While the Philadelphia Flyers have failed to address their need for talented young centers to this point in the offseason, they still have plenty of options available to them if they choose to try again
The Leo Carlsson offer sheet was a strong indicator of what the Flyers are looking for and ultimately want to do at the position. Carlsson, 21, is already virtually a point-per-game player, and would have easily scored more than 30 goals and 70 points had he played in more than 70 regular season games for Anaheim last year
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It goes almost without saying, though, that those kinds of players don’t grow on trees, and the Flyers clearly aren’t as convinced that Columbus’s Adam Fantilli is in the same tier, because he’s eligible to sign and receive an offer sheet, too
No dice in free agency, no dice in the draft, and no dice with the offer sheet leaves the Flyers with one avenue left worth exploring, and that’s the trade market
Out in the West, the Flyers have a trade target to consider on the San Jose Sharks
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With their top three centers, and top-nine in general, more or less set, it’s becoming harder and harder to envision a future for Filip Bystedt, a 22-year-old center who was the 27th overall pick back in 2022
The 6-foot-4 Swede broke out in a major way last season, erupting for 22 goals, 38 assists, and 60 points in 65 games for the AHL San Jose Barracuda,
Despite the breakout, Bystedt is heading into a contract year, and in that timeframe, it would be difficult to imagine a world where he is able to supplant someone like Wennberg, given his inexperience and defensive weaknesses, and wrest a top-nine role away; he doesn’t have the skillset required of a fourth-line player
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Sharks Hockey Digest beat reporter Max Miller did not have Bystedt in his top-10 Sharks prospects heading into training camp, with Cam Lund, another prospect on the bubble, ranking ahead of the honorable mention
With the Flyers, though, Bystedt would have more than enough runway to establish himself as an NHL player and have the time he needs to improve his offensive and defensive reads
For his size, Bystedt is a good enough skater, and he’s equally skilled as a passer and shooter
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In the AHL, the former first-round pick was able to play a more complementary role as a facilitator for skilled wingers such as Quentin Musty and Igor Chernyshov, and the Flyers have more than enough pieces on the flanks in their cupboard to recreate that environment for Bystedt at the NHL level
As for potential trade compensation, it’s harder to say, since the Sharks already added Michael Kesselring, Jacob Trouba, and Darnell Nurse to address a weak defense that lacked NHL-caliber players
One trade comparable worth considering, however, is the Amadeus Lombardi trade from the end of June. The 23-year-old restricted free agent was traded by the Detroit Red Wings to the New Jersey Devils for a fourth-round pick (108th overall)
Lombardi has scored 82 points in his last 91 AHL games and is in need of an NHL opportunity, similarly to Bystedt, who just enjoyed a breakout of his own
Of course, a trade would have to be suitable for both sides, but there is at least a fit on paper, especially from the Flyers’ side of things
