- Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen will be held out of the lineup for tonight’s game against Tampa as he nurses a minor injury, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. The 30-year-old was a speculative trade candidate at last week’s deadline but stayed put amid a lack of interest given general manager Daniel Brière’s reportedly high asking price. He’s thrived in a defensively-oriented role this year, posting a career-high plus-three rating while averaging 20:31 per game on a Philly squad with a -24 goal differential at 5-on-5. 24-year-old lefty Yegor Zamula will replace him in the lineup after sitting as a scratch for Tuesday’s game against the Senators, the team announced.
Flyers Rumors
John Tortorella Doesn't Envision Retirement Soon
- Flyers head coach John Tortorella reaffirmed he doesn’t anticipate ending his coaching career anytime soon, via Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. While he’s entering the final year of his contract in 2025-26, he called speculation that he’d shift to a front-office role for the Flyers “noise” and that it “never influences how I go about my business and never will.” The 66-year-old two-time Jack Adams winner has a 96-102-32 record behind the Philly bench and is set to miss the postseason for the third year in a row.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall Olle Lycksell, Rodrigo Abols
- As alluded to yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers have confirmed the reassignment of netminder Aleksei Kolosov to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Given that he’s been Philadelphia’s third-string option for much of the season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kolosov’s reassignment extend beyond the trade deadline. The second-year netminder has a 4-8-1 record in 15 games with the Flyers this season with a .870 SV% and 3.45 GAA. His performance hasn’t been any better with AHL Lehigh Valley as he’s recorded a 2-4-1 record in seven AHL contests with a .874 SV% and 3.59 GAA.
- In addition to recalling Emil Andrae, the Philadelphia Flyers are also making two more player recalls to their NHL roster. The team announced they’ve recalled forwards Olle Lycksell and Rodrigo Abols to the NHL roster for Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Abols has scored one goal and one assist in nine games for the Flyers this season, while Lycksell has gone scoreless in six contests.
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Maple Leafs Acquire Scott Laughton From Flyers
3:06 p.m.: The Flyers announced they’ve officially sent Laughton to Toronto, confirming the trade as reported below. The picks heading from Philly to the Leafs are a 2025 fourth-rounder and a 2027 sixth-rounder.
11:47 a.m.: The Maple Leafs are nearing a deal to acquire center Scott Laughton from the Flyers, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports. The deal involves a number of pieces as the Maple Leafs will also acquire fourth and sixth-round draft picks from Philadelphia (as per TSN’s Darren Dreger). In exchange for Laughton and the draft picks, the Flyers will acquire a first-round pick and Nikita Grebenkin. The Flyers will also retain 50% of Laughton’s $3MM cap hit (as per TSN’s Chris Johnston) which will use up their final retention slot and carry into next season since Laughton has one more year on his deal that will now count just $1.5MM against Toronto’s salary cap. Laughton is owed just $2.5MM in actual salary for next season.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the first round pick going to the Flyers is a 2027 selection and it will be top-10 protected. The trade leaves Toronto with just one first round selection in the next three drafts.
Laughton was drafted 20th overall by Philadelphia back in 2012 and since then has amassed 106 goals and 159 assists in 661 career NHL games. The Oakville, ON native has long been a solid two-way center and has had his two best offensive seasons over the past two years, posting 43- and 39-point seasons.
This year, the 30-year-old has tallied 11 goals and 16 assists in 60 games, to go along with a -17 plus/minus and 129 hits. He has been centering the Flyers’ second line this season and averaging 15:06 of ice time per game. With the trade to Toronto, there is a possibility he becomes their third line center, which should suit his game better as he remains a solid faceoff man and penalty killer.
The trade removes Laughton’s name from the trade rumor mill that has hounded him for much of the past few seasons. With the Flyers in a full retool, Laughton became a lucrative trade chip thanks to his solid play and reasonable contract. The move to Toronto should allow him to slot into a role that suits him better, while playing close to home, and away from the noise of the trade chatter.
PHR’s Josh Cybulski contributed to this article.
Avalanche Acquire Erik Johnson From Flyers
The Avalanche are bringing 2022 Stanley Cup champion Erik Johnson back to Denver. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports they’re acquiring the veteran defenseman from the Flyers. Colorado sent depth winger Givani Smith to Philadelphia in return, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. The Flyers later made the move official, with general manager Daniel Brière saying they’ve recalled defenseman Emil Andrae from AHL Lehigh Valley in a corresponding move (via Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
In a feel-good move by the Avalanche, Johnson returns to the organization he spent 13 years with. Since being acquired from the St. Louis Blues during the 2010-11 season, the former first overall pick of the 2006 NHL Draft scored 68 goals and 246 points in 717 games with the Avalanche, averaging 21:33 of ice time per night. His tenure in Colorado was defined by his willingness to sacrifice his body nearly every game and by his being an emotional leader for the club when they captured their third Stanley Cup ring in 2022.
