4 Trade Targets to Boost Flyers’ Center Position This Offseason – The Hockey Writers – Philadelphia Flyers

After finishing the regular season with 98 points and advancing to the second round, the Philadelphia Flyers enter the offseason with expectations for the first time in several years. To take the next step, they’ll need to improve their center corps.

There aren’t a ton of elite names considered to be trade bait this summer, but a few might be worth pursuing. Who are they?

Matty Beniers, Seattle Kraken

While 23-year-old Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers isn’t exactly on the trade block, it’s been speculated numerous times that the Flyers could make a move for him. So, let’s entertain the idea.

Since winning the Calder Trophy in 2022-23, it’s been somewhat of a downward trend for Beniers. This past season, he recorded 20 goals and 30 assists in 82 games on 19:17 of average ice time. According to Hockey Stats, he had the worst Wins Above Replacement (WAR) grade of his career at 0.68. He ranked 208^th among all forwards despite his high usage.

With the Kraken having plenty of centers on the roster and in the pipeline, Beniers could potentially be the odd one out. He’s not worth giving up on, but with a $7.14 million cap hit through 2030-31 and theoretically solid value, a trade may be an avenue for Seattle.

The Flyers might be able to get away with a package equivalent to a first- and a second-round pick if Beniers is available. He’s coming off a bit of a disappointing campaign, and with youngsters Jake O’Brien and Berkly Catton down the middle anyway, Seattle would be trading from a position of strength.

Beniers could be a minute-munching center for the Flyers, replacing Christian Dvorak in that regard. The 23-year-old is worth pursuing at the right cost, but his ceiling might be limited to a second-line impact.

Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings

On June 4, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reported that Dylan Larkin requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings. The 29-year-old—who will be 30 at the end of July—recorded 67 points in 74 games this past season, and he historically gets very tough assignments at even strength.

Dylan Larkin has reportedly requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings. pic.twitter.com/Nb5EEOH5dC

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 4, 2026

A player of Larkin’s caliber can transform a team on the cusp of contention. After all, a high-end top-six center in Brock Nelson helped the Colorado Avalanche win the Presidents’ Trophy. They paid a pretty penny to acquire him at the 2025 trade deadline, but it was worth it.

If you’re the Flyers, you have to weigh the pros and cons here, though. Larkin could help them take that next step, cementing them not just as a playoff team in the Eastern Conference, but one of the better ones. However, he’s going to cost quite a lot, and he’s not exactly young, either.

Should Larkin waive his no-trade clause for the Flyers, you can still make a case that he’d be worth acquiring. After extending several of their veterans to long-term contracts over the past few seasons, it wouldn’t really make sense for Philadelphia to balk at adding a 30-year-old top-line center.

The likely cost here is something along the lines of Owen Tippett and more—potentially a first-round pick and a top prospect or another roster player. That’s just speculation, to be clear, but this won’t be a fleece. So, you have to really want Larkin.

Mason McTavish, Anaheim Ducks

Here’s an interesting one. The Anaheim Ducks have another young reclamation project center potentially on the block. This time, it’s Mason McTavish.

McTavish held out of training camp in 2025-26 due to a contract dispute, but eventually signed a six-year, $42 million deal. However, he had the worst full-season point total of his career, recording 17 goals and 24 assists in 75 games. So, it’s not a leap to say that he could be on the way out, especially with fellow center Leo Carlsson’s breakout and Roger McQueen being selected 10^th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The Flyers would be an interesting destination. For one, McTavish is still just 23 years old, so he fits the timeline. Secondly, he should be a lot cheaper than Larkin—I suspect that the equivalent of a first-round pick could get it done if he’s truly available. But he did get moved to the wing at times, and his WAR wasn’t great (minus-0.89).

McTavish doesn’t seem to have a first-line ceiling. At this juncture, he’s probably closer to maxing out as a second-liner. Would that be worth it for the Flyers, even with Trevor Zegras being the de facto 2C for the future? Maybe, but he probably won’t transform the team.

Shane Wright, Seattle Kraken

Returning to the Kraken, they have another center who could be available: Shane Wright. Unlike Beniers, the 2022 fourth-overall pick hasn’t gotten much of a chance to shine. Part of that may be his own fault, but a player can’t exactly make a huge impact if their career high in average ice time is 14:04 (in 2024-25, when he recorded 44 points in 79 games).

Wright is the most unproven of the bunch. This past season, he scored 12 goals and added 15 assists in 74 games on 13:48 of average ice time. His defensive play at even strength graded out well, but that’s not enough to make up for the offense. Given his results in Seattle, it’s possible that Wright peaks as a third-line center.

Considering Wright hasn’t gotten more than third-line minutes in his career and hasn’t really played above that level, it may seem counterintuitive to acquire him—the Flyers already have plenty of those. However, they’re in a position where they can elevate his minutes and help him reach another gear, so this may be a trade worth pursuing.

I would expect Wright’s value to be the lowest of the bunch, but that’s not to say he’d be cheap to add. Ultimately, I suspect that a little bit less than McTavish could get it done.

Unless Larkin is acquired, the Flyers will probably still have a center problem in 2026-27. Although the other names here—Beniers, McTavish, and Wright—are intriguing nonetheless. Should the Orange and Black make a splash to get them?

Stats courtesy of Hockey Stats