Latest / Hattrick's Unofficial Flyers Podcast / 2026 NHL TRADE DEADLINE UNOFFICIAL FLYERS RECAP
Transcript
- Rick Mullen: Hi everybody, welcome to Hattrick's Unofficial Flyers podcast. I'm Rick Mullen, I'll be your host today. Today was a huge day in the NHL. It was the 2026 trade deadline. It ended today at 3 p.m. leading up to the trade deadline, you know, just like every other flyer fan or hockey fan, there was a lot of rumors out there. We were all excited. We're watching the podcast. We're listening to podcasts. We're actually ⁓ reading articles, doing some research, trying to figure out what's going on. ⁓ In all honesty, just like every other trade deadline for the Flyers for a while now, it was a little lackluster. some moves were made, nothing, nothing huge. Maybe that was, you know, could be some potential, but what we kind of expected to happen with Ristolanin did not happen today. So let's talk about what happened and then go from there. So Nick Deloria was actually traded today for a seventh round conditional pick with the Carolina Hurricanes. Nick was a fantastic flyer. He never complained. He was a heck of a locker room guy, well respected within this organization. ⁓ And every he did play, he put it all on the line. He ⁓ fought, did everything he could to do as much as he could for the Flyers while he was here. So I wish Nick nothing but success moving forward and unless he the Flyers, right? The other trade we actually did was Bobby Brink. Bobby Brink was moved to the Minnesota Wilds. So he's going back home for a David Yuracheck. David Yuracheck was a, what, 2023 draft pick, I believe. He's big right-handed defenseman. He's got some size. He has a heck of a good shot. But what's going on with him? Like this is the second ⁓ team that let go. ⁓ You know, he was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets. They weren't quite happy, I think, with his footwork. He went out to Minnesota and Minnesota really didn't play him much. He actually played more in the minor league. And, you know, there's some things being said about him that his footwork weren't too great. He didn't skate real well. Some people said he can skate forward very nicely, quickly, make some moves. He's good with the puck. Big shot, big booming shot, but he makes bad decisions and he skates a little slower going backwards, which is really important if you're a defender, right? You know, got to skate backwards. ⁓ know, not sure how this one's going to play out. It's kind of interesting. It's kind of looked at like we ⁓ actually out on him when we drafted Cutter. ⁓ And right after we drafted Cutter, Columbus had drafted David Yurichek. So we could have had him. We chose not to. Danny Breyer came on today and spoke about him. he thinks he had interest in him back then. He had interest in him last year. He did say that he's sort of a reclamation project, that he's going to spend some time down with the Phantoms for a while. going to learn a bit down there, the organization, how expect him to play. He's going to get a bunch of reps ⁓ and then, you know, he might be a couple of chances to come up and actually see what he has for the flyers. So, you know, he did say that he's got a big booming shot. ⁓ You I think he, ⁓ if look at some of his videos, go out and Google some of his highlight videos. He does have a shot. He does put the puck on net. A lot of his pucks that are getting put on net are usually tipped in by a teammate. ⁓ We don't really have a lot of that getting through right now. mean, Jamie can move really well, but a lot of his shots, like if he takes something with someone in front of him, he usually hits it. You know, so he's trying to run around and find that opening. And sometimes when he finds the opening and he's got that one second to shoot, he doesn't. You know, so he ends up holding it and passing it and moving the puck around some more. So I'm hoping over the years, know, David, ⁓ check has a lot of upside here. You know, he could absolutely be a diamond in a rough. You know, I'm hoping with some, some reps, ⁓ change of scenery here, ⁓ time given to him that, you know, they'll, they'll be able to bring the better part of his game out. and actually fix the part that he was struggling with. So I'm anxious to see it. He's a young, I think he's 22, 23 years old. He's a right-handed defenseman, a big right-handed defenseman. That puts three big right-handed defensemen on this team. ⁓ So it's kind of exciting to see. You have Bunk, you have him, and you have Risto. ⁓ And I think even Jamie Drysdon, right? I think he's a right-hander, a little smaller. But we have a really good plethora of right-handed D-man that you know in the future Maybe we can use your trade bait because everybody wants to try to overpay for a good right-handed defenseman. So Excited to see him Hopefully he gets some time