Johnson is effectively the same version of the player he was when he last played for the Avalanche in 2022-23. The nearly 37-year-old was rarely deployed by the Flyers this year, scoring one goal and two assists in 22 games, averaging 13:18 of ice time per game. That’s effectively all Colorado will need out of him. Despite being a shell of the player he used to be, the Avalanche likely views Johnson as a solid leader to re-insert into the locker room and even an improvement upon Keaton Middleton in the team’s bottom-pair.
It didn’t take too much to acquire him, either. Smith has barely played in Colorado since the team acquired him in the trade that brought Mackenzie Blackwood to Denver. He’ll finish his tenure in Colorado with zero points in seven games and one assist in six AHL contests.
Meanwhile, Andrae has earned the right to play for the Flyers after a second promising season with AHL Lehigh Valley. Since transitioning to North American hockey in 2022-23, Andrae has scored 10 goals and 54 points in 96 games for the Phantoms.
He’s gotten an extended look with the Flyers, too. Due to multiple injuries on the team’s blue line, Andrae was allowed the opportunity to play in 24 games this year with Philadelphia, scoring one goal and six points, averaging 18:59 of ice time with a +2 rating. His possession and defensive metrics have been solid in limited action, giving the Flyers confidence to give him a full-time role in the NHL for the remainder of the season.
PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed to this article.
Kings To Acquire Andrei Kuzmenko
The Los Angeles Kings have reportedly acquired forward Andrei Kuzmenko from the Philadelphia Flyers (as per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet). The deal will see a third round pick in 2027, and a 2025 seventh round pick (as per team release) headed back to the Flyers (as per Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports) who will also retain 50% of Kuzmenko’s cap hit for the remainder of the season (as per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period). Kuzmenko is in the second season of a two-year, $11MM contract that carries an annual cap hit of $5.5MM. With the 50% retention, Los Angeles will only be adding $2.75MM to their cap spreadsheet. Kuzmenko is set to hit unrestricted free agency at the end of the season.
It’s the second trade in two months for the 29-year-old Kuzmenko who was dealt from Calgary to Philadelphia back on January 30th along with Jakob Pelletier and two draft picks in exchange for Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. It’s been a quiet season for Kuzmenko who has been unable to find stability among all of the movement. In 43 games this year, Kuzmenko has registered just six goals and 14 assists.
An undrafted free agent signing in July 2022, Kuzmenko had a monstrous rookie season with the Vancouver Canucks in 2022-23, posting 39 goals and 35 assists in 81 games. However, his sophomore season saw a dramatic drop off in production as Kuzmenko tallied just 22 goals and 24 assists in 72 games and was dealt midseason to Calgary in the Elias Lindholm trade.
Kuzmenko leaves Philadelphia having played just seven games with the Flyers. He was quite good in Philadelphia after struggling in Calgary, posting two goals and three assists in his abbreviated stay. He could prove to be a steal for the Kings if he can get on a heater. Kuzmenko has been streaky throughout his NHL career and has responded well following trades in the past. Last year after joining Calgary mid-season, Kuzmenko went on to notch 14 goals and 11 assists in his final 29 games after a sluggish start to his season. If Los Angeles gets production anything close to that it will have been worth the cost of the third-round pick.
Maple Leafs Showing Interest In Several Bottom-Six Forwards
With their cap space relatively limited (though likely to grow once Ryan Reaves is off the roster either via waivers or AHL assignment), the Maple Leafs appear to be looking at some lower-cost options up front. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that among the bottom-six players Toronto is looking at are Kraken winger Brandon Tanev and Sharks forward Luke Kunin. Meanwhile, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that they’re also in the mix for Flyers center Scott Laughton.
Tanev is in the final season of a six-year, $21MM contract carrying a $3.5MM AAV. The 33-year-old had a breakout offensive year in 2022-23, a campaign that saw him set new personal bests in goals (16), assists (19), and points (35). However, he hasn’t been able to reach that point total in the last two seasons combined as he has reverted to his more typical level of production.
This season, Tanev has nine goals and eight assists through 61 games. Of course, physicality is his main calling card and he’s once again averaging over two hits per contest. He’s also Seattle’s most-used forward on the penalty kill which will make him more appealing to Toronto and other playoff contenders. He has a 10-team no-trade list which could come into play depending on where he’s moved, assuming the Kraken find a swap to their liking.
Kunin, meanwhile, is the most versatile player out of this group as he can be deployed at all three forward positions. The 27-year-old has only reached the 30-point mark once in his career, that being back in 2019-20 when he had 31 points in 63 games. He has equaled his line from last year, tallying 11 goals and seven assists in 63 contests while chipping in with 163 hits. Like Tanev, Kunin is also heavily used on the penalty kill.
He’s in the last year of his contract, one that carries a $2.75MM AAV. Notably, San Jose does not have any remaining retention slots while Toronto doesn’t quite have enough money to bring him in, even if Reaves is off the roster. So if the Maple Leafs are to land Kunin, they’ll either have to open up some more cap space or a third team will need to get involved to retain a chunk of the contract.
