To be frank, I don't pay much attention to trade rumors, because so few have any basis in fact whatsoever. I'm not really a fan of posting them here on Game Time either, because I don't want to contribute to the mill of crap that exists out there on Twitter and on blogs.
It doesn't surprise me that I hadn't caught this latest rumor, but when you have the GM of a team denying kicking the tires on a player, I suppose it's worth reporting on. Yesterday, on NJ.com, Flyers general manager denied dangling Brayden Schenn as trade bait for David Backes.
"Be careful of Internet reports," Flyers GM Ron Hextall said Thursday.
"I wouldn't discuss that with you anyway, but you can figure that one for yourself based on my comments on the last year or so."
Hextall's comments from last year or so? He's not interested in trading away young talent for older players such as Backes, who is 31.
Backes is in his last year of a five year deal that includes a NTC; he will be a unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. While questions regarding Backes' future with the team are fair, especially depending on how the Blues perform this year, the thought of the Flyers wanting to acquire an older player in exchange for someone whose cap hit is two million a year lower, will be an RFA after this year, and who is just 24 years old, is bonkers.
Kids, this is why you don't listen to internet rumors.