The Philadelphia Flyers made an extremely shocking trade on Monday night. They sent top prospect Cutter Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick. Fans have already given their reactions to the deal, and now team execs are providing their two cents.

Flyers chairman and CEO Dan Hilferty joined the Snow The Goalie podcast after news of the trade broke. And he didn't exactly hold back when speaking of the trade involving the 19-year-old top prospect.

“I feel bad for Cutter… well I don’t really feel bad for Cutter when he comes to Philadelphia,” the Flyers exec said on Monday night. “It’s gonna be a rough ride here and he earned it. We’re Philadelphians and we want people who want to be here with us.”

Why the Flyers traded Cutter Gauthier

The deal came as a shock given Gauthier's status as a top prospect. Along with Russian phenom Matvei Michkov, it seemed like the Boston College product was a future cornerstone for Philadelphia. However, there was just one problem: he didn't want to play in Philadelphia.

“It was a long time coming,” general manager Daniel Briere said Monday night, via NHL.com. He went on to mention that the Flyers attempted to meet with the 19-year-old, but to no avail.

“So, at some point we had to make a decision and we thought with what happened just a few days ago, this was our time to probably get the highest value,” the Philadelphia general manager continued, via NHL.com.

Gauthier was a standout performer at the IIHF World Juniors in Sweden. The Boston College product led the Americans offensively, scoring two goals and 12 points in seven games. Team USA defeated Sweden to win the gold medal. Gauthier's performance saw him named as the best forward of the tournament.

This is one of the most fascinating trades in recent NHL history. And clearly, there are some hard feelings between the Philadelphia Flyers and Cutter Gauthier. This is a move that will be revisited for years to come.