Flyers acquire Ryan Ellis from Predators for Philippe Myers and Nolan Patrick

Chuck Fletcher has struck. The Philadelphia Flyers acquired Ryan Ellis from the Nashville Predators for Philippe Myers and Nolan Patrick.

Here is the full press release from the Flyers:

The Philadelphia Flyers have acquired defenseman Ryan Ellis from the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Nolan Patrick, according to President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Chuck Fletcher.

“Ryan is a veteran right shot defenseman who is highly competitive, logs big minutes and can contribute both on the power play and penalty kill,” Fletcher said. “His veteran presence and leadership will positively impact our dressing room. We are very excited to have acquired Ryan today.”

“This is an important, exciting move for our organization,” said Philadelphia Flyers Governor Dave Scott. “Ryan Ellis is an experienced, talented defenseman who will make a difference for our team right away.”

Ellis, 30 (1/3/1991), brings 562 games of NHL experience to the Flyers, all of them having come with Nashville over the past ten seasons. He was drafted by the Predators in the first round (11th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and made his debut in the 2011-12 season following a four-year OHL career with the Windsor Spitfires. He has averaged over 23 minutes of ice time in each of the past five seasons and has a career plus-minus rating of plus-114; he has never been worse than a -2 in a single season over his career. Ellis has also served as an alternate captain for the Predators in three of the last four seasons.

Ellis appeared in 35 games during the 2020-21 season, posting five goals and 13 assists for 18 points, and added a goal and four assists for five points in six Stanley Cup Playoff games. He averaged 23:46 of ice time per game, which was second on the team behind only Roman Josi. He also averaged over two minutes of ice time per-game on both the power play (2:10) and penalty kill (2:32).

Ellis’s top offensive season came in 2018-19, when he scored seven goals and added 34 assists for 41 points while appearing in all 82 games. He is entering the third year of an eight-year contract signed following that season that carries an AAV of 6.25 million and runs through the 2026-27 season.

Ellis also has 74 games of playoff experience, including 22 games during the Predators’ run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017. He ranked third on the team in scoring during the 2017 playoffs with 13 points (5g-8a) in 22 games, and also led the team with 51 blocked shots.

Internationally, Ellis has won gold medals with Canada on three occasions (2008 Under-18 World Junior Championships, 2009 World Juniors & 2016 World Championships). He also won silver at the World Juniors in 2010 & 2011. In juniors, he led the Windsor Spitfires to back-to-back Memorial Cup Championships (2009 & 2010) and was named the Canadian Hockey League’s Defenseman of the Year and overall CHL Player of the Year for the 2010-11 season.

A 5-10, 180-lb native of Hamilton, Ontario, Ellis has 75 goals and 195 assists for 270 points over his NHL career.

Myers has spent parts of three seasons with the Flyers, recording a total of six goals and 23 assists for 29 points in 115 regular season games. He originally signed with the Flyers as a free agent on September 21, 2015.

Patrick appeared in 197 regular season games for the Flyers over parts of three seasons, recording 30 goals and 40 assists for 70 points in that stretch. After missing all of the 2019-20 season with a migraine disorder, he posted four goals and five assists for nine points in 2020-21, playing in 52 of the club’s 56 games. He was selected by the Flyers in the first round (2nd overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Flyers trade for Ryan Ellis

Ryan Ellis, 30, is the top-pair right defenseman that the Flyers need. The Flyers were reportedly a fit for Ellis during the regular season but that never came to fruition. However, the offseason is here and Ryan Ellis is a Philadelphia Flyer.

Ellis has averaged over 23 minutes per game for the past five seasons with the Nashville Predators. He hit a career-high in points with 41 (seven goals, 34 assists) in the 2018-19 season. He had 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 35 games in the 2020-21 season.

Ellis has a $6.25 million cap hit through the 2026-27 season. He will bring the veteran presence that Matt Niskanen brought –– and then some –– to the top pair with Ivan Provorov.

Myers and Patrick sent to Nashville

Philippe Myers was rumored in talks for Seth Jones and it isn’t a surprise that he got moved here. That opens up a spot for Ellis on the right side after Myers failed to take advantage of multiple opportunities last season.

Nolan Patrick, who is being flipped to the Vegas Golden Knights for Cody Glass, needed a change of scenery. The former No. 2 overall pick never worked in Philadelphia and will now get a fresh start in Vegas.

The Flyers needed a big splash this offseason, and Fletcher struck before the roster freeze to get it done. It should kick off an exciting two weeks for the Flyers and the entire NHL.