It all started when Patrick Allvin and Jim Rutherford announced they were open to trading away the veterans of the Vancouver Canucks, Rick Tocchet and the Philadelphia Flyers all of a sudden got interested, and now it might seem unethical for them to go after their players.
“NHL Trade Alert posted on X the interest in a centerman for the Flyers. However, there is no specification of which center, and since the Canucks are short on centers, it’s a little confusing as to who Tocchet is referring to, even fans are scratching their heads at this one.”-Stinson
“In the business world, when a manager leaves one company for another, it is frowned upon to begin plucking employees from the previous company or the new one. Depending on how blatant the pinching is, companies can get into trouble for such practices.”-Quixtan
It doesn’t necessarily mean the NHL will crack down on the Flyers, but GM’s of other teams will definitely take notice, and that could harm future deals for the Flyers down the road. If the Flyers do go too far however, that could be considered as tampering, and then the league would have to intervene.
The Canucks are hurting right now, and Tocchet and the Flyers know it. They are going to try and take advantage of their desperation to get a return. And with the Canucks refusing to undergo a rebuild, it doesn’t seem like their best judgement is present.