On Tuesday, Daniel Briere made his first major trade at the helm of the Philadelphia Flyers by sending franchise stalwart Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a three-team deal that included the Los Angeles Kings.
The trade addressed a need for all three parties, as the rebuilding Flyers gain future assets, the Kings get cap relief and Columbus walks away with one of the NHL’s most durable defensemen.
Provorov’s departure means the Orange and Black have finally given up on him as the top option on their blueline after seven seasons and more than 500 games. The Russian once appeared to be the answer in that position but has found his level as a solid top-four option.
Provorov will walk into the first unit of an abysmal Blue Jackets’ back end that gave up 330 goals last season, second-most in the NHL behind only the Anaheim Ducks.
The 26-year-old has missed just three games during his NHL career due to COVID-19 protocols. He has been as healthy as any player in the NHL and has given the Flyers 20 minutes night in and night out since his rookie season in 2016-17.
Los Angeles goaltender Cal Petersen will go to Philadelphia, and the Kings will retain 30 percent of Provorov’s $6.75 AAV contract through 2025.
Petersen has had a nightmarish time since the Kings swung and missed on his three-year, $15 million extension two offseasons ago. He spent all but 10 games of the 2022-23 season with the AHL Ontario Reign. Paying Provorov to play elsewhere will be worth jettisoning Petersen’s $5 million salary for GM Rob Blake.
The Kings also sent 28-year-old defenseman Sean Walker to Philadelphia as part of the trade. Walker is in the final season of a contract that pays him $2.65 million AAV. He averaged over 14 minutes a night with a -3 rating on L.A.’s bottom pair in 2022-23.
The rest of the Flyers’ haul from the trade is still a mystery, but given Provorov’s value and the salary the team absorbed from Los Angeles, they should gain major draft capital.
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