How Kuzmenko and Pelletier can replace Flyers’ lost production

When Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost were shipped off to Calgary, it was rightfully seen as a move that signaled a wider organizational commitment to a rebuild.

Despite swapping two roster players each, the Flyers’ outgoing duo combined for 19 goals and 44 points in Philadelphia, while Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier only managed 8 goals and 26 points between them while with the Flames.

And that fact is not necessarily surprising, considering the Flames also had to send over their own second round pick to get the deal done, one that will probably fall somewhere within the top 45 selections. It’s clear that the win-now value more than likely favours the Flames, but that doesn’t mean that the Flyers got nothing in terms of help for their current day roster.

Kuzmenko has proven himself in the past

If we judge each player off of past performance, Kuzmenko is the most accomplished NHL piece in this trade.

In his first NHL season after coming over from SKA St. Petersburg in 2022-23, Kuzmenko burst onto the scene with Vancouver, tying Elias Pettersson for the team lead with 39 goals and totalling an impressive 74 points in 81 games. It was about as good of a season as the Canucks could’ve expected when they signed him, the only caveat being that he played most of the season alongside Elias Pettersson, who broke the 100 point mark, and is obviously not going to be coming with him to Philadelphia (yet…).

The season he moved to Calgary, his production did take a dip, but Kuzmenko still managed a respectable 22 goals and 46 points over 72 games split between the Flames and Canucks. That includes an 11 game stretch where he only had two assists before he was traded. And that is the issue with Kuzmenko, he can be streaky at times, running hot and cold especially with the goal-scoring, similar to someone like Owen Tippett.

But it is important to remember that the players the Flyers gave up can exhibit the same traits; Joel Farabee had a 20 game stretch from November 11th up until the Christmas break where he only scored once. Likewise, notoriously slow starter Morgan Frost only scored once throughout the first 17 games, although he did still have five assists. The Flyers aren’t exactly trading away models of consistency.

Pelletier’s Potential

Jakob Pelletier is definitely the most unproven asset in this trade, and for Philadelphia that may be the most appealing factor.

Pelletier is a former first round pick of the Flames who was a highly touted offensive player coming out of the QMJHL. He won a silver medal for the 2020-21 Canadian World Junior team, and had seven points in seven games, giving him a better output than NHL names like Dawson Mercer, Cole Perfetti, Connor Zary, and new friend Jamie Drysdale.

He struggled to gain a foothold in Calgary, bouncing back and forth between the Flames and the Calgary Wranglers for each of the last three seasons. To his credit, he has always been productive whenever he has been shipped back to the AHL, making the All-Rookie team in 2021-22, and putting up 130 points in his 139 games.

The downside to putting up great AHL numbers is that it means you haven’t stuck in the NHL, which is true for Pelletier as well. Danny Briere has expressed his desire for the player’s acquisition in an interview with Jeff Marek , so there is every chance that he will be able to stick with the big club.

He has obvious skill and is tenacious on the forecheck, if he can put everything together he should be able to play a similar role to how Joel Farabee is currently being deployed in Calgary; collect the puck and distribute it to dangerous areas at a high tempo.

There isn’t a guarantee that either of these two players stick in Philly, and it’s no secret that the Flyers most coveted the second round pick they got in the deal, but there is a world where their two new additions become assets for the future. Pelletier turns 24 in March, and a change of scenery could unlock a hot streak for a player with obvious skill at the pro level.

NOW it’s official. #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/qozKFB7vDK

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) February 7, 2025

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