and we can get him into a couple games here I when presser today. He had talked about brink brink was a really good player for us with the Flyers. Danny said that it was more of a numbers game. ⁓ had to go. ⁓ too many people here. There's too many wingers here that needed room. And unfortunately, and it was hard to do, ⁓ chose ⁓ move Brink, ⁓ we talked about yesterday on our episode. So ⁓ totally agree. Brink had to go. He was the odd man out. ⁓ I think Brink came a long way. think the Wilds getting a player. ⁓ Hopefully they understand that I think he's a really, really good third liner who can step up on the second line from time to time if needed. I think their fans when I was looking through some of the websites, the fans were unsure what they were getting. And I ⁓ they're to be pleasantly surprised once he gets out there and he gets to show them what he's got. ⁓ do believe Brink is. trying to get out to Las Vegas tonight from what I saw. He really wanted to play tonight, at least from the clip I heard. He was trying to jump on a plane to get out there and see if he can make the game tonight. I think it's at 10 o'clock. So I'm going to anxiously try to see if he is in the lineup and I'll watch that game. Brink, best of luck. Really, I feel like you really developed well for us and it's hard to see ⁓ we developed and you know, it fits a perfect third line, fast, four-checking player get moved off our team. So good luck, Bobby, and wish you all the luck. Risto Lainen. Man, he made another cut. He is nowhere. From what we're being told, there were teams interested in him. How many ⁓ wasn't really said, all speculation. ⁓ Danny Breyer said ⁓ the media ⁓ blew up their Risto-Lenin information online. So he kind of made it feel like there was so much drama in there, so many teams and this and that. The other thing that really much of it wasn't true. So we don't really know when asked about what he was receiving for offers for Risto. Danny respectfully declined. He said it wasn't something he wanted to share. And that's understandable. It's OK. You know, but what it comes down to is Risto was not moved. ⁓ The Flyers and Danny Brouillier decided that what they were offered wasn't really good enough for what they had. And I did go over this yesterday when we discussed this possible trade of Risto that Risto is on a really good friendly contract. He's got lot of things this team actually needs. He's a right-handed defenseman. He bangs. ⁓ playing really well, he's able to cover ice, he's taking open ice, he's getting the puck to the net, he's actually driving the net sometimes with the puck. So ⁓ it hurt us ⁓ ⁓ him at the trade down line? I know a lot of people are out there complaining and saying that they're not happy with it, that ⁓ they that Danny Breyer and Jonesy were incompetent and he should have been moved. I think it's a little hard and I do understand it because eventually I want him moved as well, you after his contracts over here. ⁓ But, you know, if we're just giving him away for nothing, right? What's the point in that? And yes, we don't know what was offered. We have no idea. Okay. But there's been a lot of speculation out there that, you know, they, these GMs were nervous that with his injury history and, you know, I'm thinking they were trying to play a little Hardball with Danny and Danny said no, you know, we're just going to keep them. So I'm hoping we can get through this year We get into the offseason And you know, they revisit Risto in the offseason to move him then and ⁓ from there so Moving forward I think I'm pretty excited. You know what you mean to ⁓ and again people won't be but I am ⁓ I don't any expectations for the Flyers I don't expect them to win every game would be fantastic if they went on a terror and went to the playoffs, but I'm not expecting that. And what I'm looking forward to is just seeing Bump, Eurocheck, ⁓ get here. Let's see some games. Let's see how they play. Let's see how they gel. Let's see how they think. Let's see how they move on the ice. You know, that to me right now is really where focusing ⁓ my attention, know, because ⁓ that's what have to do. You know, in reality, there's There's no way to the cup here. There's no way to really a playoff unless they go and tear it up and are undefeated for a while. And I don't think that's gonna happen. So take advantage of the situation, stay calm, watch these kids grow, see what they can do and have some faith that there's gonna be some moves in the off season. So with that said, that's all I have for the trade deadline special here. I wish all our ex-flyers, Nick and Bobby, nothing success. ⁓ And excited to see what David Euricek brings to this team. ⁓ And the change of scenery does him well. Until next time, hopefully next week we'll get another episode out. Take care and thanks for joining us today.