The Philadelphia Flyers are in the heart of an intense playoff push right now but they are also making news off the ice.
Having recently added Porter Martone to their lineup(He hasn’t disappointed), the Flyers are already looking ahead to how they can improve for next season.
Sources are indicating that the Flyers along with three other teams are on the short list for KHL Star center Vitali Pinchuk.
The 24 year old center has spent the last 6 season playing for Dinamo Minsk of the KHL. This past season was his best one yet, as he appeared in 65 games and scored 31 goals to go along with 35 assist for 66 points.
Pinchuk stands at 6’3 and comes in over 200lbs. He would fill a position of need for the Flyers almost immediately. A top 6 center who has some great potential and could make an impact right away.
Now, if you’re new here I don’t report on things unless there’s actual smoke…(ie: Tocchet Hiring, Foerster Extension, Martone Signing, Foerster Return.)
With Pinchuk there is definitely smoke when it comes to the Flyers being one of the final teams on his list. That being said, we have seen this before with top KHL free agents. Just last season with Maxim Shabanov. There were reports he had signed with the Flyers and then all of a sudden he signs with the Islanders.
Pinchuk NHL comparison is Evgeni Malkin because of his size and ability to score. Adding him to the Flyers lineup would be a major upgrade at the center position and would also give them more flexibility when it comes to the centers in their pipeline.
Trevor Zegras has emerged as a solid number 1/2 center and if he can continue to improve he would solve a major problem the Flyers had. Dvorak has also proven that he can be a 2nd/3rd line center and Couturier is thriving in his new role as the 4th line middle man.
The addition of Pinchuk would give guys like Luchanko, Nesbitt, and Berglund more time to develop. As well as open the door for the Flyers to possibly move one of them in a trade.
With the end of the regular season a week away we can expect the heat around Pinchuk to pickup as teams start looking ahead to next season.
-Walsh
The Philly Phan Cave 
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