PHILADELPHIA — Daniel Briere's plan for the Philadelphia Flyers is off to a great start.
The rookie general manager traded defenseman Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday in a three-team deal also involving the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings.
Here's how it went down.
- Provorov, along with forward Hayden Hodgson, was traded to the Kings for goalie Cal Petersen, defenseman Sean Walker, defenseman prospect Helge Grans and a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
- The Flyers also traded defenseman Kevin Connauton to the Blue Jackets for the Kings' first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2024 or 2025 NHL Draft.
- Provorov was then traded to the Blue Jackets for Connauton.
Provorov, 26, has two seasons remaining on a six-year, $40.5 million contract ($6.75 million average annual value) he signed with the Flyers back in 2019.
He made waves this past season for citing his Russian Orthodox religion as the reason he did not participate in pregame warm-ups when the Flyers wore Pride-themed jerseys and used sticks wrapped in rainbow Pride tape.
"This is a prime example of a year one rebuild kind of a deal," said Rachel Donner of Locked on Flyers. "The Flyers absolutely took on a salary dump in Cal Petersen ... but that's part of how it works, and getting another first round pick in this draft is gold."
The Flyers also received a second round pick from the Kings in 2024, and a conditional second round pick from Columbus. The Blue Jackets must decide after the 2024 first round is complete if they’re sending a 2024 2nd round pick or the 2025 2nd round pick to Philadelphia.
On the flip side, as Locked on Flyers co-host Russ Cohen notes, there's no one ready to replace Provorov in the lineup, and that's a problem head coach John Tortorella has to deal with.
The Flyers didn't get any tangible assets back in this trade in terms of roster-ready talent, but with goaltender Carter Hart also believed to be on the trade market, it seems the Flyers are planning to take a step backwards this season in order to build for the future.
Briere now has two first-round picks in 2023 and 2024, and as far as building a new era in Philadelphia, he's off to a solid start.