Flyers acquire Ryan Ellis from Nashville in blockbuster three-team NHL trade
(Photo Credits: @NHL/ Twitter)

This trade is insane.

The Philadelphia Flyers acquired defenseman Ryan Ellis from the Nashville Predators on Saturday in exchange for forward Nolan Patrick and defenseman Philippe Myers.

The deal was first reported by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Patrick was being flipped to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for forward Cody Glass.

Saturday was the final day NHL teams could make trades before a trade freeze went in effect for the Seattle Expansion Draft. Teams are now prohibited from making trades with any team except the Kraken until July 22nd at 10 am.

Instant Analysis: 

For Philadelphia: 

The Flyers make out well in this trade acquiring a very reliable top-four blueliner. Ellis has averaged over 23 minutes of ice time in four straight seasons and consistently hovers around the 40-point mark. He’s still only 30 years of age and will bolster a weak and inexperienced Flyers blueline. Philadelphia allowed a league-worst 3.62 GAA per game last season. They badly need defensive help in front of young goaltender Carter Hart. Trading Nolan Patrick also allows the Flyers to protect forward James van Riemsdyk in the expansion draft.

For Nashville: 

The Predators are clearly in rebuild mode. They already traded forward Viktor Arvidsson and recently got news that veteran goalie Pekka Rinne would be retiring. Nashville will also reportedly leave forward Matt Duchene unprotected in the Expansion Draft. By trading away Ryan Ellis, Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm are the two remaining members of Nashville’s “Big Four” defense core.

Philippe Myers is six years younger than Ellis and has showed flashes of excellence. In 44 games with Philadelphia last season, Myers recorded one goal and 11 points. Myers clearly isn’t the all-around stud defenseman Ellis is, but his cap hit is only $2.25M compared to Ellis’ $6.25M. Glass, meanwhile, has the makings of an elite NHL goal scorer. He had trouble cracking a deep Vegas roster, appearing in 66 games over the past two seasons. He’ll get a better opportunity in Nashville to show what he can do.

For Vegas: 

Nolan Patrick could clearly use a fresh start. The former second overall draft pick has vastly underwhelmed in his NHL career thus far, mainly due to lingering concussion issues. Patrick sat out the entire 2019-20 NHL season for health reasons and only recorded nine points in 52 games last season. The 22-year-old has still put up 70 points in 197 career NHL games and could rediscover his game with a change of scenery in Vegas.

By trading Cody Glass, Vegas has now traded their three first-round picks from the 2017 inaugural entry draft in Glass (NSH), forward Nick Suzuki (MTL) and defenseman Erik Brannstrom (OTT). Make of that what you will, but Vegas has reached at least the Conference Finals in three of their first four NHL seasons. The Golden Knights are also exempt from the expansion draft, so they don’t have to worry about protecting players. The Knights are believed to be one of the frontrunners in the Jack Eichel trade sweepstakes. Their offseason is likely far from over.