How does Alexander Romanov make sense for the Flyers?

The Flyers are having an issue with defensemen.

They tried to acquire Darnell Nurse via trade. He went to the San Jose Sharks. They tried to sign John Carlson in free agency. He signed with Tampa Bay instead. They have one more year on Rasmus Ristolainen’s contract, whom they have been actively trying to move. 

Now, they are in the mix for another defenseman. 

26-year-old Alexander Romanov of the New York Islanders seems to be the next target on Daniel Briere’s agenda. The 38th selection in the 2018 draft by the Montreal Canadiens missed just 18 games between the 2022-23 season and the 2024-25 season. Over that period, he remained a steady 20-point defenseman, scoring seven goals in 2023-24, the highest mark of his career. New York liked what they saw, giving him an 8-year, $50 million contract.

Unfortunately, his 2025-26 season was cut short after a hit from Mikko Rantanen back in November. It cost him season-ending surgery.

“Philadelphia I could see 100 percent,” said reporter Marco D’Amico on an episode of the Starr and D’Amico podcast. “This is a team that likes that style. Of course, they’ve been looking for a defenseman all summer. They were in on Carlson. They were very interested in Darnell Nurse. And I’ve been told that they’ve kicked tires on Alexander Romanov — they’re looking for evidently that kind of player, right?”

Romanov definitely makes sense, not because of the contract issue with Ristolainen, which is also a factor, but because he is a bigger, more physical defender who they could put right on the first pair with Travis Sanheim. He is very contact-heavy, defends the front a lot, and kills penalties, something that the Flyers have been needing not just for depth, but because they need someone who can withstand being on the ice for long periods of time.

This would most likely cost Ristolainen and a few picks to go along with it, given the situation with Romanov’s contract. He’s on the same deal as Travis Sanheim, so it gives the team flexibility to have a defenseman locked down for several years to come. But with New York not wanting a defenseman in his 30s on an expiring contract for a player until control until the 2032 season, the Flyers may need to attach another asset.

That could mean moving Cam York. Romanov’s left shot could also make him a natural defensive complement on a second pair with Jamie Drysdale. That possibility would give the Flyers more flexibility with their blue-line construction, though it should not automatically mean moving York. With York at $5.15 million AAV over the next four seasons, New York could be interested in more control over an expiring Ristolainen. 

The Flyers do not need to make a trade just to make one. But if they see an opportunity for their young defensive core, Romanov brings a dependable defensive presence to the table and is someone who would immediately slide into the first pairing.

They should also not block development from younger defensemen like Drysdale or Oliver Bonk. Briere isn’t that type of guy who is going to get an established name just to get one. The Islanders would benefit from a premium pick or top prospect if they want to enter a rebuild. 

A move, though, would have to get done by the beginning of next season at the latest. He will have a no-trade clause that kicks in and runs until the 2029-30 season, before it shrinks to a 16-team no-trade clause. 

“Fine, nothing hurts, trains in full,” Romanov said in a Russian interview with ChampionAT.

Obviously, given his health regarding the previous season, it is still a concern to make sure that Romanov will be fully healthy by the time the 2026-27 season starts, in just around seven weeks. Hearing this from him is nice, but this is no injury to mess with. Any time a player has a season-ending injury, it can be cruel. And the goal for the team and the coaching staff next year is to have the player at 100 percent. 

But with the way Romanov has remained a force on the ice pre-injury, it could give the Flyers’ front office a little motivation to realize that he could easily bounce back, even after missing over 80 percent of the season.

Regardless, Romanov checks off all the boxes that the Flyers need: speed, physicality, reliability on defense, and a long-term contract. 

That’s what makes a defenseman great, and if the Flyers are willing to add stability to their defensive pairs to push further into the playoffs, Romanov is just what they are looking for. 

Still, his health must be checked to make sure he’s 100%, and his $6.25 million AAV over a long period of time is a long-term commitment that the Flyers could be willing to pay, even though Briere says that they are still in a “rebuild.”

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