Are the Philadelphia Flyers looking at trading Wayne Simmonds and Dale Weise?
Wayne Simmonds
Sportsnet: Steven Loung reports Wayne Simmonds as a pending UFA, Simmonds has already seen his name reach trade rumors over this offseason. Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall says the Wayne Train is welcome long-term, but actions speak louder than words, and until any extension with Simmonds is signed, it’s fair to assume teams will be calling.
Should he be traded, Simmonds will provide an instant offensive boost and a bit of sandpaper to any capable team. He’s broken the 30-goal plateau twice in the past three seasons, and scored more than 20 every year since 2011-12, with the exception of the 2012-13 lockout season. While his possession numbers have declined over the past three years, his offensive upside should be enough to keep teams from worrying too much. The rumored asking price for Simmonds is a first-round pick and prospect, and while he’s coming off a relative down year, he may be seen as worth it if he can start the season strong.
Simmonds makes a reasonable $5 million this coming season with an AAV of $3.975 million, so he shouldn’t be too hard for teams looking to trade for him to fit underneath their cap as at least a one-season rental.
Dale Weise
Dale Weise has seen his NHL stock plummet astronomically. Before signing with the Flyers, he was part of a trade that landed the Montreal Canadiens Philip Danault, a return the Flyers would kill to see for the veteran winger now. These days, he can barely break the double digit point count and at times has struggled to even crack the line-up.
Weise is under contract for another two years at $2.35 million. The number itself isn’t what makes his contract such a killer as much as what the Flyers are paying for. Possession numbers worlds below the rest of the team (relative -4.4/-6.2% CF/FF), points that don’t make a difference, and a player that shouldn’t be in the lineup for a team’s most important games. Weise is set to stay in Philadelphia for the remainder of his contract, but the less he plays, the better.
