It’s well-known at this point that the plan for the Philadelphia Flyers is to retool and try and put forward a competitive team to compete next season. Only four players were mentioned in the Flyers’ press conference with general manager Chuck Fletcher and governor Dave Scott, and those names were Sean Couturier, Joel Farabee, Kevin Hayes, and Ryan Ellis. Everyone else seems to be on the table and they will be willing to listen.

The player that is going to be analyzed in this article on the Flyers’ roster is Travis Konecny. He has regressed after breaking out in 2019-20 and it may be time for a change in scenery.

The Vancouver Canucks seem to be in the same position as the Flyers, which makes them interesting partners. Their plan, especially with their young talent locked up on short-term deals, should not be to rebuild, but rather retool as well.

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As with any team that is struggling, there is going to be rumours and speculation as to who should be dealt, to which team, and for what return. As a retooling team, that means establish a core group of players, make it known, and take calls and offers about any and all others on the team.

Of course the big name out of Vancouver is J.T. Miller, as he will fetch their highest price, and it’s up in the air as to whether the Canucks are going to re-sign or trade him. He also has one more year remaining on his very team-friendly deal. Aside from Miller, Conor Garland may be their next biggest and most-likely trade piece that they are considering moving. (from ‘The Armies: Conor Garland trade rumours, the Tyler Myers match penalty and the ‘terrible’ OT backcheck’, The Athletic, Jan. 30, 2022) Let’s look at how Garland and Konecny’s careers have matched up and what may be in store in the future.

 

NHL Career Comparison

Both Konecny and Garland are near the beginning of their careers and there’s no reason to think they each won’t have long and successful ones. But sometimes things run their course in one city and it’s time for that player to move on.

Starting with Konecny, he debuted in the NHL in 2016-17, not making a huge impact right away.