Ten Worst Trades in Flyers History

Note: There have been many trades made by the Flyers that are good and bad. Many of these trades can really depend on perspective. These trades are among the worst in Flyers history as chosen by me.

No. 10 — The Lindros Trade

You know the trade I am talking about. In 1992, the Flyers flipped Peter Forsberg, Mike Ricci, Steve Duchesne, Ron Hextall, Kerry Huffman, Chris Simon, and two first round picks for Eric Lindros. Lindros did not want to sign with the Quebec Nordiques, The Nords tried to entertain offers and traded him to the Flyers…and then to the Rangers about an hour and a half later.

After some tense months, an arbitrator awarded him to Philly. It’s not that Lindros wasn’t a good player. He was, but that was a haul to pick him up. Forsberg went on to be a Hall of Famer in his own right with Ricci becoming a scoring threat for the Nordiques, who moved to Denver and became the Avalanche. Both helped them capture the Stanley Cup in 1996.

Huffman never became anything in the NHL. Hextall would be traded by Toronto to the Islanders and traded back to Philly. Duchesne would be an all-star that season and continue to be a top level defender. Simon went on to become one of the biggest enforcers of the 90s who could score from time to time.

The first round picks ended up becoming Jocelyn Thibault in 1993 (the Flyers could’ve had Kenny Jonsson, Saku Koivu, or Adam Deadmarsh) and Nolan Baumgartner in 1994 (the Flyers could’ve had Jeff Friesen, Mattias Ohlund, or Chris Drury).

One of the great “what-if’s” in Flyers history is what if we kept all of these players? A line of Mark Recchi-Forsberg-Ricci would’ve been quite intimidating. A defensive pairing of Chris Therien and Duchesne could’ve shut down everyone. Maybe even the Recchi trade to Montreal would’ve happened and John LeClair would’ve shared a line with Forsberg and Ricci. We’ll never know.

Nobody could’ve foreseen that Lindros would’ve been hampered by injuries. He would become the face of the Flyers during the 90s. He is a Hall of Famer and an all-time great Flyer. But still……..what if………

No. 9—-The Flyers trade Brind’amour

As the Lindros Era seemed in jeopardy as he and GM Bobby Clarke clashed publicly, the Flyers were looking to get some more scoring strength up the middle. The Carolina Hurricanes had the answer. Keith Primeau was holding out for a new contract and wanted out. They agreed to send him to Philly, but the cost was center Rod Brind’amour.

Again, this is not to say that Primeau was a bad player. He would become team captain and play well for Philly, scoring 34 goals in his first full year with the Flyers. But injuries, especially concussions, much like Lindros, would take their toll on the big guy. We all still remember him lighting up the lamp in that epic 5OT game against the Penguins and we love him for it.

But Brind’amour was different. He wasn’t flashy. He did all the little things right. He was magic in the faceoff circle, he would battle in the corners, he would fight for the rebound in front of the net, he could level a hit, and deal a punch. In short, he was a Flyer. He became a legend in Carolina and captained them to a Stanley Cup win. Primeau retired in 05-06 after nine games due to concussions

Brind’amour would retire four years later. Primeau had 97 goals as a Flyer while Brind’Amour had 174 in Raleigh while earning two Selke Trophies. Again, this is not to say that getting Primeau was bad. This is more to say that Brind’amour was better.  Brind’amour is a border-line hall of famer right now while Primeau is in the “Hall of Pretty Good”. I loved getting Primeau, but the cost of Brind’amour was too steep.

No. 8—-The Flyers trade a first rounder for who?

This is one of those trades that makes your head spin. The Flyers had been in a rough spell and were looking to acquire a veteran defender. Kimmo Timonen was a solid defender and Braydon Coburn was an up and comer. Needing a veteran, they traded their first round pick to the Capitals for Steve Eminger.

Oh, you don’t remember him? Blink and you missed him. He played in 12 games. That’s right…12 stinking games. They traded him and Steve Downie to Tampa Bay that same season for Matt Carle, who was a good defender that for some reason they never re-signed.

Who did the Caps pick up in that draft? John Carlson on defense. Yes, so to get a veteran defender they traded a draft pick away who has played in more seasons than he did in games on the Flyers. Carlson is one of the best veteran blue liners in the league, a Stanley Cup winner, and an all star

Can you just imagine him being paired up with Timonen, Coburn, and/or Chris Pronger during the Stanley Cup run? I guarantee you that the Flyers would never have lost to Chicago. Speaking of which….

No. 7. — Flyers trade Patrick Sharp to Blackhawks for Peanuts

Ugh. You can read the full description here.

Basically, Sharp was a star on the Phantoms, but in very limited opportunities, didn’t produce much in the NHL. He asked for a trade and GM Bobby Clarke granted it, flipping him to Chicago for Matt Ellison. Ellison would play in seven games and notched one assist.

Sharp became an integral part of the Blackhawks dynastic run in the 2010s, scoring 249 goals in 10 years, topping 30 goals four times.

He looked great with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. He would’ve looked great with Simon Gagne, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Scott Hartnell, Claude Giroux, and Danny Briere too. Sigh…..

No. 6. —Flyers trade for Umberger

RJ Umberger was a young forward who showed some potential for the Flyers. In 2008, the Flyers flipped him to the Columbus Blue Jackets for their first round pick. The Flyers were hard up on the salary cap and might not be able to retain his services.

So, they traded him while he still had value.  They drafted Luca Sbisa (when again…Carlson was right there!), a defender who didn’t do much for Philly, but would be traded to acquire Pronger. Umberger had a decent career in Columbus, scoring 26 goals in his first season, doubling his previous season’s total. In six years, he tallied 120 goals for the Jackets.

In 2014, the Flyers and Jackets completed a trade. Both were trading veteran players that could shake their teams up. The Flyers got Umberger back, but it cost them fan favorite Scott Hartnell. Hartnell would retire four years later, but scored 28 goals his first year in Columbus.

Umberger would score a total of 11 goals in two years. His scoring touch, as well as his hockey abilities, were gone. The Flyers would buy out the last two years of his contract. It was an expensive deal that hurt the Flyers. Giroux also lost one of his best line mates in the process. This was supposed to be a fairly even trade, but the Blue Jackets definitely made out on this one.