Mark Streit has been around the NHL since 2005.
The veteran defenseman knows better than to read into trade rumors, especially at this point in the season.
So with Monday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline rapidly approaching, the 38-year-old figures it’s best just to block out all the talk. That’s all it is to him anyway. Talk.
“I haven’t thought about it,” he said of a possible move after Thursday’s 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild (see game recap). “I knew there was a game.
"Honestly, I’m just happy about the win and I’m just getting rest now and getting ready for Saturday and then you move on, but I don’t really think about it.”
Streit, who carries a $5.25 million cap hit, has one more season after 2015-16 remaining on his current contract.
With the Flyers’ playoff chances in flux and the team gearing up for the future, Streit has become somewhat expendable on the back end. The club could certainly still use his presence in the locker room — he’s a respected voice — but if an opportunity arises to gain an asset or two, general manager Ron Hextall will likely jump at the chance to strike a deal.
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Streit still has plenty left in the tank and could be a perfect fit for a contending club looking for a reliable veteran and power-play specialist for a playoff run. He has value. It was on display Thursday night against the Wild.
With the game tied at 1-1 in the second period, Streit jumped up on the rush, received a nice feed from winger Matt Read and fired a laser over Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk’s shoulder for a power-play tally.
What was most impressive was that Streit used a Minnesota defenseman as a screen on the play. Dubnyk didn’t even see the shot coming.
“Yeah, I don’t think I ever scored a goal like that,” Streit said. “I kind of thought, I didn’t know, and I tried to shoot it by the D and, you know, it worked out perfectly. I felt happy it went in. Luckily it went in. It helped the team in the second period getting the lead back. Certainly a big goal for the team and nice to get one.”
This season has been taxing on Streit. Back in November, he had to have surgery to repair a detached pubic plate and missed six weeks of game action.
That paved the way for rookie sensation Shayne Gostisbehere to take the team by storm and offer a glimpse of the future. Meanwhile, Streit, when he was healthy enough to return, lost his spot on the top power-play unit and seemed to be a step slower because of the injury.
Head coach Dave Hakstol, however, believes Streit is regaining his form.
"Mark’s just playing really well,” Hakstol said. “I think he’s played pretty well since he’s got back to game speed coming off the injury. He’s played extremely well for sure over the last couple of games. There’s a lot of little things that he’s doing out there that maybe go unnoticed, but he’s done a good job.”
With his goal against Minnesota, Streit now has five goals and eight assists in 41 games this season.
He said he'd like to remain in Philadelphia but isn't overly concerned about what could happen between now and the deadline.
"It’s part of the business but I can’t control it anyway," Streit said. "I wanna be here, I wanna play with this team. It’s a great city and I love it here. It’s out of my control. What happens, happens."