Flyers' Hextall on trade deadline: 'We're not buying'

PITTSBURGH - Flyers general manager Ron Hextall looks as if he will be dealing players before the deadline at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Asked before the Flyers' practice Friday evening at Heinz Field if he was going to be a buyer or seller, Hextall was direct.

"We're not buying," he said.

Hextall said he wants to see where the Flyers are in the standings after games Saturday night in Pittsburgh and Tuesday against visiting Colorado. Apparently that will determine just how many players he tries to deal.

Defensemen Mark Streit, Michael Del Zotto, and Nick Schultz can become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Ditto goalies Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth.

All five are believed to be available for draft picks or prospects.

"We'll be making calls and getting calls, and we'll see what's out there and see where we're at as a team in the standings and make the appropriate moves," Hextall said.

The Flyers have gone 9-15-4 since their 10-game winning streak ended. They entered Friday five points out of a playoff spot.

When they won their 10th straight on Dec. 14, only three NHL teams (Chicago, Montreal, and Pittsburgh) had more points than the Flyers, who had a nine-point cushion over ninth-seeded Tampa Bay in the East.

"It tells me what we're capable of, and at times we're not playing anywhere near to that level," Hextall said. "That's been frustrating. I like our team. We've got some good players, but the consistency part, we have to level that out for sure, especially from now to the end of the year."

Hextall was asked if he would bring up players from the Phantoms if he made some trades.

"Not to make us a worse team," he said. "If we make something happen [with trades] and if we can bring someone up and we take a lateral move, yeah, that's kind of where you want to get to. That's why you don't want to bring up 20-year-olds that aren't ready to play."

Someone mentioned that the Penguins promoted several young players who helped them win the Stanley Cup last season.

"Their guys that helped them last year are all 23 now, except for the goalie," Hextall said. " Keep that in mind. They were kids, but 23-year-old kids."

Jordan Weal, who missed the last two games with a head injury, may play Saturday, Hextall said. He added that Travis Konecny (leg) was ahead of schedule and might be ready to return in a week to 10 days.

The Penguins said they would announce their starting goalie - Matt Murray or Marc-Andre Fleury - after their indoor morning skate Saturday. Neuvirth will start for the Flyers, who will not have a morning skate. . . . In 2011, the Penguins lost to Washington, 3-1, in their only other game at Heinz Field. Sidney Crosby suffered a concussion in that loss.