After falling short of the playoffs, the Philadelphia Flyers were expected to make big moves over the offseason. General manager Chuck Fletcher has certainly delivered in that regard. The Flyers have completed four trades thus far and, as is typically the case, some were excellent … and some didn’t turn out quite so well. To reflect on the triumphs (and busts) of this offseason, here are grades for each of the Flyers’ trades.
Grading the Philadelphia Flyers Off-Season Trades
Ryan Ellis Trade
Grade: A-
Prior to the Seattle Kraken expansion draft, the Flyers shored up their defence with their first move of the off-season. Philadelphia received Nashville Predators defenceman Ryan Ellis in exchange for Philippe Myers and Nolan Patrick. Patrick was then flipped to the Vegas Golden Knights.
With this trade, the Flyers sufficiently addressed their foremost problem – finding a partner for Ivan Provorov on the top pairing. Ellis, a veteran right defenceman, fits the team’s needs perfectly. He averaged around 24 minutes on ice through the past three seasons, shouldering even more time – 25 to 26 minutes per game – in the playoffs. He can head the power play and strengthen the penalty kill. Hopefully, Ellis will also serve as a veteran leader and mentor (much like Matt Niskanen) for the Flyers’ younger blueliners.
However, the return package for Ellis was a significant one. Of course, Ellis will fill the gap in the blue line left by Myers’ loss, as both are right defencemen. Patrick, on the other hand, may be harder to replace. Though he struggled last season, he was still an integral part of the team’s bottom six. Now, the Flyers will likely be depending on Morgan Frost to centre the fourth line in Patrick’s stead. He performed well in a limited role through the past two seasons. Still, there’s always a level of uncertainty that comes with asking a relatively untried prospect to make the jump to the NHL level.
As a final thought, we also have to consider the injury concerns surrounding Ellis. He has missed a significant number of games in the past couple of years. Aside from a recent upper-body injury, Ellis has struggled with numerous injuries in previous seasons. If he can stay healthy, this trade will pay huge dividends. But given the lingering questions about Ellis’s injury history, it will have to be an A- for now.
Shayne Gostisbehere and Rasmus Ristolainen Trade
Grade: D
We’ll lump these two together since they’re connected. First, the Flyers shipped Shayne Gostisbehere to the Arizona Coyotes, along with 2022 second and seventh-round picks, to clear his $4.5 million cap hit. Then, just a day later, the Flyers added another defenceman: Rasmus Ristolainen of the Buffalo Sabres. The return package was Robert Hagg, a 2021 first-round pick, and a 2023 third-round pick.
In retrospect, it seems like the Flyers moved Gostisbehere to obtain space for Ristolainen. The former Sabre’s cap hit comes in at $5.4 million, taking up more space than the Flyers could accommodate without some additional finagling. As such, the cost of getting Ristolainen wasn’t just Hagg and two picks. It was also Gostisbehere and the picks the Flyers spent to move him.
On its own, the Ristolainen trade isn’t great. Hagg – who was in and out of the Flyers’ lineup last season – isn’t too heavy a loss. However, giving up a first-round pick (even in a draft as uncertain as this year’s) in exchange for a statistically questionable player seems misguided. Add in the cost of moving Gostisbehere and the trade becomes completely baffling. Why give up so many assets for Ristolainen?
The apparent answer is the Flyers’ need for physicality. Ristolainen recorded 193 hits last season, over 50 more than Philadelphia’s hits leader and nearly 100 more than the closest Philadelphia defenceman. The blue line should benefit from his grit and toughness, and he seems happy to be in Philly.
Newest Flyers defenseman @rasmrist55 is willing to do anything to bring W’s to Philly. pic.twitter.com/pD1O6zls88
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) July 23, 2021
Other than that, though, the Ristolainen trade doesn’t make much sense. We’ll have to wait to see him in action to finalize the verdict, but for now, it’s looking like a D.
Cam Atkinson Trade
Grade: A
The Flyers’ latest trade was a significant one. The team swapped longtime mainstay Jakub Voracek for Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson, with no other pieces moved for either team.
This was a spectacular move on Chuck Fletcher’s part. Like Voracek, Atkinson is a veteran winger who will fit comfortably into the Flyers’ top six. He recorded 36 points last season – seven less than Voracek. However, Atkinson had 15 goals to Voracek’s nine. This is where the major difference between the two becomes apparent. Voracek was always a pass-first player, and while that mentality was excellent for setting up scoring chances, it was often frustrating to see so few goals from a top-six forward.
Conversely, Atkinson is an efficient goal-scorer, consistently logging 20 or more goals in 82-game seasons. His career-best season saw him record 69 points, 41 of which were goals. He’s probably not going to score at that pace again (the past few seasons have seen him producing less), but regardless, he should be effective in Voracek’s stead.
As an added bonus, the Flyers managed to shed some cap space in the trade. Voracek’s contract came with a burdensome $8.25 million cap hit that prevented the team from having much flexibility. Atkinson’s deal is far smaller, with a $5.875 cap hit. Although he has four years remaining to Voracek’s three, gaining more than $2 million in cap space should be worth the extended timeline.
Losing Voracek is, admittedly, tough. But the return, in cap space and Atkinson, is worth it. This trade is looking like an A.
Final Thoughts on Flyers Trades
Overall, the results of the trades the Flyers have made thus far seem to be net-positive. The defence got a significant upgrade in Ellis. It was hard to let go of Voracek, but Atkinson will fit right in among the team’s top six. Even Ristolainen, though he may not have been worth so many assets, will provide the Flyers with a physical edge. With plenty of time before the start of the next season, Chuck Fletcher may very well have more trades up his sleeve. But even now, the Flyers undoubtedly have a better roster than they did at the beginning of the offseason.
Main Photo: PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 29: Jakub Voracek #93 of the Philadelphia Flyers controls the puck against Jake Guentzel #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period during the game at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 29, 2019, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