As for Laughton, he’s more of a higher-end bottom-six piece. Through 59 games this season, he has 11 goals and 16 assists, his second straight season of a decline in per-game production. Of course, the 30-year-old is known for his sound defensive game and brings the size, physicality, and penalty killing acumen that many teams are known to be coveting.
Notably, Laughton has another year left on his contract on a deal that carries a $3MM AAV. Between that and the dearth of centers available, Philadelphia is believed to have set a high asking price for Laughton’s services, a package that includes a first-round pick. If Toronto GM Brad Treliving wants to make a longer-term splash over going for a rental, he’ll have to pay a pretty hefty price to do so.
Garnet Hathaway Out With Upper-Body Injury
The Columbus Blue Jackets are closing in on an extension with forward Mathieu Olivier (as per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period). The 28-year-old is in his sixth season with Columbus and has set career highs in many statistical categories, registering 12 goals and nine assists in 60 games. While he will never be an analytical darling, Olivier has made his presence known this season, posting 228 hits and 66 blocked shots.
Olivier is in the second season of a two-year $2.2MM contract and was set to become a UFA on July 1st. He picked an excellent time to have a career year and will surely earn a raise on the $1.1MM he is making this season.
In other Metropolitan Division notes:
- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph left yesterday’s game against the Boston Bruins with an upper-body injury (Twitter Link). The injury occurred when Bruins forward Mark Kastelic hit Joseph with a thunderous body check that sent the Penguins defender to the ice and ultimately out of the game. It was an unfortunate end to an eventful day for Joseph who had earlier laid a hit that sent Bruins forward Brad Marchand out of the game. It’s been a tough stretch this season for the 25-year-old who was dealt mid-season from St. Louis back to the Penguins for future considerations and has been exposed defensively for much of the time since his return.
- Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway was unavailable for last night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets due to an upper body injury (Twitter link). Hathaway last played on Thursday against Pittsburgh, and likely suffered the injury after taking a late hit from Penguins forward Boko Imama. Imama was assessed a minor penalty for interference on the play and Hathaway needed assistance to get off the ice. The 33-year-old Hathaway has eight goals and 10 assists in 60 games this season and has continued to provide a physical presence for the Flyers, handing out 218 hits.
Michkov Named February's Rookie Of The Month
- The NHL announced that Flyers winger Matvei Michkov has been named Rookie of the Month for February. He’s the first rookie this season to get the nod twice after also winning in October. Michkov had ten points in seven games last month while he’s the rookie leader in goals (19) league-wide while being tied for the lead in points with 44.
Latest On Scott Laughton
Expect the Flyers to give center Scott Laughton a say in where he ends up if he leaves Philadelphia at the trade deadline, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports Thursday. That is, of course, despite his contract’s lack of formal trade protection.
It’s an approach teams are beginning to take with unprotected veterans, much like the Predators’ Ryan O’Reilly. In Laughton’s case, it’s fueled by general manager Daniel Brière’s and president of hockey operations Keith Jones’ desire to ensure “that Philadelphia becomes a desirable destination again,” Kurz writes.
Laughton isn’t the longest-tenured Flyer – captain Sean Couturier has him beat in that regard – but he is a Philly lifer. Selected 20th overall in 2012, he’s suited up in 12 NHL seasons for the orange and black and ranks 14th in franchise history with 657 games played. Trade speculation has swirled around the two-way center since the Flyers started their rebuild by trading former captain Claude Giroux at the 2022 trade deadline. Laughton signed a five-year, $15MM extension in the 2021 offseason, though, so there’s never been much urgency to move on from him with no risk of losing him for nothing until 2026.
The age-old question is whether a veteran player carries more value to a rebuilding club in their on-ice play and leadership or in the form of assets to build for the future. Now past the crux of their rebuild and with young names like Matvei Michkov in the system, the answer for Laughton is the latter. That’s led to consistently sky-high asking prices on the trade market for his services by Flyers’ leadership, something Kurz reports hasn’t changed. Darren Dreger of TSN said earlier this month that Philly still won’t part with him for anything less than a first-round pick. They’ve employed the same strategy regarding defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen’s availability, which has led to an unexpected lack of calls less than two weeks ahead of deadline day.
Laughton has been far more consistent throughout the last half-decade, though, and carries a much more stomachable $3MM cap hit through next season compared to Ristolainen’s $5.1MM. The 30-year-old pivot has averaged around 40 points per season every year since the 2019-20 campaign, averages 15-16 per game, and can play top-unit penalty kill minutes. He’s comfortable at center and left wing, and while he isn’t a dynamo on draws, he’s serviceable with a career 49.7% win rate. Everything considered, they should have a much easier time fetching that additional first-rounder for either the 2025 or 2026 class (or equivalent asset, as Dreger said) for Laughton than with Ristolainen.
It comes down to who’s willing to pay that price. Kurz expects Laughton isn’t too willing to make a considerable jump westward after his father-in-law’s passing last month. That likely removes center-hungry teams in the Central and Pacific like the Jets, Canucks, and Wild from the list if the Flyers don’t receive a completely above-value offer. However, Kurz said clubs like his hometown Maple Leafs would be acceptable destinations if the return value threshold is met.