Flyers Trade Talk: An Under The Radar Target This Summer

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The Philadelphia Flyers are still in their search for a top-line center. A true No. 1 center is hard to come by. When teams get them, they almost never become available. Rarely do you see one hit the open market. If a team is to acquire one, it’s likely through trade, and almost always due to a want for new scenery.

Getting that impact top-line center should be high on the list of priorities for the Flyers, as that is one of the key pieces missing from being Stanley Cup contenders. Auston Matthews will be a player to watch all summer, but chances are, the Flyers will be outbid.

So, the team will have to look elsewhere in their quest for a 1C.

There are a number of teams that could have players available. Elias Pettersson in Vancouver could be one. Robert Thomas in St. Louis is another one. But again, unless the Flyers are willing to cough up Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone, or Tyson Foerster, acquiring a player like that will be hard to do.

A pivot to that would be finding a very good 2C, that, when surrounded by quality and scoring wingers, could be a big-time point producer.

That’s where one target that could fly under the radar comes into play.

Read More: Stay or Go: What Should the Flyers Do With Sam Ersson

Flyers under the radar trade target: Matty Beniers​

Matty Beniers, at age 23, has played in parts of 5 NHL seasons, including 4 with 77+ games. He won the 2022-23 Calder Trophy with his 24-goal, 57-point season in 80 games. He was also a +14 that year.

Beniers has not since surpassed those numbers, scoring fewer goals and assists in each year since then, while his ice time only grows. He could be the perfect trade candidate and a beneficiary of a change of scenery.

Now, for what it’s worth, Beniers has not been made available. There was some chatter around his name at the trade deadline, landing on trade boards. Most notably, the Kraken were interested in trading fellow center Shane Wright in an attempt to land a scoring winger.

With Berkley Catton knocking on the doorstep, Chandler Stephenson locked up long-term, and Seattle drafting Jake O’Brien in the top-10 in the 2025 NHL Draft, Beniers could become a perfect trade candidate.

Seattle has the reliable centerman signed to a deal that carries a $7,142,857 AAV through the 2030-31 season. Currently, he plays the role of top-line center for the Kraken. It’ll take a good return to get Beniers shipped, but the Flyers could have enough to get it done.

The Kraken were open to trading Wright for a top-6 scoring winger. There is no reason why the same type of return could not be enough for Beniers. The Flyers have a surplus of talented wingers, just like the Kraken have plenty of centers that could interest Philly. It’s a match made in heaven.

As for the on-ice fit, Beniers would slot in as the Flyers’ top center on Day 1. He brings two elements to the game that the Flyers have been desperately missing: speed and winning puck battles. Beniers is a reliable two-way center whose playmaking is a strong suit.

His numbers do not reflect a 1C, and he would not be. 2025-26 was his best season since his rookie year, where he posted 20 goals and 30 assists in 82 games. But, at a time when a real 1C seems nearly impossible to land, a good 2C could be the next best option. Not to mention, Beniers never really had a strong supporting cast of wingers in Seattle.

To me, you put him between Porter Martone and Trevor Zegras, or Martone and Matvei Michkov; there is no telling what his ceiling could be.

Not to mention, the former 2nd overall pick is still just 23 years old, and won’t be 24 until November. He is still very young and has plenty of room for development into a top-line center.

Getting a 1C should be the goal of the offseason, but it can be difficult. Landing a young, talented top-6 center doesn’t sound like a bad consolation prize if getting a 1C falls short.

A trade for Beneirs could include a winger, a pick, and or a prospect, depending on the value of the first two. Either way, the Flyers have enough assets to pull this type of deal off.

If you were the Flyers, would you trade for Matty Beniers?

Read More: PhHN Daily: Flyers Trade Target; Nesbitt Commits; Devils & Nemec Rumors

The post Flyers Trade Talk: An Under The Radar Target This Summer appeared first on Philly Hockey Now.

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