Talk about going out with a bang. Just before the NHL entered a transaction freeze that lasts through Wednesday’s Expansion Draft, the Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Vegas Golden Knights completed a trade with a slew of big names. Nashville sent career Predator Ryan Ellis to Philadelphia in exchange for fellow defenseman Philippe Myers and center Nolan Patrick, the No. 2 overall pick in 2017. The Predators then flipped Patrick to Vegas for another young center, Cody Glass, the No. 6 overall pick in 2017. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, this is a purely player-for-player trade with no picks or prospects changing hands.
At first glance, the biggest winner in this trade has to be the Flyers. While Nashville was exploring trading one of five defensemen that they would have liked to protect from expansion, Ellis was not considered to be a likely trade candidate. The 30-year-old right-hander has been an elite defenseman for the better part of the last decade with the Predators, playing big minutes and producing impressive point totals all while playing a sound defensive game. Admittedly, Ellis does carry some concerns, including an offensive drop-off this season, an injury history, and a contract with six years and $37.5MM remaining. However, at least in the short-term, he is an outstanding addition to the Flyers’ defense corps. Their core objective this off-season was to find a mate for Ivan Provorov on the top pair and that is now complete.
It is hard to take issue with the cost paid by the Flyers as well. Ellis, though much older and a very different style of player, is a tremendous upgrade to Myers on the Philly blue line. As a one-for-one swap, there is no question that Ellis is the better player right now and Myers will likely never reach that caliber of play either. As for Patrick, the young forward needed a change of scenery after his first few years as a pro player have been marked by injury and inconsistency. There was some discussion that Philadelphia could even leave Patrick exposed, given their vast number of valuable, expansion eligible forwards. By moving Patrick in this deal, the Flyers give up the upside of the former top pick, but gain protection flexibility in exchange. Leading scorer James van Riemsdyk or long-time standout Jakub Voracek, both previously expected to be exposed to the Seattle Kraken, could now step into Patrick’s vacancy.
As for Nashville, the deal solves some problems but all of them. The Predators have been looking to clear salary cap space this summer to improve their roster and do just that by getting out from under Ellis’ expensive long-term contract. However, by bringing in Myers they are still left with five defensemen that they would like to protect – Myers, Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, Dante Fabbro, and Alexandre Carrier – but only eight total skaters they can protect. Fortunately, the forward portion of their protection scheme is made easier by flipping Patrick for Glass, who is exempt from the Expansion Draft. Glass was never given consistent opportunity in Vegas possesses ample ability and could find success for Nashville right away.
Vegas was clearly unhappy with Glass’ development, leading to his benching in the postseason and trade rumors early this off-season. However, the team has been too quick to trade away prospects and picks in their early seasons of existence and losing Glass would have hurt their pipeline if he had been dealt in a deal for yet another veteran. Instead, they replace him with Patrick, who is still just 22 and has three seasons of NHL experience under his belt. Perhaps most importantly, Patrick has experience with Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon, the former GM of the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings when Patrick was a superstar for the team. If anyone can help Patrick get back on track and reach his potential, it could be McCrimmon. In regards to the Expansion Draft, Vegas is exempt and taking advantage of that special privilege with what could turn out to be a major move down the road.
This is a landscape-shifting move for the Seattle Kraken, who now could see players for both Philadelphia and Nashville that they expected to be exposed now protected. It is believed that the Predators were seeking a side deal with Seattle and there is no word as to whether one has been completed or not, though Nashville appears to have some sort of trick up their sleeve. As for Philly, the Kraken probably believed that they could see at least two of Patrick, van Riemsdyk, and Voracek exposed, but now will not. GM Ron Francis and company have their work cut out for them in reacting to a wild pre-roster freeze flurry.
Wow
Good move for all but I think Vegas made a bone head move. Injury prone forward…great move for Nashville…
You could just as easily be describing Glass. It’s a two struggling high draft picks, change of scenery scenario. Both seem to get injured at a similar rate.
I think Patrick has the higher ceiling and lower floor. Vegas also has a glaring need for a top 6 center. Patrick, when healthy, may be that. Glass hasn’t been able to climb off of the 3rd line and was often pushed to the wing..
Great return on a prospect with declining value for Vegas.
Well, that was unexpected!
Great move for the Flyers…
Holy moly, Batman! :o
Good move by Poile. Ellis is on the decline, IMO, and the Preds get back two youngsters with lots of upside.
Very pleased with this deal.
Don’t be too happy with the deal. As a Flyers fan, I can tell you Myers has little upside. He was brutal this season. The Preds were in salary cap hell and that was the only reason for the deal. I’ll take my chances on a declining Ellis. The Glass trade was simply a trade of disastrous high draft picks. The Flyers actually improve by not having Patrick on the roster. Your hot take isn’t so hot.
But it’s considerably better than yours.
The Preds are far from being in “cap hell”, but this does free up money to make bigger moves. And as for Myers, if this is the player Francis takes, as I suspect he will, Poile saves a player he didn’t want to lose.
A replaceable players long term salary moved out, a player saved from the expansion draft and a young player who still has potential picked up. That’s why it’s a good move by Nashville.
