NHL Rumors: Flyers Interested In Three Senators' Players
Per Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco, that trade could be the first of several moves for Philadelphia this summer, with center depth remaining the most glaring need left to address.
The Flyers have reportedly zeroed in on a trio of players from the Ottawa Senators to fill it: Shane Pinto, Dylan Cozens, and Ridly Greig, in that specific order.
A Relationship With History
Interest in Pinto specifically is not new.
Per Flyers Nation's Dean Chaudhry, the Flyers were reportedly hoping to strike a deal for Pinto as far back as 2023, before he ultimately signed a one-year deal with Ottawa following his 41-game suspension for violating the league's sports gambling policy.
Pinto then signed a two-year deal at $3.75 million annually after the 2023-24 season, with a four-year extension worth $7.5 million kicking in starting in 2026-27.
Shane Pinto trade rumors??? 👀
— PHLY Flyers (@PHLY_Flyers) June 18, 2026
According to @ADiMarco25, the Flyers have interest in multiple Ottawa Senators – should Danny do a deal? pic.twitter.com/TsmSIA3dbv
Di Marco confirmed the Flyers and Ottawa Senators have had on-and-off trade talks dating back to the 2024-25 season, during which Ottawa pushed to move Josh Norris instead of Pinto, a proposal that reportedly frustrated Philadelphia's front office.
The Flyers' concern with Norris centered on his injury history, a fair worry given he appeared in just 44 games this past season for the Buffalo Sabres, where he was eventually traded.
Why Pinto and Cozens Rank Above Greig
Pinto and Cozens are both 25 years old, both right-shot centers, and both signed through the 2029-30 season at virtually identical cap hits of $7.5 million and $7.1 million, respectively.
Neither carries trade protection heading into next season.
Cozens just posted 28 goals and 59 points this past season, continuing the two-way breakout that began with 33 goals and 75 points across his first 103 games in Ottawa following the trade that originally brought him over for Norris.
He stands 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, was a first-round pick in 2019, and received Selke Trophy consideration this season for his two-way play.
The Flyers reportedly have interest in Ottawa’s Dylan Cozens, who is represented by the same agent as newly acquired Joseph Woll 👀#IgniteTheOrange pic.twitter.com/adp8C7rAVr
— Maher Media (@MaherMediaCo) June 17, 2026
Pinto is a similarly imposing 6-foot-3, 205 pounds and had a career year of his own in 2025-26, scoring 23 goals and 46 points in 72 games with a plus-6 rating, a 51.8 percent faceoff win rate, and 18:43 of average ice time that included a career-high 162.9 shorthanded minutes en route to a sixth-place finish in Selke voting.
Chaudhry described him simply as Noah Cates with more size and a better scoring touch, which is exactly why he sits atop Philadelphia's wish list.
Greig profiles as the fallback option if Ottawa refuses to part with either of the top two names.
He is 23, signed through 2028-29 at a $3.25 million cap hit, but has spent the bulk of his NHL minutes on the wing rather than at center, which tempers Philadelphia's enthusiasm somewhat.
He has scored 41 goals and 104 points over the last four seasons, including three straight years with 13 or more goals, and the Flyers actually considered drafting him in 2020 before selecting Tyson Foerster five picks earlier instead.
The Asset Ottawa Wants in Return
The framework points toward Rasmus Ristolainen.
Steve Staios has been searching for a right-shot defenseman for months, and the Senators were one of several teams pursuing Ristolainen ahead of the March trade deadline before the Flyers ultimately held onto him.
His value has only grown since, with a strong finish to the regular season and a productive playoff run raising his appeal at exactly the wrong time for any team hoping to acquire him cheaply.
The Flyers are not expected to retain his services beyond this season, but are in no rush to move him unless the return is exactly what they want.
Per Daily Faceoff, this would not be a simple one-for-one swap of Ristolainen for Pinto or Cozens.
Philadelphia would need to attach additional assets given the gap in term and ceiling between the two sides of any deal, but the framework, a center for Philadelphia and a right-shot defenseman for Ottawa, gives both organizations a clear starting point heading into the draft.
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