The Flyers have quite a track record in the NHL today.
June 23rd is a historic date that has seen many significant trades the Philadelphia Flyers have made in the team’s recent history. While we’ll go through and look back on each move the team has made, it only begs the question if GM Danny Briere will make NHL headlines with a deal to continue the trend. Philadelphia has $32MM in cap space as of today, and with the 2026 NHL Draft approaching, one should take note of Briere’s comments, where, according to Kevin Kurz of the Athletic, he’d be willing to move his team’s first-round pick, currently slated at No. 21 overall.
It should be noted that the Flyers swapped players with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who traded netminder Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit in exchange for defenseman Emil Andrae, netminder Samuel Ersson, and a 2026 third-round pick. Philadelphia, along with 21st overall, has a second-round pick but will not draft again until the sixth round of 2026. We’ll see how they approach a trade if one is made, but it isn’t surprising considering the Flyers would like to continue making the playoffs after finishing with 98 points and making the second round.
June 23, 2025: The Zegras trade
A year ago today, the Flyers became the team that would take a chance on young center Trevor Zegras, who now enters restricted free agency coming off the final year of a three-year, $5.75MM AAV contract. Zegras finished 2025-26 with his career-best point total and first 60-point campaign since his age 21 season in 2022-23. He scored 26 goals for 67 points in 81 games. In return, Anaheim brought in Ryan Poehling, whom they have since extended after a near 40-point campaign. Anaheim also took in two draft picks, a 2025 second and 2026 fourth, the second rounder was used to select Eric Nilson at 45th overall.
June 23, 2017: The Schenn trade
This deal saw the main player heading out, with Brayden Schenn being sent to the Blues, where, at the time, he was a 25-goal scorer for 55 points in 79 games the season prior. In exchange, Philadelphia got back forward Jori Lehtera and two first-round picks, one in 2017 and 2018, where they drafted forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. Both of whom are still in their mid-twenties now a part of the Calgary Flames organization, via a trade that sent both in a package to the Flames.
June 23, 2014: The Hartnell trade
Three years back from that, the Flyers dealt away forward Scott Hartnell, who was a consistent 40-60 point scorer, to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for R.J. Umberger, who had familiarity with the organization before his stint in Columbus. The Flyers also received a 2015 4th-round pick as part of this exchange, which was GM Ron Hextall‘s first trade in his tenure as Flyers head man. At the time, Hartnell had five years remaining on the six-year, $28.5MM contract extension he inked back in August of 2012. Umberger was signed for three years with a cap hit of $4.6MM.
June 23, 2012: The van Riemsdyk/Schenn swap
In this player swap, the Flyers acquired defenseman Luke Schenn while giving up a key offensive piece in James van Riemsdyk, who at the time was 23-years old in 2012 and came off career highs of seven goals in 11 playoff games in 2011 and 21 goals for 40 points and a plus-15 rating in 75 games during that same regular season before his final year in orange. This deal for Philadelphia united the Schenn brothers, the former fifth-overall pick in 2008, who joined his younger brother Brayden. The Flyers saved $650K in cap space at the time, with van Riemsdyk carrying a $4.25MM AAV for the next six seasons, while Schenn’s $3.6MM AAV lasted for the next four.
June 23, 2011: The Carter/Richards deals
GM Paul Holmgren dealt away two cornerstone players at the time for the Flyers before the 2011 NHL Draft on this particular day. Holmgren, who scouted both 2003 first-round picks, traded both Jeff Carter, a 40-goal scorer, and captain Mike Richards away, going from $450K in cap space to $13MM. At the time, the league cap space was $64.3MM. Carter’s return from Columbus brought in a 21-year-old Jakub Voracek, a 2011 1st round pick (#8-Sean Couturier), and a 2011 3rd round pick (#68-Nick Cousins). Richards brought in forwards Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds as well as a 2012 third-round pick. Shortly after, the Flyers signed goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to a nine-year contract worth $51MM.
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