Flyers trade defenseman Ronnie Attard to the Edmonton Oilers

While Philadelphians frantically refreshed X on Monday night hoping to see that Howie Roseman and the Eagles had traded for a pass rusher before Tuesday’s trade deadline, it was Danny Brière and the Flyers who were doing the dealing.

The minor trade saw the Flyers and Oilers swap American Hockey League defensemen, with Ronnie Attard going to Edmonton and Ben Gleason coming to Philly.

The deal closes the curtain on a frustrating few years for Attard in the Flyers organization. Not too long ago, Attard was considered a mid-tier prospect with good size (6-foot-3, 208 pounds), intriguing offensive ability, and a big shot. But after playing 15 NHL games late in 2021-22 after joining the Flyers following an accomplished collegiate career at Western Michigan, the 2019 third-round pick only managed 14 over the past two seasons.

Attard, who turns 26 in March and is in the final year of a two-year, $1.7 million ($850K average annual value) contract, has notched double-digit goals in the AHL each of the past two seasons and was an AHL All-Star in 2023. But he struggled to replicate his AHL success at the highest level, particularly on the defensive end of the ice, and fell below young defensemen like Egor Zamula, Emil Andrae, and Adam Ginning in the organization’s pecking order. The final straw for Attard was a poor training camp, as he struggled with turnovers and defensive assignments, and was a surprising early cut.

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He finishes his Flyers tenure with two goals, four assists, 14 penalty minutes, and a minus-one rating in 29 games. He compiled 22 goals and 59 points over the past two seasons at Lehigh Valley but had yet to record a point in seven games this campaign. We’ll see if a change of scenery will provide an opportunity for Attard to unlock some of his offensive tools.

Gleason, 26, has spent the majority of his career in the AHL, first with Dallas’ affiliate the Texas Stars for five seasons, and the past season-plus in the Oilers organization with the Bakersfield Condors. A former undrafted free agent, Gleason has posted four 30-point seasons in the AHL, including a career-high 44-point campaign in 2021-22. Gleason, who stands 6-1 and weighs 190 pounds, is known as a smooth puck mover who likes to activate offensively. The questions around Gleason surround his defensive play and strength. The Michigan native, who played four NHL games with Dallas back in 2018-19, figures to provide organizational depth on the blue line. Gleason will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

It is worth noting that Gleason is left-handed while Attard is a righty. The Flyers are considerably deeper on the left side, as Travis Sanheim, Nick Seeler, Cam York, Zamula, and Andrae all shoot left-handed. Comparatively, Rasmus Ristolainen, Jamie Drysdale, and Erik Johnson are the team’s only NHL righties.

The move, while a minor one, is just the latest trade executed by Brière. The second-year GM previously pulled off high-profile deals involving Ivan Provorov, Cutter Gauthier, and Sean Walker, not to mention his decision to trade back twice in the first round of June’s NHL draft.