Philadelphia Flyers: Patrick Sharp looks back on trade

Patrick Sharp, drafted by the Flyers, recently recalled the trade that sent him to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Patrick Sharp was drafted in the third round of the 2001 NHL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. He appeared in 93 games during parts of three different seasons.

He didn’t amount to much during his time in Philadelphia. He posted just 10 goals and 15 points overall. Sharp did stand out with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL.

He was a part of the Calder Cup winning Phantoms during his last full season with the team. Sharp collected 23 goals and 52 points that season. He had eight goals and 21 points during the postseason.

It didn’t look like he was going to get the playing time that we wanted in Philadelphia. So he requested a trade away from the Flyers. Sharp detailed the experience as he joined the Snow The Goalie Podcast.

At the time, Sharp mentioned that then GM Bobby Clarke didn’t wanted to trade him away. But his request was granted and he was even able to choose the team.

"”I knew the Chicago Blackhawks had a young group that was playing in Norfolk the year before. As we went though the Philadelphia Phantoms days, I saw those guys having success in the NHL. And I’m like, alright, that’s why I got to get going here with this group. It wasn’t happening in Philadelphia, so I’m thankful for the trade.”"

It was December of 2005 when Sharp and Eric Meloche were traded to the Blackhawks for Matt Ellison and 2006 third round pick.

As Sharp mentioned, it took him a few years to get acclimated in Chicago. That’s according to him at least. During his first season, he immediately broke all of his career highs. Now, it’s wasn’t much to break, but he did post nine goals and 23 assists with the Hawks.

He did break out during his second full season with the team, posting 36 goals and 62 assists. He was named an alternate captain that season as well. That wouldn’t even be his best total either.

As everyone knows, Sharp would go on to win three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks. One of those came against the Flyers in 2010. Sharp had 11 goals and 22 points that postseason. He had four goals and six points in the series against Philadelphia.

Sharp called it a career after the 2017-18 season. He had briefly played with the Dallas Stars a year prior before signing with Chicago once again. Overall, Sharp collected 287 goals and 620 points.

Looking at the return, it’s fair to say the Flyers ended up losing that trade. Ellison hardly played during his time in Philadelphia. He appeared in just seven games over two seasons, registering one point.

It appeared to be a case of AHL success not transferring over into the NHL. After one more AHL season in 2007-08, Ellison went to the KHL to finish his career out.

But while it didn’t pan out for the Flyers, it was likely an unavoidable trade. Sharp wanted to explore other opportunities where he could get more of a chance to prove himself.

The Flyers were trying to make the playoffs and Chicago was a young team. He had more of a chance to play there than he did Philadelphia.

Looking back on the trade and what it produced will hurt. But ultimately, it was the best move for Sharp at the time.