So they were in great shape with the cap. The dealt Arvidsson and Ellis specifically to open cap space. You’re right, they were in excellent cap shape. Myers isn’t that good, we’ll see if the Kraken are going to draft a -28 D-Man. Glass is no longer a high ceiling prospect. Not a great trade, no matter how you look at it.
I’d be willing to bet that Myers is the guy Francis will want off the Preds roster now, so Sissions and are Jarnkrok are safe. But we shall see.
Preds seem to be operating like a team that already has a trade in place. Guessing picks to take Johansson.
I think it is to ensure Carrier is safe
My guess is that Myers is essentially the trade here. I doubt Francis wants RyJo or Duchene.
Flyers win this easily. Hate to say it, but…
Getting rid of Ellis’ contract is the win for the Preds. It allows them to extend Ekholm now and (likely) not lose a roster player to Seattle that they didn’t want to lose.
Sure, but just like the McCann trade, protecting a player is good, but protecting a player by trading a better player for a meager return is dubious.
Ellis is the best player in the deal.
I guess it’s too soon to give up on Patrick or Glass, but…their teams already have…
Ellis is an undersized, overpaid Dman. Freeing up his cap space and the ability to protect another player is what Nashville needed.
I’m old school with trades. Regardless of the reasons for the trade, the team getting the best player wins the trade. If this were a fight, the Flyers win on a KO.
But it’s not a fight. ;)
I think both teams acheived the objective they were looking for, so it works out for both clubs.
I don’t know I had serious high hopes for Phil Myers. Moving Patrick I see but would have liked to keep Myers. Although York is on the horizon.
cya Phil!
I wish the Flyers sent a lefty instead of Myers. Right side is thin
Ellis plays the right as well
Random quote from an Athletic article I found amusing…
“Nashville Predators
Predators GM David Poile has never been shy about executing a blockbuster trade. It is hard to imagine him going after one of the many superstars reportedly on the trade block, but if he can find a way to shake up his stagnant team, he will certainly try. -Adam Vingan”
Anyone familiar with Poile’s Capital career knows that that first sentence is laughably incorrect.
Didn’t he trade Scott Stevens away ?
That was a blockbuster in it’s own rights
Stevens left as a free agent.
Poile made an important trade to get Rod Langway, but I think that was like the Nick Leddy deal. Montreal had too many good players and moved some to a bad team.
About a dozen years later, he kinda made a big trade with Al Iafrate for Joe Juneau, though history has largely forgotten those two really good players.
McPhee came in, made the blockbuster deal with Boston (Oates, Tocchet and Ranford for Allison, Carter and Carey) and the Caps went to the Final.
Actually, that blockbuster trade was made during Poile’s last year in Washington during the 96/97 season. It was 97/98 that the Caps made the finals.
Poile’s biggest trade was sending Mike Gartner to the North Stars for Dino Ciccerelli. I was a Pens fan back then and hated the Caps with every fiber of my body, LOL!
I considered Dino to be a pile of steaming garbage, so I guess that trade didn’t make my list.
“@frank_seravalli
Hearing #stlblues have exposed Vladimir Tarasenko in the Expansion Draft and are protecting Ivan Barbashev.”
What an amazing gift for Ronnie. What are the Blues doing?
Vlad forcing his way out for sure
Rumors were nashville was going to protect 5 defensemen . Still see then doing that . Patrick His junior GM. is now GM of vegas. With what deboer said you knew he was not a glass fan. You two guys who needed change in Glass and Patrick. Neither was working where they were. If vegas could do again, They trade Glass and keep suzuki.
im a Philly fan who still has faith in Patrick, but Glass is just flat out better.
As a Flyer fan,i’m not a big fan of this move.Ellis is the big name and has had the most success,but he’s undersized,coming off a down year,and is entering his age 31 season with 6 years of term left at a significant salary.
As a Predators fan, I’m not sure what to think. Ellis often fails the eyeball test, and he does seem ripe for a decline. Yet it’s hard to get super excited about the return. Glass might work out, but the ship on him being a reliable top 6 forward might have sailed. I hope Ellis works out for PHL, but this trade feels like two years from now, it might not be as big a deal as it seems today.
Oh, and Poile should probably be kicked upstairs for what looks to be the start of a formal rebuild.
We’ll see what happens, but what if Poile uses this new cap space to bring in a Landeskog or make an even bigger move (e.g. Eichel)?
This is the first few moves in a summer of chess. Lots can happen in these next few weeks.
They’ve got the cap space to do that now, granted. Although at this point, I can’t see any GM in the league wanting to acquire Eichel over Landeskog. Landeskog would go cheaper than Eichel, isn’t injured, has more leadership pedigree, and doesn’t cost a thing to sign.
The only issue with Landeskog is how much term does he want? 7 years puts him at 36 I believe, so how many years of good production does he have left in him?
Horrible trade for the Flyers… 2 young talents for a very good but very expensive, very injury prone defenseman( a position which Flyers have depth in, that’s in the pipeline) and even worse Nashville clowns us (Philly) by flipping Patrick, who I agree wasn’t working out to get Glass.. a position the Flyers desperately need.
The last 2-3 years of the Ellis contract are going to be brutal, he’ll end up being traded in 2023 when Philly blows it all up.
I agree with you. Ellis has his talents, but will Philly fans warm up to a Dman who loses lots of puck battles to bigger forwards in his own end?