22) and 2024 second-rounder for Provorov. In reality, for the Flyers it was more two trades than one. it was a chance to create cap space for what they want to do.” “Columbus wanted their defenseman, we were looking to acquire young assets - either draft picks or young guys, and for L.A. “I think it’s a deal that was that was helping all sides,” Briere said. The Flyers got their desired, market-value return for Provorov and assets from Los Angeles for taking on that cap space. The Kings cleared $5.625 million in cap space for 2023-24 and $2.975 million in 2024-25. The Blue Jackets got their defenseman at a cheaper cap hit. So what did Briere and the Flyers do? They took on two contracts - Walker at $2.65 million and Petersen at $5 million - from the Kings, while asking Los Angeles to retain $2.025 million of Provorov’s cap hit for the next two seasons to facilitate his move to Columbus. On the other side, Los Angeles was looking to clear out cap space in order to set up the rest of their offseason.

They wanted him cheaper for the next two years to justify the Flyers’ price tag. Aside from the Seth Jones trade from 2021, one could make a case at first glance that the Flyers did the best of any selling club.Ĭolumbus clearly liked Provorov, but not enough to relinquish Briere’s desired package (a first- and second-round pick) for Provorov at his $6.75 million cap hit. In fact, it’s the only one in which a club nabbed both another second-round pick and a viable prospect, in addition to the standard first-rounder and second-rounder return. In comparison to recent deals involving top-four defensemen, it’s right in line with those returns.

Another second-round pick in either 2024 or 2025 ( Columbus must choose which year after the 2023 first round concludes)įor the Flyers, the value in the deal comes from the first four pieces - Walker and Petersen are, at heart, salary cap dumps.

A 2024 second-round pick (from Los Angeles).In the end, Briere secured six assets for Provorov. Briere, to his credit, was able to corral more than enough. They center around whether enough GMs believe that a player with good physical tools and strong past performance - however long ago it might have been - can excel for them, not whether he’s thriving in his current environment.īefore Tuesday, it was unclear whether Provorov still had enough good vibes surrounding him to bring back an impressive return. At first glance, a player coming off three consecutive down years - even one still just 26 - wouldn’t seem to have much in the way of trade value.īut in the current NHL, trades of big-minutes, top-four defensemen aren’t based on recent statistical results. Provorov hasn’t been the best version of himself for three seasons now. But even more importantly, he also showed that he very well might have the negotiating chops and overall creativity necessary to actually pull it off. With Tuesday’s trade, Briere proved that he fully grasps the reality of the team’s situation, and is indeed committed to embarking on a full-scale rebuild. We have a chance to really kind of start building the team the way we want it, the right way that we’ve talked about. “We felt that, (given) the picks and the direction that we wanted to go in, it was really enticing. “Well, part of it is that we are in a rebuilding stage,” Briere said in the wake of the trade. That’s exactly why Briere traded Provorov (and contract dumps Hayden Hodgson and Kevin Connauton) to Columbus via Los Angeles, receiving three draft picks (a 2023 first, a 2024 second and a conditional second that will either be in 2024 or 2025), Kings defense prospect Helge Grans and two NHL veterans (goalie Cal Petersen and blueliner Sean Walker) in return. The logical answer, for a team that no longer had any realistic designs on short-term Stanley Cup contention: who cares? The focus needed to be on the future, not the present. After all, who would replace his minutes? Who would be on the top pair? 1 defenseman, and as recently as last summer, the organization wasn’t willing to trade him jettisoning such a key piece in the lineup was too much for a leadership group still not committed to a rebuild. He was loath to suffer through a rebuild after toiling through the long Ron Hextall retool to begin his NHL career and was lukewarm at best on the idea of continuing to play for Tortorella. Provorov’s play had dramatically declined since its peak in 2019-20. He was highly unlikely to sign another extension with the Flyers when his contract (with two years left and a cap hit of $6.75 million) expired in the summer of 2025. Ivan Provorov’s days in Philadelphia were numbered.

Well, on Tuesday, Briere certainly spoke. Yes, one can say “rebuild.” But actions always speak louder than words.

Sean walker itrain hockey career