Philadelphia Flyers: Reviewing the 2021 NHL trade deadline

The 2020-2021 season has been incredibly difficult for the Philadelphia Flyers.

The team had high hopes for the future after coming off of their best statistical season in well over a decade and winning a playoff series for the first time since 2012, but since the NHL restart back in January, the team has effectively fallen off a cliff.

From the retirement of Matt Niskanen, to the team’s COVID outbreak, and the regression of almost every player on the team, the Flyers have had a rough season.

And coming into the trade deadline, no one knew if the Flyers would be buyers or sellers.

Philadelphia Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher made three moves at the deadline.

1. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson was traded to Montreal for a 2022 seventh round draft pick
   Gustafsson was picked up in free agency by the Flyers where he started the season strong, tallying two assists in the first games of the season, and finishing his tenure with Philadelphia playing in 24 games with one goal and nine assists. Flyers fans have grown to despise Gustafsson because of his subpar play and that he was brought in to replace Matt Niskanen.
2. Forward Michael Raffl was traded to Washington for a 2021 fifth round draft pick
   Raffl, who was never drafted, signed an entry level contract with the Flyers in 2013 and quickly made it to the NHL after only playing two games for the Adirondack Phantoms and has been a staple in the Flyers’ lineup ever since then. Playing in 504 games scoring 81 goals, 79 assists over the past eight seasons as well as playing in 28 playoff games scoring five goals and three assists, including four goals during last season’s playoffs. Raffl will be missed by the Flyers faithful, but his departure seemed imminent after being a healthy scratch in a few games as of late.
3. Forward Scott Laughton singed a three-year, $15 million extension.
   Laughton was drafted by the Flyers in the first round in 2012 and has played 359 games, scored 51 goals and has tallied 79 assists all for the orange and black. Laughton was protected by the Flyers during the Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft back in 2017. Coming into the deadline, I was sure that either Laughton or Raffl will be moved, and this contract extension ensures that the Flyers have their fate in Laughton.

A few ex-Flyers were on the move at the deadline.

• Jeff Carter was traded from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh.
• Braydon Coburn was moved from the Ottawa Senators to the New York Islanders.

Some more notable names were moved at the deadline as well.

• Earlier in the week Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac were traded from New Jersey to the New York Islanders.
• Columbus captain Nick Foligno was traded to Toronto.
• Goaltender Devan Dubnyk was traded from San Jose to Colorado.
• And the biggest mover of the day, Taylor Hall, was traded from Buffalo to Boston.

What do you think about the Philadelphia Flyers’ trade deadline moves, and the rest of the moves from around the league? Let us know in the comments below!