Only 3 'Untouchables' On Flyers As They Look to Swing Big Deal

The Philadelphia Flyers are off to a solid start to the season, at 13-7-3. But in the red-hot Metropolitan Division, that's only good for a three-way tie for 4th place going into play on Saturday. But the Flyers want more, as noted by Kevin Kurz of The Athletic:

"We can safely assume that if the Flyers are going to move their rebuild forward, they need to do it with a big trade or two."

So does that mean that anyone on the roster is on the table in trade talks for someone like Quinn Hughes? Not quite. Kurz lists the very few Philly 'untouchables' this season:

It’s a short list. But three players — Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone and Tyson Foerster — won’t be traded by the Flyers under any circumstances, in my mind.

No, Michkov is not having a great sophomore season, but the 20-year-old showed glimpses of his star potential last season, and the Flyers aren't about to give up on him after a slow six weeks to start the new campaign.

Top prospect Porter Martone has seen his stock soar this season

The top prospect in the system, Martone, is off to a sensational start at Michigan State, with 10 goals and 14 points in 14 games, with a plus/minus rating of +14. He now seems like a complete steal for the Flyers at No. 6 in last year's draft, as Kurz notes:

"It’s not outrageous to suggest that Martone would go No. 2 in a 2025 redraft, rather than No. 6, which is where the Flyers got him. That’s how much his stock has risen in two months."

So, yes, Martone is certainly not going anywhere in any potential trade.

Tyson Foerster is proving to be a key piece moving forward for Flyers

And as for Foerster, he, too, looks like a long-term piece, as new head coach Rick Tocchet has quickly taken to the third-year player, who is showing massive improvement once again this season.

Rick Tocchet on Tyson Foerster, who leads the Flyers with 9 goals: “He gets to the holes quick. ... Seems like he gets the shot off, but also arrives on time for that pass. He’s one of those guys that gets what we’re trying to do.”
— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) November 29, 2025

“He gets to the holes quick," Tocchet said of Foerster. "Seems like he gets the shot off, but also arrives on time for that pass. He’s one of those guys that gets what we’re trying to do.”

Foerster, 23, has nine goals in 19 games, on pace to obliterate his 25-goal high set last year. He signed a two-year bridge deal extension back in May at a bargain $3.75M AAV, but if he keeps up his 40-goal pace, he'll be looking at a huge raise on his next contract. He'll be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2027 if not locked up for longer before then.

Big trade or no big trade this season, bottom line, says Kurz, is that GM Danny Briere "will undoubtedly remain patient with what is still the fifth-youngest roster in the NHL, and that means not risking a deal that moves players who could become superstars somewhere else".