Examining Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher’s history as a trader ahead of Friday’s deadline

With the deadline just days away, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher is working the phones in order to trade expiring contracts like James van Riemsdyk and Justin Braun, and potentially to put together a bigger deal that would offload a player with contract term past this season.

“I’ve expressed to teams, ‘Look, we’re open to ideas, and we’re willing to listen on lots of different types of scenarios,’” Fletcher said Tuesday.

Ahead of what represents a pivotal few days in the franchise’s long-term future, we decided to look back at how the Flyers have fared in trades (both deadline deals and in the offseason) since Fletcher took over as GM in Dec. 2018. For brevity, we did not analyze every single trade Fletcher has orchestrated but rather the most significant ones. As you will see it has been a mixed bag. Utilizing emojis to evaluate each deal, here’s a look at Fletcher’ 10 biggest trades with the Flyers (listed in chronological order):

» READ MORE: Assessing the Flyers’ potential trade chips ahead of Friday’s deadline

Flyers received: Ryan Hartman, 2020 conditional fourth-round pick

Flyers traded: Wayne Simmonds

How it aged: A pending unrestricted free agent at the time, Simmonds played 17 games and managed just three points for the Predators after reuniting with coach Peter Laviolette. Meanwhile, Hartman played 19 games and tallied six points, while the Flyers traded the pick to Anaheim for Derek Grant. Hartman has blossomed into a good player — he scored 34 goals last year for Minnesota — but neither player did much for the teams involved in this deal.

Verdict: 💤. The Flyers did the right thing in moving a 30-year-old Simmonds, who while a popular and very productive player, had a lot of miles on the tires. Ultimately, the deal was a complete dud, as Hartman was a rental.

Flyers received: Rights to Kevin Hayes

Flyers traded: 2019 fifth-round pick to Winnipeg

How it aged: The Flyers acquired negotiating rights for Hayes and signed him to a seven-year, $50 million contract ($7.14 million AAV). The deal at the time seemed like an overpay for a player who had never cracked the 50-point plateau. Hayes has been an important locker room guy, however, injuries have kept him from making as much of an on-ice impact as expected. The hefty contract, which has three years remaining, continues to haunt the organization.

Verdict: 👎. The trade accomplished the desired outcome but the money and term has proved a major misstep by Fletcher.

Flyers received: Matt Niskanen

Flyers traded: Radko Gudas to Washington

How it aged: Niskanen helped the Flyers to within a game of the Eastern Conference finals in 2019-20 and formed a terrific partnership with young Ivan Provorov. However, the 33-year-old surprised the Flyers by retiring that summer. Gudas, meanwhile, has remained a physical, bottom-pair defenseman. The Flyers have tellingly been unable to find a proper partner for Provorov since.

Verdict: 👍. Niskanen was terrific in orange and black with eight goals, 25 assists and a plus-15 rating. His tenure was short but his sudden retirement was beyond Fletcher’s control.

» READ MORE: Report: Flyers continue to take trade calls on defenseman Ivan Provorov

Flyers received: Justin Braun

Flyers traded: 2019 second-round pick, 2020 third-round pick to San Jose

How it aged: Braun added a steady veteran presence to the defensive corps and was largely good if unspectacular during his first 2 ½ year stint in Philly. His value shot up after Niskanen retired, and again after Ryan Ellis was injured last season. Meanwhile, the picks turned into Kaedan Korczak and Maxim Groshev neither of whom was drafted by the Sharks.

Verdict: 👍. The Flyers were in win-now mode, and Braun fit the bill. They also recouped the third-rounder by trading Braun last season.

Flyers received: Ryan Ellis

Flyers traded: Phil Myers and Nolan Patrick traded to Nashville. Predators subsequently flipped Patrick to Vegas for Cody Glass

How it aged: Former NHL Network anchor Brian Lawton called this the “Halloween” trade, as it went as horrifyingly as possible for all involved. Ellis has played just four games with the Flyers due to a pelvic injury and now his career might be over. Patrick has continued to struggle with injuries and has also been shut down for the second straight year. Finally, Myers played just 27 games before the Predators traded him. The Flyers banked on a 31-year-old Ellis being a perfect partner for Provorov, but that gamble has backfired.

