-On Thursday night the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers came together for a big trade. The deal took hours to be finalized, but Calgary will sent Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, along with a second and a seventh-round draft pick to Philadelphia in exchange for Flyers forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee.
Flyers, Flames Trade Developing Over Several Hours
The trade developed as both teams were on the ice. The first word of the potential trade broke when Calgary scratched right-winger Andrei Kuzmenko just moments before they were set to play the Anaheim Ducks. Shortly after this, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that the Flames and Flyers were working on a deal involving Kuzmenko.
Sources say #Flyers and #Flames are working on a trade involving forward Andrei Kuzmenko.
Deal has not yet been agreed upon, but progressed to point where Kuzmenko has been held out of Calgary lineup.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 31, 2025
After the initial report from Seravalli, the Flyers centerman Morgan Frost was pulled from the game against the New York Islanders. It quickly became apparent that the trade was bigger than just Kuzmenko. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Freidman reported that Flames winger Jakob Pelletier was also a part of the deal. He was also removed from game action for the Flames.
What This Trade Means For Calgary
The Flames are getting something they’ve been looking for since the start of the season in Morgan Frost: a young centerman who can grow with their core. Frost is in the second year of a two-year contract that will see him become an RFA at the end of this season. The 25-year-old is a former first-round pick who has been a 40-point player in the past two seasons. The 25-year-old is a former first round pick who has been a forty point player in the past two seasons. Calgary will be hoping he can develop further in Calgary and reach his full potential.
In Farabee, Calgary are getting another young player with potential upside. The 24-year-old left winger scored a career-high 22 goals and 50 points last season and should help a Flames team that struggles to create offence. Farabee is in the third year of a six-year contract with a cap hit of 5 million a season. With the Flames cap space, this contract easily fits in the Flames team cap and if Farabee can contribute offensively this is a great add.
The Flyers Side Of The Deal
Philidalphia is getting a former first-founder Jakob Pelletier. He is playing the best hockey of his career after being recalled earlier this season. Pelletier brings an infectious attitude and energy to his game and has the tools to play in any situation. Pelletier can kill penalties and was playing alongside the Flames top offensive players before this deal. Like Frost, Pelletier is a pending restricted free agent who the Flyers will likely look to resign.
The Flyers are also getting 28-year-old Russian Andrei Kuzmenko. The former 39-goal scorer has had a tough season in Calgary although he’s played better as of late. It’s likely the Flyers are taking his contract without the plan to re-sign him and hoping to open up cap space for the summer. Kuzmenko is incredibly talented but has struggled with consistency his whole career. Kuzmenko has some playing experience with Flyers rookie sensation Matvei Michkov from their time in Russia. Maybe they can find chemistry and Kuzmenko becomes a fit in Philadelphia.
The Flyers are also getting a good asset in a second round draft pick and an additional late round pick, which they can use to help rebuild into a contender.
More Trades To Come
This deal between the Flyers and Flames is the second big trade as of late. Following up on the massive trade between Carolina and Colorado that saw superstar Mikko Rantanen traded to the Hurricanes. These two trades are likely the first of many moves as we head towards the trade deadline.
Main photo by: Brett Holmes-Imagn Images
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