When the Flyers signed Christian Dvorak to a one-year, $5.4MM contract this summer, the widely held belief was that it was likely that they’d look to flip him at the trade deadline, possibly with salary retention. However, it doesn’t appear that is the plan at the moment. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic recently reported (subscription link) that with Philadelphia in the thick of the playoff race and the fact he’s on track for a career year offensively (he has 22 points in 31 games), the team isn’t planning to move him. Instead, exploring a potential contract extension could be in the cards. Because Dvorak is on a one-year deal, he’s ineligible to sign a contract until January.
Elsewhere in the East:
- The Senators are believed to be looking for a top-nine forward and some defensive depth, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Recent injuries have tested their depth with centers Shane Pinto and Lars Eller out, the latter facing an extended absence while Thomas Chabot has played just once in the last month due to a couple of stints on injured reserve. Ottawa doesn’t have a 2026 first-round pick to dangle in a move, however, with that pick being forfeited due to their nondisclosure of Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade clause in an attempted trade in 2021. The Sens have around $2.7MM in full-season cap space, per PuckPedia, so they may be hard-pressed to try to get both of those wants at this point.
- Amidst speculation about GM Tom Fitzgerald’s job security, NJ Advance Media’s Ryan Novozinsky reports that Fitzgerald has the full support of ownership and his job is not in jeopardy. There was some disappointment late last week when New Jersey wasn’t able to get a trade in place for Quinn Hughes while the team has struggled as of late, winning just six of 16 games since top center Jack Hughes suffered a hand injury. But while Buffalo opted for a change in management today, don’t expect the Devils to be doing the same.