The Philadelphia Flyers have traded Michael Raffl to their division rivals, the Washington Capitals, as deadline day continues. The return is a fifth-round pick in the upcoming 2021 Draft, but it will help Philly restock some of its depth for the future. Chris Johnston reported the initial deal.
The #caps are getting Michael Raffl from Philadelphia.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) April 12, 2021
Flyers Trade Michael Raffl
Raffl leaves the only franchise he has ever known after eight years. He was never a central figure, but he was an effective two-way skater up until 2020-21. The 32-year-old forward had just three goals and five points in 34 games this year but did contribute 50 hits and 23 blocks while averaging 12:41 per game. Raffl was essentially neutral in terms of possession. His 49.8 percent Corsi For and -.9 relative Corsi are good considering 60.8 percent of his starts came in the defensive zone.
The Flyers originally signed Raffl as an undrafted free agent out of Austria prior to the 2013-14 season. They were immediately rewarded with three consecutive seasons of 22 or more points. Raffl’s best season was 2015-16 when he posted 13 goals, 31 points, and 135 hits while appearing in all 82 games. Overall, the European signing has 81 goals and 160 points in 504 career games. Those numbers are not bad for someone coming from a nation outside of the largest international powers.
What This Means For The Future
Washington will appreciate Raffl’s presence as extra depth as it makes its playoff push. He can be a sneaky secondary scorer, but they only need him to check opponents and help support the penalty-kill. He should be a solid contributor to the bottom six. Rallo has a serious chance to win a Stanley Cup after this deal. A strong finish could also secure him a nice contract for the final stage of his career in the offseason.
Philadelphia will miss their veteran, but they were sinking with him and weren’t going to retain the 32-year-old forward after this season. The pick in the fifth round will help the Flyers rebuild some of their depth or go to acquiring something more valuable in the future.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
