Flyers trade defenseman Ivan Provorov to Columbus in three-team deal

The Ivan Provorov era in Philadelphia is over after the Flyers traded the Russian defenseman to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday as part of a three-team deal that also involves the Los Angeles Kings.

In exchange for Provorov and veteran minor leaguers Kevin Connauton and Hayden Hodgson, the Flyers will receive a first-round draft pick from Columbus (No. 22 overall), veteran goaltender Cal Petersen, defenseman Sean Walker, defensive prospect Helge Grans, a conditional second-round pick from Columbus, and a 2024 second-rounder from Los Angeles. Provorov heads to Columbus, while Hodgson and Connauton go to L.A. The Kings will pay for 30% of Provorov’s contract for Columbus.

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In addition to parting with Provorov, who has regressed in recent seasons and didn’t seem overjoyed to be part of a rebuild, the Flyers’ willingness to take on Petersen’s and Walker’s contracts sweetened the pot. This was vital from the Kings’ standpoint, as they are trying to free up salary-cap space to retain defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, whom they acquired last season at the trade deadline.

The move begins new general manager Danny Brière and the Flyers’ rebuild in earnest and lands them three more picks, including a first-rounder in what is considered a strong 2023 draft at the top. The Flyers are set to pick at No. 7 on June 28 and don’t own a second-round pick this year because of the 2021 Rasmus Ristolainen trade.

“We felt that the picks and the direction that we wanted to go in, it was really enticing,” Brière said from Buffalo. “Ivan has been a really good soldier for the Flyers for a lot of years. A lot of sweat, a lot of hits he’s taken, a lot of pucks he’s blocked.

“He’s really poured his heart out into the Flyers. It wasn’t an easy decision. For us, what we were looking at is young guys and picks. We’ve said it from the beginning, so that was the major reason behind it.”

The Provorov move may not be the final domino to fall either, as the Fourth Period reported that the Flyers are also working on a deal to trade franchise goaltender Carter Hart.

“I’m still in the same spot I was,” Brière said when asked about the trade rumors regarding Hart. “We’re open for business. We listen on everybody. Everybody’s being treated the same way for us on our side.”

Trading Provorov, who has two years remaining on his deal at a $6.75 million cap hit, signals a long-overdue shift to the future for a Flyers organization that has consistently applied short-term Band-Aids over deep-rooted problems in an attempt to remain competitive in recent years. Brière said he had held conversations over the last few weeks on Provorov but had zeroed in on Columbus the last couple days due to that organization’s “really high interest” in the defenseman.

Provorov’s departure concludes an up-and-down seven-year spell in Philadelphia. Selected No. 7 overall by the Flyers in the 2015 draft, Provorov broke into the NHL as a rookie during the 2016-17 season. He burst onto the scene in Year 2, averaging 24 minutes, 9 seconds of ice time, establishing a career high with 41 points, and tying for the league lead in goals by a defenseman with 17. He also finished plus-17, the best mark by a Flyers defenseman.

“We’re not denying the fact that Ivan is a good defender and he’s put in heavy minutes for us,“ Brière said. “It’s going to be tough to replace him. At this time, we felt that the assets we were getting to build the team we want to build in the future.

“That was critical and you have to give up good players and good assets in return. You don’t get first-round picks for players that don’t have interest from other teams. You’ve got to play ball with both sides, and we have to give up a good player for that.”

A physical 6-foot-1, 200-pound defenseman who can skate, play in every situation, and shoot the puck, Provorov seemed destined to become one of the league’s best blueliners.

Provorov, though, has never developed into the player the Flyers expected. After a disappointing third season, he bounced back in Year 4 with 13 goals as the Flyers came up one game short of reaching the Eastern Conference finals.

Provorov has struggled since, coinciding with some of the leanest years in franchise history. The organization has cycled through various partners for the defenseman, but has never been able to find a connection like the one Provorov had with Matt Niskanen in his second season. Shayne Gostisbehere, Travis Sanheim, Justin Braun, Ryan Ellis, Tony DeAngelo, and Cam York have all played alongside Provorov at one stage or another. This past season, Provorov had six goals, 27 points, and a minus-17 rating.

While Provorov has never become an elite defenseman, he is still a solid performer and can bring value to an organization, especially at just 26 years old. This season, he ranked among the league leaders in blocked shots (162) and average ice time (23:01).

Columbus hopes a change of scenery will revitalize Provorov and maybe even fulfill his once seemingly limitless potential. While Provorov has taken a step back in recent years, he is far from the only Flyer to do so given the team’s lack of overall talent and the organization’s general dysfunction.

Provorov does not come without some controversy. Earlier this past season, he cited his Russian Orthodox faith in refusing to wear the Flyers’ Pride Night warmup jerseys aimed at celebrating and recognizing the LGBTQ+ community. The defenseman was the only Flyer to boycott the jerseys, which did not sit well with some teammates and made him a national story.

» READ MORE: Ivan Provorov shuns LGBTQ+ community as Flyers miss a chance to make a difference on Pride night

In all, Provorov played 532 games in a Flyers uniform, including 403 straight to begin his career before that streak was snapped last season because of COVID-19. He ranks 10th all time among Flyers defensemen in career games played, fourth in goals (65), and sixth in points (217).

The 2023 first-round pick is the prize of the Flyers’ haul, and gives them two firsts in a strong draft class.

Adding two future second-round picks, one in 2024, and one in 2024 or 2025 depending on conditions, is also important for a Flyers team that needs to stock its cupboard with draft picks. Grans, the prospect, is also far from a throw-in. The 6-3, 205-pounder is a coveted right-shot defenseman and was the No. 35 overall pick in the 2020 draft. In addition to his ideal size, Grans is a mobile and talented puck mover who has a lot of raw ability. The 21-year-old Swede spent last season with Ontario of the American Hockey League where he had two goals and nine points in 59 games. The year prior, Grans tallied seven goals, 24 points, and was a plus-7 in 56 games.

The 28-year-old Peterson has struggled mightily over the last two seasons and carries a hefty $5 million cap hit for each of the next two. Last season, Petersen was 5-3-2 with a .868 save percentage and a 3.75 goals against average. He was placed on waivers at the end of November but went unclaimed and then reported to AHL Ontario (16-20-4, .904 SV%). A fifth-round pick by Buffalo in 2013, Petersen had his best season in 2020-21 when he posted a .911 save percentage over 35 games.

Walker is a 28-year-old depth defenseman with one year remaining at a $2.65 million cap hit. The 5-11, 195-pound Walker will be entering his sixth NHL campaign and put up three goals and 13 points last season in 70 games with the Kings after returning from a serious knee injury.

He is a high-level skater and possesses value when it comes to breaking pucks out and activating and joining the attack. The Flyers are only committed to him for one season for now, so they can plug him into their defensive corps next season and see how things go.

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