NHL trade deadline: Flyers trade away Scott Laughton, two other players; Briere 'excited' to land Nikita Grebenkin
The Flyers, in the middle of a rebuild, landed a 2027 first-round pick and forward Nikita Grebenkin for Laughton.
Ahead of the NHL trade deadline, the Flyers dealt center Scott Laughton to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a first-round pick and forward prospect Nikita Grebenkin.
The Flyers also moved Andrei Kuzmenjo to the Los Angeles Kings for a third-round draft pick in 2027, and traded Erik Johnson to the Colorado Avalanche.
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen was not traded after the Flyers reportedly asked for a haul in return. Ristolainen is under contract through next season.
In nontrade news, the Flyers are sending goalie Aleksei Kolosov to Lehigh Valley, where he's expected to play.
Flyers GM Danny Briere speaks to reporters following NHL trade deadline
Danny Briere says Flyers' rebuild 'a little quicker' than expected
Flyers GM Danny Briere told reporters Friday the team’s rebuild is progressing “a little quicker” than expected, thanks to the play of some young players like Matvei Michkov and Noah Cates.
“We're getting younger and younger as a team — I’m scared to look at our age group after today — but we're definitely going to be near the top of the youngest group in the NHL,” Briere said. “So to me, that's exciting.”
Briere also touted the fact the Flyers will head into the offseason with about seven draft picks in the top 50. As of now, the team has three first-round picks and four second-round picks in the 2025 NHL draft.
Danny Briere said Flyers are high on Nikita Grebenkin
Danny Briere said the Flyers are “excited” they were able to land forward prospect Nikita Grebenkin in the Scott Laughton deal.
“He was one of the prospects that we really liked,” Briere told reporters Friday afternoon. “Our guys were really high on him [and] got excited when his name started being mentioned as a possibility … He was definitely a target for us.”
Briere said he had only seen a handful of shifts Grebenkin played, but described the young forward as “very energetic, [a] big body that is strong to the puck, and can make plays.”
Danny Briere says trading Scott Laughton, his former teammate, was 'emotional'
Flyers General Manager Danny Briere, once a teammate of Scott Laughton, said trading him away to the Toronto Maple Leafs was “one of the most difficult things I’ve probably ever had to do.”
“At the end, it's kind of a cool ending for him, having a chance to go back home,” Briere told reporters Friday afternoon following the NHL’s trade deadline, describing the conversation with Laughton as “emotional.”
“It was tough to let him go,” Briere said. “The return was amazing.”
Flyers trade Scott Laughton to Maple Leafs
It’s been a long time coming.
After years of speculation and chatter, the Flyers have squeezed the stick and pulled the trigger on Wednesday by trading Scott Laughton.
The Inquirer can confirm multiple reports that the veteran forward, a 2025 fourth-round pick, and a 2027 sixth-rounder were sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward prospect Nikita Grebenkin and a top-10 protected first-rounder in 2027. The Flyers are retaining 50% of Laughton’s salary.
Flyers trade Erik Johnson to Avalanche
Bruins trade Brad Marchand to the Panthers: report
Casey Mittelstadt to the Bruins, Charlie Coyle to the Avalanche: reports
Flyers quick to take down signs featuring Scott Laughton after trade
Hurricanes trade Mikko Rantanen to the Stars after extension agreement: reports
After trade news, Scott Laughton called TSN before his mom
Penguins trade Luke Schenn to the Jets: reports
Senators trade Josh Norris, Jacob Bernard-Docker to the Sabres
Flyers trade Andrei Kuzmenko to the Kings
And just like that he was gone.
Forward Andrei Kuzmenko has been traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2025 seventh-round pick. The Flyers are retaining 50% of his contract.
Acquired in the early morning hours of Jan. 31 with Jakob Pelletier from the Calgary Flames for Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, Kuzmenko had five points (two goals, three assists) in seven games with the Orange and Black. Due to visa issues, he did not debut with the Flyers until Feb. 8, the last game before the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Dylan Cozens appears to be headed to Ottawa
It sounds like the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators are swapping youngsters.
There's been speculation for months that Dylan Cozens was someone the Flyers had their eye on as a 24-year-old center. He's now headed to Ottawa in a deal rumored to include defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker and center Josh Norris.
— Jackie Spiegel
Penguins trade Anthony Beauvillier to the Capitals
Flyers want a haul for Rasmus Ristolainen: TSN
Flyers have been quiet as league waits for Mikko Rantanen news
The Flyers have been quiet in the days leading up to the 3 p.m. trade deadline, but things could start heating up.
It sounds like the NHL as a whole is waiting for the biggest domino to fall with Carolina Hurricanes forward Mikko Rantanen.
Although he was acquired by Carolina from Colorado before the 4 Nations Face-Off, it doesn't sound like the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent will be signing long-term in Raleigh, N.C.
All eyes on Scott Laughton following Brock Nelson trade
Just after midnight a big domino fell when the New York Islanders traded center Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche.
Many insiders have Flyers forward Scott Laughton as the next center on the list to go and teams who missed out on Nelson, like the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New Jersey Devils could pay a pretty penny for Laughton as they try to bolster their postseason lineup.
— Jackie Spiegel
What could the Flyers get in return for Scott Laughton?
Ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline, everyone seems to be asking the same question as last year — will the Flyers trade Scott Laughton?
Laughton told reporters before Thursday's game he hasn't been told explicitly he's on the trading block, but did reveal "little conversations" happened a few weeks back.
The Flyers don't need to trade Laughton, who is under contract through the end of next season. But The Inquirer's Jackie Spiegel said in a Reddit AMA it would be realistic for Philly to land a first-round pick for the 30-year-old center, who has 11 goals and 16 assists this season.
Flyers trade talk: Rasmus Ristolainen, Bobby Brink, and others
The NHL trade deadline is Friday at 3 p.m. and there are plenty of questions on how the Flyers will approach it. Ahead of the deadline, Inquirer reporter Jackie Spiegel took to Reddit to answer fans’ questions ahead of the deadline. Here are some highlights from her Reddit AMA — “Ask Me Anything” — on Thursday …
Q: What does a successful Flyers trade deadline look like to you?
A: The Flyers are amid a rebuild, and there’s no arguing that. If they can get top-tier prospects (i.e. a Brad Lambert from Winnipeg or a Fraser Minten from Toronto) and picks, that’s a win in my book. If they can snag a good NHL-established player, who would be in Philly long-term, that would work too.
Flyers sending goalie Aleksei Kolosov to Lehigh Valley
As rumors swirl in the lead-up of the NHL trade deadline, one question lingering over the Flyers has been answered.
According to a team source, goaltender Aleksei Kolosov will be sent down to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. It comes before Friday’s 3 p.m. deadline for players to be on an AHL team’s roster so that they can be sent down at any point the rest of the season. Kolosov’s move is not a paper transaction and will start games in the net for the Phantoms.
The 23-year-old goalie has not played since Jan. 29, when he allowed two goals on 28 shots for the Phantoms. His last NHL start was Jan. 2, in a 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. He did serve as the backup to Ivan Fedotov on Saturday in the Flyers’ 2-1 shootout win against the Winnipeg Jets.