The Flyers have added some depth down the middle as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve acquired Nate Thompson from Montreal in exchange for a 2021 fifth-round pick.
Thompson isn’t much of a point producer at this stage of his career but he remains an effective defensive forward. In 63 games this season, he has four goals and ten assists but Philadelphia will be most interested in his 55.1% success rate at the faceoff dot. The Flyers are already one of the better teams on the draw this season with a team success rate of 54.3% rate and Thompson will only bolster that strength.
The Canadiens acquired Thompson along with a fifth-round pick from the Kings last season for a fourth-rounder and then turned around and gave the 35-year-old a one-year, $1MM extension last offseason. They are not retaining any salary in the trade. Montreal now has nine selections for the 2021 draft and with 13 already in June’s draft it’s not surprising that they looked to add one in a future draft.