Elliotte Friedman dropped an absolute bombshell report late on Friday night. You know when he tweets out just a link, it has to be good. We dive into that, as well as the latest Flyers trade rumors on the 10/31 edition of the PhHN Daily.

With that, we also look at some of the response to the report, as well as a look into some of the Flyers’ biggest rivals.

It’s a short introduction today, so let’s get right into the 10/31 edition of the PhHN Daily.

Philadelphia Flyers

Philly Hockey Now: We all know the Flyers need a center. However, that trade may be harder to come by. The centers worth trading for don’t just become available. A different trade opportunity may have jumped ahead and become something the Flyers are looking to do.

Upgrading the defensive core has been something the Flyers have been rumored to be interested in for a little while now. Reports indicate that that could be the new top task mid-season, with the Flyers being linked to two defensemen who are on the trade market.

It’s a short Flyers section on the 10/31 edition of the daily. Following the Halloween practice, we should have a better update on injured forwards Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett, so stay tuned.

NHL Trade Rumors & News

SportsNet: Let’s start with the bombshell. Nikita Kucherov wants out of Tampa Bay. Elliotte Friedman reported the bombshell late on Friday night. The former Hart Trophy winner is in the final year of his contract and would like a trade before the deadline.

The Lightning then acknowledged the report, indicating that they are aware of the report and the request. However, they have no intention of trading Kucherov.

Kucherov will continue to play for the Lightning while this all plays out, per his agent Dan Millstein.

To me, there is a right way and a wrong way to request a trade. This is the right way. Kucherov is in the final year of his deal and could walk for free at the end of the season. Instead, he’s making his intentions clear now, giving the Lightning the opportunity to recoup assets for him. Not to mention, he is willing to play while the situation works itself out.

Now, a look around National Hockey Now.

San Jose Hockey Now: Another team in the Simon Edvinsson race, and arguably the current leader, is the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks have a ton of young talent, enough to land Edvinsson for certain. They’ve made a “serious offer” for Edvinsson, one that was declined. Sheng Peng has the latest on the Sharks’ interest in Edvinsson.

New Jersey Hockey Now: The Devils and their new star are rolling. With Connor Hellebuyck in goal and the offensive talent the Devils have, they could become a problem. Jersey cruised to a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, and James Nichols has the latest on the Flyers’ Metropolitan Rival.

Boston Hockey Now: The Boston Bruins are playing pretty darn well right now. A big part of that has been some of their surprising step-ups. Fraser Minten and James Hagens look like future stars, but that’s not the biggest shock in Boston. Jack Studley has the latest on Will Borgen, who is playing at a whole new level.