Philadelphia Flyers Ivan Provorov traded to Columbus Blue Jackets
(Photo Credit: Eric Hartline)

The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired defenseman Ivan Provorov from the Philadelphia Flyers in a complex three-team trade also involving the Los Angeles Kings. The deal comes after a controversial incident involving Provorov and the Flyers’ annual Pride night.

The 26-year-old defenseman Provorov was initially traded to the Kings along with forward Hayden Hodgson for goalie Cal Petersen, defenseman Sean Walker, defenseman prospect Helge Grans, and a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Provorov was then subsequently traded to the Blue Jackets for defenseman Kevin Connauton.

Here are the full trade details:

Ivan Provorov trade details

Provorov, a first-round selection (No. 7 overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft, has been a consistent performer for the Flyers, amassing 217 points (65 goals, 152 assists) in 532 regular-season games and 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

This trade came after Provorov, citing his Russian Orthodox faith, chose not to wear a special Pride-themed jersey during the Flyers’ annual Pride night. Provorov’s decision was met with mixed reactions from fans and the broader NHL community.

The trade has been evaluated as beneficial for all teams involved, but particularly for the Blue Jackets. Jarmo Kekalainen, the Blue Jackets’ general manager, stated that the acquisition of Provorov immediately improves their group on defense, praising Provorov’s skill, skating ability, passing, shot accuracy, and two-way play.

Flyers general manager Daniel Briere suggested that the decision to trade Provorov was not made lightly. “There’s other teams that were involved, but it really seemed like the best fit was with Columbus and the interest was really, really high on Columbus’ side,” said Briere.

In return, the Flyers received goalie Cal Petersen who, despite a challenging season with the Kings, has a promising career record of 44-42-10 with a 2.92 GAA, .905 save percentage, and four shutouts in 101 regular-season games​1​. They also gained additional draft picks, boosting their total to 10 in the upcoming 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft, starting with No. 7 in the first round.

As for the contract details, Provorov has two seasons remaining on a six-year, $40.5 million contract ($6.75 million average annual value) he signed with Philadelphia on Sept. 12, 2019​1​. Petersen is in the first season of a three-year, $15 million contract ($5 million AAV) with the Kings.