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Philadelphia Flyers Daily: Top Five Deadline Deals

By Danny Povlich

Oct 12, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Fans walk outside the Wells Fargo Center before game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers. The Flyers defeated the Panthers, 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 12, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Fans walk outside the Wells Fargo Center before game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers. The Flyers defeated the Panthers, 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
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3.) Feb. 24, 2007—Coburn From ATL for Zhitnik

Philadelphia Flyers
Nov 19, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn (5) checks Ottawa Senators left wing Cory Conacher (89) during the second period at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /

Of all the moves Holmgren made after the disastrous 2007 season, this was the most lopsided. It may be the most one-sided deal made since the lockout.

Earlier in the season, Holmgren acquired defenseman Alexei Zhitnik. He was 34, but he was still producing. A few weeks later, Holmgren dealt him to the Atlanta Thrashers for Braydon Coburn, a rookie defenseman drafted three years before.

If this list were based purely on return on investment, this trade would be number one. To get Zhitnik, the Flyers gave up a third-rounder and Freddy Meyer, an undrafted free agent on an entry-level contract who wound up playing a total of 281 career games. And Zhitnik played only another 83 games after he was traded before Atlanta bought out his contract.

Coburn, meanwhile, was a top Flyers defenseman for years. He played 576 games here, the seventh most among defenseman. Coburn wasn’t flashy offensively, but he had a solid defensive game, and he was a good skater. Some may have wanted a bit more out of him, but there’s no denying the value of the trade.

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