The Flyers getting Gaudreau is most likely to end exactly how @flyercanuckpredicts. First, the Flyers will spend assets to dump JvR and his contract, as well as his production. Then they will also have to jettison another player, I'm guessing either Konecny or Provorov, in a deal that brings back little in the way of cap.
Indications are that Gaudreau will command~10 million on the open market. So you've traded two players for one.
let's assume that it's Konecny that goes with JvR.
Konecny: 16g, 36a, 52p
JvR: 24g, 14a, 38p
A total of 40g, 50a, 90p outgoing.
Gaudreau: 40g, 75a, 115 p in a career year. So you're adding 25 assists, plus whatever you get from the low cost guy that they bring in to replace Konecny. And that's if he continues to produce like last year. Otherwise, he's a ppg player over his career, which means you're losing production.
which sounds fine. Until you realize that they also lost Giroux's production. Even if Couturier comes back at 100%, you're looking at another never ending contract that may slightly increase their offensive production over a terrible year. Not exactly the kind of move that makes me all warm and fuzzy. It just leaves one more contract for Fletcher's eventual replacement to somehow get rid of.