NHL Trade Rumors: Why Flyers Would Be Foolish to Acquire Bobby Ryan

The Philadelphia Flyers would be better off leaving Bobby Ryan alone and moving on with free agency.

However, the Flyers are still as in the mix as they've ever been. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period on Twitter, Philadelphia is putting on the full-court press to land Ryan. 

"

On the trade front, sounds like the Flyers are upping their efforts for Bobby Ryan.

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) July 3, 2012"

With Zach Parise and Ryan Suter shopping themselves around to about half a dozen teams each, the Flyers are obviously moving forward with other moves in the hopes that they can find a way to pull in an elite acquisition regardless of Parise's or Suter's decision.

The asking price for one of the league's most coveted young forwards is too high for Philadelphia to gain any sort of competitive advantage over the course of the next decade. TSN's Darren Dreger tweeted Monday what could be a major snag in the deal.

"

To trade Bobby Ryan, the Ducks want a few pieces, including a 2nd line center.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 2, 2012"

Sure, the Flyers are deep at the center position, but one of their top priorities is remaining deep. They did a masterful job of building a core of young centers with Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier.

Schenn or Couturier would most likely have to be included in a deal to send Ryan to Philly, considering they're both second-line centers and are incredibly young players with ridiculously high ceilings.

Schenn, fifth overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft, is one of the building blocks for the future Flyers team. Philadelphia gave up a hefty price to acquire his brother, Luke, from Toronto. I doubt the plan was to disband the brothers right after uniting them.

Couturier was picked eighth overall in 2011 and has a little bit more time left to develop at just 19 years old, but his skill makes him an impactful center even at such a young age.

Losing either one of these players would be a significant step back in the Flyers' hopes of remaining a Stanley Cup contender throughout the next decade. Ryan is a great talent and could turn into a NHL star in the right system, but losing an advantage like the one Philly has could be detrimental.

Not many teams are able to put themselves in the great position that Philadelphia has through stellar front office and draft moves, and it'd be foolish to give up that advantage now. 

Regardless of if the Flyers lose out on Ryan, Rick Nash, Suter or Parise, they've bolstered their defense in the offseason and remain a favorite in the Eastern Conference.