Flyers, Blackhawks Swing Trade; Local Player Coming Home

It wasn’t a trade that shook the NHL.

Fact is, it was one of those minor deals that the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks hope will eventually give them a serviceable role player.

The Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday acquired minor-league forward Evan Barrett from Chicago for Cooper Zech, a defenseman with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Barrett, 23, a Bristol native, played three seasons with Penn State (2017-20) and collected 95 points (39-56) in 98 games, and he was a Hobey Baker nominee in 2019. He will report to the Phantoms.

A third-round draft choice by Chicago in 2017, he had 28 points (14-14) in 63 AHL games with Rockford last season. This year, the 6-foot, 188-pounder was scoreless in two games with the IceHogs.

Zech, 23, had 11 points (1-10) and a plus-3 rating in 53 games last season with Lehigh Valley.

In this video, Barratt, then with Penn State, makes fun of Minnesota’s Ryan Lindgren, who is now in his fourth season with the New York Rangers.

The Flyers’ newest acquisition, Evan Barratt, a Penn Stater and Pennsylvanian .

(video recorded with permission from Pat). pic.twitter.com/xg6D9Eix83

— Giana Han (@giana_jade) October 26, 2022