Flyers trade Shayne Gostisbehere and picks to Arizona Coyotes

The NHL trade freeze lifted at 1 p.m. EDT and the Philadelphia Flyers have already made a trade. The Flyers traded Shayne Gostisbehere and picks to the Arizona Coyotes, the team announced.

The Philadelphia Flyers announced have traded defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, a second-round pick in 2022 and a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, previously acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in the trade for Erik Gustafsson, to the Arizona Coyotes, according to President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Chuck Fletcher.

“This was a difficult decision but one we thought was necessary given the reality of the salary cap,” said Fletcher. “Shayne has been a quality player for this organization since the moment he arrived in Philadelphia and has been a part of many special moments in his seven seasons as a Flyer.”

Gostisbehere has 219 points (60 goals, 159 assists) in 381 games across seven seasons with the Flyers. He peaked in the 2017-18 season with 65 points (13 goals, 52 assists) in 78 games, finishing 10th in the Norris Trophy voting.

Shayne Gostisbehere has a cap hit of $4.5 million for the next two seasons. The 28-year-old defenseman has been up-and-down in recent years due to injuries and playing style. A fresh start in the right role could do wonders for Gostisbehere.

Trading Gostisbehere seemed almost inevitable this offseason. The Flyers had been shopping him for at least a year and the defenseman cleared waivers last season.

Chuck Fletcher’s primary goal with this trade is to clear cap space for another move. The Flyers are in on Vladimir Tarasenko, and Sam Reinhart is another name to watch.

Clearing $4.5 million in cap space opens up the possibility for a Taraesenko for Jakub Voracek swap. Voracek has an $8.25 million cap hit for three years while Tarasenko has a $7.5 million cap hit for two more years.

The Flyers now have nearly $14 million ($13.885) in cap space to sign RFAs Carter Hart and Travis Sanheim, add a backup goalie, and perhaps make another trade or two.

Good luck to Gostisbehere in Arizona (or wherever his final destination may be). This trade should be a precursor to a bigger move this weekend. Stay tuned…

Photo: Heather Barry Images

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