» READ MORE: ‘It’s bad luck. It’s horrifying. It’s bizarre’: Revisiting the three-team trade involving Ryan Ellis and Nolan Patrick

Verdict: 💩. This deal has proved to be a disaster for all involved. The Flyers probably lost more than anyone else, as Ellis for now is on the books for four more seasons at a $6.25 million cap hit. Ellis was a good player and showed it initially before injuries reared their ugly head.

Flyers received: $4.5 million in cap relief for two seasons

Flyers traded: Shayne Gostisbehere, 2022 second-round pick, 2022 seventh-round pick to Arizona

How it aged: The Flyers traded two picks, including a second-rounder just to rid themselves of Gostisbehere’s contract. It has proved to be a major error, as Gostisbehere averaged 0.61 points per game in 134 games with the Coyotes.

Verdict: 👎. Over the last few seasons, Gostisbehere has produced at a similar level to Tony DeAngelo, who the Flyers coughed up three picks for at last year’s draft. Arizona also fetched a third-rounder from Carolina for Gostisbehere Wednesday to add further insult to injury.

Flyers received: Rasmus Ristolainen

Flyers traded: Robert Hägg, 2021 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick to Buffalo

How it aged: The Sabres chose Isak Rosén with their first-round pick, and still have the second-rounder in a strong upcoming draft. Meanwhile, Ristolainen has been so-so at best and been scratched and spent time on the third pairing. Signing him to a five-year, $25.5 million extension has only compounded what was already a disastrous deal.

Verdict: 👎 🤯. Maybe the worst deal of the Fletcher era, giving up two high-end picks for an already polarizing player was at best negligent. The cap room they freed up by sacrificing two picks to trade Gostisbehere was immediately put to poor use due to the team’s obsession with trying to be “hard to play against.”

» READ MORE: Flyers finally wave white flag, pivot toward a Sixers-like ‘Process’

Flyers receive: Cam Atkinson, $2.375 million in cap relief for three seasons

Flyers gave up: Jakub Voracek to Columbus

How it aged: For the first season, it looked like the trade was a good one for both sides. Atkinson quickly became a staple in the locker room and was the Flyers leading scorer (23 goals, 27 assists) for most of last season, while Voracek produced at a similar clip (six goals, 56 assists) for the Blue Jackets. This season, both veterans have been shut down with injuries after a combined 11 games. If nothing else, the Flyers saved some money.

Verdict: 🤝. The move made sense at the time, as the Flyers were looking for a shooter and the pass-first Voracek had wore out his welcome. This was has been even so far but the significance of the injuries will tell the story.

Flyers received: Owen Tippett, 2024 conditional first-round pick (could move to 2025), 2023 third-round pick

Flyers gave up: Claude Giroux, Connor Bunnaman, German Rubtsov, 2024 fifth-round pick to Florida

How it aged: Giroux, a top five player in franchise history, was in the final year of his contract and hand-picked Florida, who quietly bowed out of the playoffs in the second round. The Flyers, who couldn’t shop around for the best deal, still managed to land two valuable picks and a former first-rounder in Tippett. Already with a career-high 18 goals, the 24-year-old looks to be a huge part of the Flyers’ future, while restocking the cupboard with picks was desperately needed.

» READ MORE: Owen Tippett has been one of the biggest positives amid the Flyers’ uneven start

Verdict: 👍. After some initial concerns, the Flyers did very well to land a first-rounder and a talented young player. Florida likely regrets moving Tippett given his progression this season and the picks could still sway the deal further. Considering the poor return that Chicago just got for Patrick Kane amid similar circumstances (conditional second and a fourth), the Flyers made out really well here.

Flyers received: Rights to Tony DeAngelo, 2022 seventh-round pick

Flyers gave up: 2022 fourth-round pick, 2023 third-round pick, 2024 second-round pick

How it aged: The Flyers were willing to take on the bad publicity that came with Sewell’s DeAngelo for his help on the power play. They also intended to have him play on the first pair with Provorov, which he did initially. However, the Flyers aren’t good enough to make up for DeAngelo’s defensive deficiencies (minus-27) nor to fully capitalize on his offensive skills.

Verdict: 👎. Another complete head-scratcher. DeAngelo has produced offensively (10 goals, 24 assists) but he was never the right fit or worth the draft capital surrendered for a team in the Flyers position. The Flyers would be best-served shopping him to recoup some picks.

» READ MORE: Wrong guy. Wrong time. Wrong reasons. Flyers’ trade for Tony DeAngelo is a mistake in every way.