The NHL Trade Deadline was successful for the Philadelphia Flyers, who made three moves on Friday, two of which were unexpected. Flyers GM Danny Briere has been candid about Philadelphia being in a rebuild. The team also didn’t have enough cap space to buy, so selling was their only option.
A short run comes to an end
Traded: Andrei Kuzmenko to Los Angeles Kings (The Flyers are retaining 50% of Salary)
Return: Third-Round pick in the 2027 draft
Danny Briere stated that Kuzmenko came out of the blue on Friday. He mentioned that Los Angeles was shopping and liked what they saw in Kuzmenko. Another significant factor is that Kuzmenko is an upcoming UFA after this season. For Briere to get more value from the Farabee and Frost trade is smart.
Kuzmenko played seven games for Philadelphia, scoring two goals and three assists. One of his goals was on the power play, which he specialized in.
A sweet goodbye
Traded: Scott Laughton (The Flyers are retaining 50% of Salary), a fourth-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, and a sixth-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft to Toronto
Return: Nikita Grebenkin and first-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft
Scott Laughton was not on the ice for practice yesterday. Head coach John Tortorella spoke (before the trade) about Laughton, “Our relationship will always be our relationship, and that will never go away. At the end of the day, when you’re done coaching or playing, those are the most important things. That’s going to be a guy that I truly respect & love.” less than an hour later, it was announced that Laughton was dealt to Toronto, his hometown team.
Briere, who was once teammates with Laughton, stated this (trading Laughton) was one of the hardest things he’s had to do as GM. After trading Scott Laughton, Briere stated:
“This trade is as tough as they come for me personally and professionally. Scott was an integral part of our team for a long time, and it was a great pleasure to see him grow into the teammate and leader that he is. Scott not only brought back the standard of being a Philadelphia Flyer, he led the way and set a precedent for our organization moving forward.
On the ice, he was as formidable and competitive as they come. Off the ice, I haven’t seen anyone as kind, generous, and welcoming to the hockey and Philadelphia community. We have had to decide what’s best for our future. Scott will always be an important part of the Flyers organization, and his footprint will be felt on our team because of the culture he helped establish.”
The Flyers GM went on to say that there are many emotions since Philadelphia is all Scott knows. Laughton was drafted 20th overall in the 2012 draft to Philadelphia. He played 661 games in the Orange and Black, recording 106 goals and 159 assists. Laughton spent 12 seasons as a Flyer before being dealt to Toronto today.
A veteran departure for the Flyers
Traded: Erik Johnson to Colorado
Return: Givani Smith
Erik Johnson was in Philadelphia for a short stint but made a huge impact on the team. Johnson was another former teammate of Briere’s, as they played in Colorado together. Regarding the decision to trade Johnson, Briere said “It’s more of a favor to him to give him (Erik Johnson) a chance to win another cup.”
Johnson played his 1,000th NHL career game earlier this season and was a mentor to numerous players, such as Matvei Michkov. Johnson was the first player to reach out to Michkov Via Instagram over the summer when the news broke that Michkov would be coming over. Johnson was a locker room guy, and now he’ll be heading back “home” to a much improved Colorado team. Johnson also stated how much he loves Philadelphia, and while he was in Philly for a short time, his impact was long-lasting.
Briere confirmed that Olle Lycksell and Rodrigo Abols are getting the callup for the weekend and that Emil Andrae will be with the team for the rest of the season.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
