Would the Flyers really trade Wayne Simmonds to Pittsburgh? Many around the league are taking a ‘I’ll believe it when I see it stance” but Pittsburgh continues to be involved in talks for Simmonds with the deadline four days away. Pittsburgh’s interest in Simmonds is stronger than first believed, right under Mats Zuccarello, and league speculation is if Pittsburgh somehow struck a deal for Simmonds, the deal would most likely include Tanner Pearson as a second piece (high pick, or prospect being primary piece) going the other way to Philadelphia, two NHL sources said. The market has been down on Simmonds where the Flyers strongly covet a high pick but are exploring scenarios where they might be forced to take a lesser pick than they envision but can still turn Simmonds into a player with term.

The Flyers with over $30 million in cap space have taken a cursory look at Pearson with Flyers front office exec Dean Lombardi among those under new GM Chuck Fletcher who knows Pearson very well.