{"id":549979,"date":"2026-03-28T07:18:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T07:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/549979\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T07:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T07:18:11","slug":"waiver-wire-pickup-has-surprisingly-been-flyers-best-trade-deadline-add","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/549979\/","title":{"rendered":"Waiver wire pickup has surprisingly been Flyers\u2019 best trade deadline add"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the day of the trade deadline, so many people expected the Philadelphia Flyers to be at least a little busy. And they might have been behind the scenes, but the deals that were actually completed were fairly ordinary \u2014 sending Bobby Brink back home to Minnesota and getting a more long-term project in defenseman David Jiricek, was certainly the highest-profile move the Flyers made.<\/p>\n

But one little transaction that at the time was seen as unnecessary, has been maybe the best addition the Flyers have made at a trade deadline in some time.<\/p>\n

As the trades were going around the league, the Flyers very quietly claimed veteran center Luke Glendening off of waivers from the New Jersey Devils. The 36-year-old forward that has over 900 games under his belt was cast aside by the even-worse Devils, and then quickly grabbed by the Flyers as they looked for some stability in their bottom six.<\/p>\n

Ever since center Rodrigo Abols went down with a season-ending injury, the Flyers have been trying different things on the fourth line. It has come to a point \u2014 also because of the player\u2019s decline \u2014 that captain Sean Couturier is a mainstay on the fourth line and in a pure depth role. It was a little ugly at first, but somehow, since the Glendening add, there has been a substantial pop of offense coming from those two.<\/p>\n

Luke Glendening has exceeded expectations for the Flyers, and then some<\/p>\n

In the seven games that Glendening has now played for the Flyers, he has scored a goal and four points, matching his point total from 52 games with the Devils earlier this season. And while some of it could be seen as just pure luck and happenstance that since this grizzled veteran joined the team basically just because he is a pending unrestricted free agent and can win some faceoffs, there has been some bottom-six production, there are subtle things that he brings to the table.<\/p>\n

On Thursday night, during the Flyers\u2019 big 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, Sean Couturier made it 2-0 while scoring his second goal in as many games and it was Glendening that really made it happen.<\/p>\n

THE CAPTAIN MAKES IT BACK-TO-BACK GAMES WITH GOALS AND IT’S ALREADY 2-0!!#LetsGoFlyers<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/3LroKw8uOT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) March 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

With the veteran center\u2019s awareness \u2014 and the Blackhawks being as bad defensively as you might see in the NHL this season \u2014 Glendening was able to intercept a blind pass in the offensive zone, and then almost immediately see his captain open with his stick on the ice, ready for a quick hard pass to send it into the back of the net.<\/p>\n

Again, Chicago was terrible in their own zone all night long, but the way that this all came together really highlights just how sometimes a veteran center who might be just months away from announcing his retirement, can still string together these plays. It\u2019s not a shot at the player, but that goal is a good example of the difference between someone with over 900 games under their belt and playing on some very good Detroit Red Wings teams with legendary players, to someone like Rodrigo Abols who has a total of 64 NHL games and all with the Flyers as he made his return to North America last season.<\/p>\n

This won\u2019t last forever. Right now, players are shooting at 13.33 percent with Glendening on the ice at 5-on-5, which is by far the highest of the veteran\u2019s career (only once has he had an on-ice shooting percentage of over 10 percent). That number will sink lower and fewer and fewer pucks will be going into the back of the net when that fourth line is on the ice, but for now they\u2019re converting at a very good clip with three goals in the 33 minutes that they\u2019ve been out there.<\/p>\n

Maybe what\u2019s even more impressive, is that the trio of Garnet Hathaway, Couturier, and Glendening, are controlling play, in addition to getting pucks in the back of the net. In those aforementioned 33 minutes, they have outshot the opponent 18-15, have a 29-22 advantage in unblocked shot attempts, are even at 36-36 for all shot attempts, and have an outstanding 2.26-1.14 advantage in expected goals. If all four Flyers lines played to that result, this team would be one of the best in the league.<\/p>\n

Tell me if you\u2019ve read this before: This won\u2019t necessarily continue and it wouldn\u2019t surprise anyone if this fourth line don\u2019t score any goals for the remaining 11 games of the Flyers season. But, it\u2019s just another bit of evidence that maybe the Flyers should go with that trusted voice and someone that has been there before for some forward depth, rather than someone who isn\u2019t necessarily going to be a part of the Flyers\u2019 future.<\/p>\n

If they replace Glendening with a fourth-line center like Karsen Dorwart or some other young forward, then obviously that is a decision done in good faith. But if we\u2019re talking about pure results \u2014 and maybe just to get some juice out of their declining captain \u2014 then Glendening has been a perfect fit.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s just been a neat little story and seeing these guys produce some goals that eventually lead to some big wins, is certainly a good thing.<\/p>\n

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