Late last night, a four-player trade between the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers was completed. The trade headlined former Canucks star Andrei Kuzmenko and Joel Farabee.
After a disappointing stint in Calgary, the Flames have chosen to move on from Andrei Kuzmenko. Posting just 15 points in 37 games this year, it was obvious that the Russian needed a change of scenery. At 28 and on an expiring deal, the Flames likely would have let him walk this offseason. However, with the rebuild going smoothly, and also currently holding a playoff spot Calgary decided to try and get a return from him that fit their future needs more. It cost slightly more than just Kuzmenko, as Calgary also sent 23-year-old Jakob Pelletier, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Flyers.
This trade solidifies that the Flyers are fully committed to rebuilding around rookie Matvei Michkov. The assumption is that the Flyers will more than likely tank over the next couple of seasons to develop a team centered around Michkov. This decision is likely the reason for trading away two guys under 26. Joel Farabee, age 24, has a career-high 5o points. He has struggled this season, posting just 19 points in 50 games. The reason for packaging him is likely due to him still being in year three of six of his five-million-dollar contract. Morgan Frost, age 25, is a 40-point player and will slot in nicely to the Flames middle six.
At first glance, this is a bit of a confusing trade for both teams. The Flames are in a playoff spot and are trading away a middle-six guy who has 60-point potential for two guys who don’t have a super high ceiling. On the other hand, the Flyers are moving on from two players who could potentially help Michkov grow and develop in his first few years in the NHL. Along with the fact that Kuzmenko is on an expiring deal, and could very likely walk away at the end of this season.
That being said, looking deeper into the specifics, this is a well-balanced trade for teams in different spots of their respective rebuilds. Calgary gets two young guys, that will fit nicely into their lineup. With this trade, Calgary is quietly filling out a very well-rounded roster, that in a couple of years could be quite formidable. They had to let Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier go, but they should both be easily replaceable. Along with the high possibility of the Flames having two first-round picks this year, losing the second and seventh-rounders doesn’t hurt nearly as bad.
For the Flyers, they are fully committed to their rebuild. They will get extra draft capital, and a 23-year-old winger who has some potential. Kuzmenko is a big question mark, but Kuzmenko and Michkov spent a year playing in the KHL together, so some former chemistry could play a role in his decision. The most underrated part of this trade for the Flyers is they get Farabee’s 5 million-dollar contract off the books. This should clear up cap space for the Flyers to use in the coming years for their rebuild.
Overall, this is a very even trade, that has upside for both teams. I give this trade for the Flames a B. They get two solid middle sixers in exchange for a largely unproven 23-year-old, and some draft capital. I grade the Flyers a B- with the potential for it to be a B+ if Kuzmenko resigns this offseason. It doesn’t make the most sense to trade two U-26 guys at the start of a rebuild, but they do get a decent return. Additionally, the second-rounder has the potential to turn into a decent NHLer, if the Flyers draft well.
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