Grading the Flyers’ trade deadline moves

The Philadelphia Flyers were one of a few teams selling leading up to the NHL trade deadline.

Scott Laughton was the player most talked about with Rasmus Ristolainen on some trade boards as well. Andrei Kuzmenko, who the Flyers acquired earlier this year, was a potential trade chip as well given his contract status.

In the end, Flyers general manager Danny Briere made multiple trades with Andrei Kuzmenko and Scott Laughton dealt out for some future assets. But how did the Flyers fare in those deals?

Kuzmenko to Kings

Flyers acquire 2027 third-round pick for Andrei Kuzmenko and 2025 seventh-round pick

The Flyers’ first deal of deadline day came just after the clock struck 12 when news broke that the Los Angeles Kings were acquiring Kuzmenko from Philadelphia.

In return for Kuzmenko, the Flyers received a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft while sending a 2025 seventh-round pick the other way. The Flyers did retain 50% of Kuzmenko’s $5.5 million cap hit in the transaction.

Leading up to the deadline no one was really sure what the Flyers’ plan was with Kuzmenko. Briere and Keith Jones had a conversation with him to waive his no-trade clause from Calgary in the Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee trade and he brought some fun vibes in his seven games with the team.

While there was a chance that Kuzmenko could click with Matvei Michkov and even earn a contract to stay in Philadephia beyond this year, flipping the winger was always the right move — especially if you could get a decent return.

Kuzmenko may not have fetched a second-round pick like some comparable wingers did, but a third-round isn’t too shabby in the grand scheme of things.

Kuzmenko Trade Grade: B

Laughton to Toronto

Flyers reportedly acquire 2027 1st and Nikita Grebenkin for Scott Laughton, 2025 4th, 2027 6th

The big trade of the day came shortly after the Kuzmenko deal was announced. The Toronto Maple Leafs seemed like the best fit for Laughton and ultimately landed the Ontario native on deadline day.

Briere had reportedly set a high price on Laughton of a first-round pick and interest picked up as centers dropped off the board. He was able to acquire not only a first-round pick (in 2027) but also one of the Leafs’ better prospects in Russian winger Nikita Grebenkin.

Grebenkin, 21, is a 6-foot-2 left-shot winger with some NHL experience. He scored highly in the KHL last year as a 20-year-old with 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) in 67 games as his team won the Gagarin Cup. That came on the heels of the youngster winning the Aleksei Cherepanov Award as the KHL’s best rookie with 26 points in 45 games for Amur Khabarovsk.

You may recognize Grebenkin from this viral clip earlier this season.

Nikita Grebenkin is already learning so much in the NHL 😂 pic.twitter.com/Qr4I0mmgSp

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 21, 2024

The Flyers did retain 50% of Laughton’s contract as well, so that’s their three slots for this season and two for next. They also sent Toronto two draft picks (fourth and sixth) in the deal.

Laughton meant more to the Flyers internally than what some externally view him as but it’s clear that the Leafs view him highly as well.

A return of a first-round pick straight up for Laughton would’ve been a solid deal by Briere. Getting a young Russian winger (who is apparently friends with Michkov) with some size and personality who can play in the NHL right away is a huge bonus.

Laughton Trade Grade: A

Overall, Briere & Co. have fared pretty well this trade season. If you include the Calgary trade made earlier, here’s how the Flyers panned out:

Briere cleared out some cap space with Farabee, dealt the odd-man-out in Frost, and finally let go of Laughton. The Flyers got back a young winger in Pelletier, a good prospect in Grebenkin, and a first-round pick. That’s some tidy work in the middle of a rebuild.