The first major domino in the Flyers’ rebuild has fallen, as Ivan Provorov was traded to the Blue Jackets as part of a three-team deal. Provorov was once believed to be the cornerstone piece of the Flyers’ defense but now finds himself in Columbus. This shouldn’t come as a surprise though as this is something that has been rumored for over a year.
Here is the full trade.
The Columbus Blue Jackets acquire Ivan Provorov in three-team trade involving Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings.@RuoffMortgage | #CBJhttps://t.co/zLce8jA8Lv
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) June 6, 2023
Impact on the Blue Jackets and Kings
Now although Provorov has been inconsistent and hasn’t lived up to the hype this is still a good trade for the Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets have been trying to upgrade their defensemen around the deadline. However, nothing was able to materialize. However, now the Blue Jackets have found their guy. As mentioned before Provorov has been inconsistent, but has shown flashes. Plus he is only 26 years old. There is still the possibility that he can develop into a good defenseman. Maybe not a top-line, cornerstone defenseman, like some had projected. But whose to say a change of scenery won’t make him a reliable middle-pair defenseman?
As for the Kings, their involvement in the trade is more about dumping Cal Petersen. Petersen never lived up to the hype he had received as a prospect, believed to be the successor to Jonathan Quick. With Petersen set to make $5 million against the cap, trading him gives the Kings much-needed cap space. The Kings are preparing to give an extension to defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, and this trade goes a long way in making the finances work. The two players the Kings acquired, will most likely spend the year in the AHL and will have little to no impact on the NHL roster.
Impact on the Flyers
The team that this trade will have the biggest impact on is the Flyers. Without question, the Flyers are in desperate need of a rebuild. They have been a complete mess since the 2020-21 season. They have been trying to fix the roster while competing at the same time which hasn’t been working. This trade is the first sign that the organizational philosophy has changed.
They got prospect Helge Grans. He’s a 21-year-old defense prospect, who is an offensive defenseman. He is a great skater with really good puck skills. But he lacks when it comes to defensive play. He currently projects to be a middle-pair defenseman. Not someone who you can build a defensive core around, but definitely a good role player to have.
The bigger acquisition is the amount of draft picks the Flyers received. They got the Kings’ first-round pick which is number 22 in this year’s draft. This year’s draft is said to be one of the deepest drafts in years, so having two picks in the first round gives this rebuild a jump start. Now this alone would be a good return for Provorov however the Flyers also got two future second-round picks. Considering that the Flyers traded their second-round pick this year and next year. Getting two future second-round picks helps puts the Flyers back on track.
Finally, this trade makes trading Carter Hart much easier. Trading a goaltender of Hart’s caliber can net the Flyers a major return. It has the potential to be a franchise-altering return. He’s only 24 years old and has shown flashes of being an elite goaltender. Most NHL franchises would kill to have a player of Hart’s caliber and would pay an arm and a leg in order to get him. Having Cal Petersen, someone who has played in the NHL gives the Flyers the ability to move on and not have to make a corresponding move for a goalie.
This trade may be closer than we expect as the Flyers are actively listening on trades for Hart. The Oilers and Kings are currently the most interested with reports that the Oilers and Flyers having deep talks about a potential trade. However, regardless of Hart’s future, this trade will have a major impact on the Flyers’ rebuild.
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