Ryan Ellis is healthy, excited to join the Flyers

The Ryan Ellis trade was a home run, slam dunk and any other sports analogies you can think it. It gave the Flyers a top-defenseman to pair with Ivan Provorov. And the assets given up were not astronomical.

Nolan Patrick clearly struggled after his concussion  during the 2018-19 season and needed a fresh start. He admitted, or at least implied, that the migraine disorder was related to said concussion. So heading out to Vegas, where he won’t be relied upon as much, will likely help him further develop.

Phil Myers ceiling had dropped a little bit after this past season. The hope was that he could begin taking on a larger role, possibly a top-two defenseman. The upside is still there for Myers, but the Flyers are looking to win now and may not be able to wait and see if this year was simply a fluke.

Ellis gives the Flyers a veteran who is willing to do whatever it takes to help his new team will. While not being familiar with this team or even this division, Ellis is looking forward to working with this group. He mentioned during his introductory press conference that he feels the team has a strong mix of youth and veterans in the locker room.

As for what he hoped to bring to the team, he was very simple with his answer. At this point in his career, he is looking to win and help capture a Stanley Cup. Whether that comes in the form of blocking shots, limiting other teams opportunities or adding some points himself. Ellis will do whatever the team needs him to do to be successful.

The biggest question mark when it came to bringing Ellis is was his injury history. There had been previous rumors out of Nashville that he had suffered a shoulder injury and may have even had surgery on it. Turns out those rumors were false. He had no idea where rumors of the surgery or even the injury came from.

"“I don’t know what shoulder you’re talking about. But yeah, I shattered my knuckle last year. So that was what I missed time for. But other than that, no, I’m good. I’m healthy. I’m hungry and I’m happy and excited to be a member of the Flyers.”"

That changes a bit of worry about Ellis. While he still has an injury history, taking out a back injury does take away the notion that he is prone to serious injuries. It’s even possible to say the only serious injury he has sustained was the knee injury during the 2016-17 season. He had surgery that off-season and missed the first 38 games the following year.

He still posted 32 points in a shortened campaign and followed that up with a career high 41 points the following year. So it is good to see that he was able to come back from said knee injury. The decline in his play was still there, however, so while taking away another possible serious injury, there is still some question about what happened.

There is some more positivity as he posted nine points in 14 games following his return from the hand injury. And he grabbed five points in six playoff games as well. Offense isn’t necessarily all he is here to do, though.

Back in Nashville, Ellis was part of the team’s leadership core. He hasn’t envisioned that being similar in Philadelphia. The group here, as he mentioned, has been here for a long time and has had success. When it comes to being a leader, Ellis will most likely see that on defense. Similar to what Matt Niskanen did when he was here, Ellis will be able to help a group featuring Ivan Provorov and Travis Sanheim.

One thing Chuck Fletcher mentioned the other day was his leadership ability. It’s been said numerous times, but the Flyers clearly missed that veteran presence on the back end. While Justin Braun filled in admirably when possible, he wasn’t the top guy the team was looking for. Ellis will be able to bring that and much more to this team.

While this is the first time Ellis has gone through a trade, there is an excitement to join this group. He isn’t too familiar with the Flyers or even the East in general. And when asked about his likely partner in Provorov, all Ellis could mention was some highlights that he had seen.

He has spoken to a few of his new teammates, something that he mentioned has helped him go through the process of being traded. All that’s left to do is put on the jersey and get on the ice. Something that the Flyers are no doubt excited to see.