The Columbus Blue Jackets kicked off the NHL offseason in a massive way on Tuesday. Columbus acquired 27-year-old defenseman Ivan Provorov from the Philadelphia Flyers in a massive three-way trade.
Trades during the Stanley Cup Final aren't necessarily new. On the other hand, they aren't necessarily common either. Especially trades of this size and involving this type of compensation. Let's take a look at how all of the involved parties did in the deal.
Full trade
The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired defenseman Ivan Provorov from the Philadelphia Flyers through the Los Angeles Kings. Los Angeles retained 30% of Provorov's salary to facilitate the deal.
The Flyers acquired goaltender Cal Petersen, defensemen Sean Walker and Helge Grans, the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, a 2024 second-round pick from the Kings, and a second-round pick from the Blue Jackets that will transfer in either 2024 or 2025.
To finish out the deal, the Kings acquired forwards Kevin Connauton and Hayden Hodgson from the Flyers.
Blue Jackets acquire Ivan Provorov
Let's start with the primary piece in this trade. Provorov joins the Blue Jackets after an up-and-down time in Philadelphia. He entered the league with much fanfare but his play has declined over the last few seasons.
Provorov comes to Columbus due a bit of a pretty penny. He is entering the fifth year of a six-year, $40.5 million extension he signed with the Flyers years ago. The Kings did retain 30% of this, so it won't hurt as much, but it's worth pointing out.
It's fascinating to view this trade from the perspective of the Blue Jackets. On one hand, it's understandable. Columbus wants to win this season, especially with the rumored appointment of Mike Babcock as head coach.
The acquisition of Provorov is a step up for their blueline. However, one has to wonder if that's actually saying much. Columbus simply did not have a great defensive core last season, and it showed. Is Provorov an upgrade in relative terms or is he a legitimate upgrade?
I think it's both. Provorov is certainly a major improvement and a fantastic option to have on your second pairing. Compared to what the Blue Jackets had, though, improvement seems larger than it may actually be.
And that's why the acquisition cost, at this time, looks rather steep. Provorov is a fine second-pairing defenseman, but the Blue Jackets traded a haul fit for a top-pairing blueliner to get him.
Grading this from a pure hockey standpoint, the Blue Jackets did improve their defense a bit. And Babcock gets the type of defenseman he absolutely loves to kick off his return to the NHL. However, the cost to make this move is rather steep.
Philadelphia Flyers trade Ivan Provorov
Well, hello Daniel Briere. What a first impression he makes as general manager of the team he once led to the Stanley Cup Final. The Flyers do extremely well and make good on Briere's promise to remain open-minded.
Provorov was not living up to the dollar amount he was signed to. And the team needed to gather as many future assets as they possibly could. They do so in a major way with this deal.
The 22nd overall pick this year is more valuable than in other drafts. Many around the hockey world view this draft as incredibly deep, with very talented players available up and down the board.
The Flyers also pick up two-second round picks in this deal. Philadelphia will either have two seconds next year or one in 2024 and two in 2025. Philadelphia had no second-round picks in 2024 before this deal.
The team also picks up a couple of interesting players. Cal Petersen gives them insurance in net, despite his massive cap hit and declining play. If the Flyers trade Carter Hart, Petersen could see a bigger role.
Both Sean Walker and Helge Grans became expendable in Los Angeles. Walker is the odd man out as the Kings prepare to welcome Brandt Clarke to the NHL. And Grans simply fell behind others in the depth chart. Both players are likely to receive larger roles with the Flyers.
Philadelphia adds two intriguing defensemen to help them now, as well as assets to set them up for the future. All while getting out of Provorov's inflated contract. It's hard to argue with what the Flyers did here.
Los Angeles Kings clear cap space
It's always interesting when teams participate in a trade where the biggest benefit for them is a corresponding move afterward. That applies to the Kings as they cleared space to re-sign Vladislav Gavrikov.
Connauton and Hodgson, with all due respect to those two, aren't anything special. Connauton, 33, has played parts of nine seasons but spends a lot of time in the AHL as well.
Hodgson, on the other hand, has skated in just seven NHL games in his career. At the age of 27, there is certainly time for him to receive more NHL ice time. It just hasn't happened quite yet.
Gavrikov's extension helps lift their grade here a bit. The Kings signed the 27-year-old to a two-year contract worth $5.875 million annually with a full no-trade and no-movement clause.
Gavrikov came to Los Angeles as one of the NHL trade deadline's biggest trade chips, and he lived up to the high. His pairing with Matt Roy produced excellent results. And the short-term nature of this deal is beneficial for both sides.
The Kings paid a steep price to get out of Petersen's contract. However, they were able to check off one of their top priorities for this summer, so there is a bit of a balancing act here.
Grades and final thoughts
The Blue Jackets received a middle-of-the-road grade for this deal. Columbus improved defensively but overpaid for an improvement that may not be as major as it seems. Philadelphia receives high marks for picking up interesting assets for now and the future. And the Kings do well to clear space to keep one of their better-performing defensemen down the stretch.
Columbus Blue Jackets: C+
Philadelphia Flyers: A-
Los Angeles Kings: B+
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