PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Flyers elected to be sellers instead of buyers on the day of the NHL trade deadline.
The Flyers sent defenseman Erik Gustafsson to Montreal for a seventh-round draft pick and shipped Michael Raffl to Washington for a fifth-round selection. Although two players were sent packing, one received a contract extension.
Forward Scott Laughton inked a new deal that will keep him in orange and black for the next five seasons.
General manager Chuck Fletcher admitted when he woke up Monday morning, he wasn’t sure if he would trade Laughton or resign him.
“Scott Laughton wanted to be a Flyer,” said Fletcher. “Essentially, the deal got done. We started working on it prior to the season, and at that time we tabled talks until basically the last week.”
While Laughton is staying, it was no surprise to see Gustafsson get traded. Gustafsson was signed after the unexpected retirement of Matt Niskanen. Gustafsson struggled throughout much of the season, and Fletcher knew it was best for both sides to get a fresh start.
“Erik wasn’t playing,” Fletcher explained. “I thought it was very important not just from our perspective but from Erik’s perspective to give him a chance to play. By moving him to Montreal, hopefully we give him that opportunity.”
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The Raffl trade was a bit more surprising, but the forward will have an opportunity to play for a Stanley Cup contender in Washington.
Raffl, who has played for the Flyers for nearly eight seasons, has been battling through injuries in 2021.
“He played hurt a lot this year,” Fletcher said. “He’s hurt right now — almost refused to be taken out of the lineup. Hopefully, Michael gets a chance to have a big role with the Capitals.”
As for the future, there will likely be more moves made in the off-season. Fletcher said he does not plan to make changes on the coaching staff when the season comes to an end, but the roster is likely going to look different by next fall.
For now, the Flyers will begin to look ahead while they continue to battle for the final playoff spot in the East Division.
“We’re certainly in the fight right now, and we’re going to continue to fight,” he said. “But we may need some assets here over the next few months to address some of the needs that we have going forward.”