idea what individual values are,” said Flyers goalie Steve Mason, another potential trade candidate, “but I was definitely shocked that L.A. was his landing spot with (oft injured starter Jonathan) Quick coming back and having a strong game and Budaj was having a great year. It’s not like they were having trouble keeping the puck out of the net.”
If that’s the market for goalies, Mason and Michal Neuvirth — both pending UFAs — won’t be getting much of a return if GM Ron Hextall decides to trade either.
The Flyers are six points out of a playoff spot with 21 games left and several other teams in contention for that last spot in the Eastern Conference postseason picture. Between how steep the mountain is in front of them and action building around the league, it’s an uneasy time in the locker room.
“I don’t think I’d be surprised by anything,” Mason said. “Everybody understands the situation that we’re in with some current players with contracts. Hexy’s got his job to do for what he sees best for the Philadelphia Flyers and not any one player in particular.”
Hextall said Friday, before the Flyers’ 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh Saturday night, that the Stadium Series game and Tuesday’s matchup against the league-worst Colorado Avalanche would have some bearing on what he does before the clock hits 3 p.m. Wednesday.
So far, the players haven’t played their way into any endorsement for keeping the gang together.
“If we trade one or two guys or keep someone,” Brayden Schenn said, “it doesn’t change the guys’ in the room’s opinion of trying to make the playoffs.”
Manning suspended 2 games
Michael Del Zotto will likely be in the lineup Tuesday to replace Brandon Manning, who was suspended two games on Monday. The NHL took two days to penalize him for interference when he hit Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel on Saturday night.
The puck had gone off Guentzel’s skate but he didn’t play it with his stick, instead letting it go to Sidney Crosby. Manning had already committed to the hit, plowing into the smaller Guentzel’s shoulder and the follow through with Manning’s shoulder connecting to Guentzel’s head.
“I think I caught his shoulder first,” Manning said. “Him being smaller was kind of a result of that. I don’t think they’re worried about the head contact.”
There was no penalty on the play nor was Guentzel injured. He didn’t miss a shift. Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin drilled Winnipeg’s Blake Wheeler directly to the head last week, but there was no supplemental discipline on that. The NHL’s inconsistency with these hits continues.
“I’m not trying to hurt him there or anything,” said Manning, who will forfeit $10,833.34 as part of the suspension. “That’s the way I play — if you have the opportunity for an open-ice check, you take it. I’ve probably watched it 100 times already and when you slow it down it’s easy to say, ‘Yeah, he didn’t have the puck,’ but when you’re in the moment, under the lights like that, things happen out there.”
Loose Pucks
Mason is likely to make his first start in seven games against the Avalanche Tuesday. He has an 8-7-3 record in 18 career games against Colorado with a 2.99 goals-against average and .905 save percentage. … Travis Konecny skated before practice with assistant coach Ian Laperriere. He is at least a week away from returning after a leg injury suffered Feb. 6.
Dave Isaac; 856-486-2479;disaac@gannett.com
Up next: vs. Colorado Avalanche
When: 7 p.m., Tuesday
TV/Radio: CSN/97.5 FM