The Philadelphia Flyers have constructed up a formidable core of wingers, giving them some expertise to work with as they shift from playoff hopeful to maybe a contender within the close to future. However there’s an issue with their depth on the wing. 24-year-old Joel Farabee appears to be the odd man out—a commerce is looming, and there’s principally nothing he can do about it.
The implication beneath is {that a} Farabee commerce is a assure due to his state of affairs. It’s essential to make clear that this isn’t precisely the case, however it does appear probably that he’ll be out, and doubtless as quickly because the 2025 offseason. Why is that?
Farabee Has Misplaced the Numbers Sport
Farabee’s departure is fairly probably due to how free the Flyers have been with their cash. Extending Travis Konecny to an eight-year deal value $8.75 million per season, the most important contract in franchise historical past, was the nail within the coffin. The Flyers are set to have a cap hit of $88.8 million in 2025-26 per my projections—fortunately with a full 23-man roster—which leaves them with principally no room to make any worthwhile additions to their group and not using a commerce. That is the place the 24-year-old is available in.
Not solely will Farabee’s $5 million cap hit by means of the 2027-28 season free cap area, however buying and selling him may additionally permit for the Orange and Black to improve at a unique place. With 4 bonafide top-six wingers (Konecny, Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, and Matvei Michkov) together with choices equivalent to Bobby Brink, Samu Tuomaala, Alex Bump, and Denver Barkey sooner or later, it doesn’t make sense to maintain Farabee past the 2024-25 season. He could possibly be packaged in a “hockey commerce” of kinds to land a middle, a defenseman, or perhaps a prospect—it simply makes an excessive amount of sense to commerce him.
The Flyers basically have their whole 2023-24 roster underneath contract by means of 2025-26. Operating the identical group again three years in a row would make little sense, so buying and selling a few of these gamers appears cheap sufficient. Until Farabee magically boosts his manufacturing regardless of probably getting much less ice time than he did final season, he appears misplaced.
Buying and selling Farabee May Be a Mistake
I don’t consider that the Flyers can be within the improper to commerce Farabee proper now, however the best way they’ve dealt with him is poor asset administration in my eyes. With Michkov’s arrival and Konecny’s extension, he would possibly common much less ice time than he did in 2023-24—he wasn’t enjoying rather a lot to start with.
Farabee is rather a lot higher than folks have a tendency to offer him credit score for, however that’ll by no means be realized if he continues to play middle-six minutes. Despite the fact that he had an excellent however not nice 50 factors in 82 video games, he was only a hair behind each Tippett and Konecny in factors per 60 (P/60) at 5-on-5. These three had been simply the Flyers’ most efficient offensive gamers, then there was a drop-off at fourth with Morgan Frost.
Konecny, regardless of being three years older than Farabee, is about to make $3.75 million extra than him as soon as his extension kicks in. Not solely are they equally productive on a per 60 foundation, making the latter’s $5 million cap hit a steal in that sense, however Farabee additionally appears to be well-liked within the locker room. Contemplating his ice time will solely lower in concept, the Flyers aren’t giving him an actual likelihood to shine.
Getting away from Farabee’s worth as a participant, which is an excellent second-liner (even for a contender), there’s a problem with him virtually undoubtedly enjoying with lower-quality linemates and fewer ice time normally. His commerce worth might decline, which might put the Flyers in a spot the place they’d virtually absolutely be dropping a Farabee commerce. Along with his manufacturing more likely to undergo, groups might see that as a possibility to fleece basic supervisor (GM) Danny Briere—the leverage wouldn’t be in his favor.
With true top-six minutes and higher linemates, it’s not unreasonable to assume Farabee might attain 70 factors if he had been traded—he was on tempo for 66 by means of the All-Star Break. That type of potential is one thing the Flyers needs to be retaining for themselves, however there’s simply not a path to make that occur presently. The hope now could be that Briere can beat the percentages and make a deal worthwhile if it involves that.
What a Farabee Commerce Would possibly Look Like
Even when his ice time had been decreased, groups would most likely nonetheless see the worth in Farabee. I feel there would should be another issues connected, however I see a path the place Briere can land a younger top-six middle with the 24-year-old winger being the primary package deal. What would possibly that seem like?
To me, each single one of many Flyers’ six draft picks within the first two rounds in 2025 is expendable. Whereas it’s true that the category is stronger than 2024, I consider Briere’s insistence on buying picks for 2025 is straightforward: he intends to make some trades. Attaching Farabee to a first-round decide in a perceived sturdy class might get the Flyers the centerman that they so desperately want, as an illustration.
Associated: Philadelphia Flyers Mailbag: Michkov at Middle, Tuomaala, & Extra
It’s laborious to place a reputation on the market precisely, however somebody like Trevor Zegras—seeing as he has an excellent relationship with Jamie Drysdale—is across the caliber of participant the Flyers can be after. Farabee, a 2025 first-round decide, and maybe just a little bit further might theoretically get the job finished. Philadelphia wouldn’t actually be dropping all that a lot, so this sort of commerce can be fairly sensational for Briere.
The Flyers have the commerce worth to get a large improve on Farabee with out actually hurting themselves. If it’s not a straight one-for-one deal, anticipate these 2025 picks to be concerned. There are such a lot of of them that parting methods with one or two of them would nonetheless go away the Orange and Black with extra picks within the first two rounds than they utilized in 2024 anyway.
It’s not precisely a certainty that Farabee will get traded, however it does appear fairly probably. Seeing as he was fourth in common ice time amongst wingers behind Konecny, Foerster, and Tippett, the introduction of Michkov will probably place him fifth—a distant fifth. A departure is looming.
