Patrick Sharp Returns to Flyers as Special Advisor

One of the worst trades the Philadelphia Flyers ever made was trading away Patrick Sharp and a depth piece player to the Chicago Blackhawks for a third round pick and another depth piece player. In 66 games, Sharp scored 10 goals and didn’t show former general manager Bobby Clarke enough to hold onto him. Clarke’s impatience in dealing with young players, unfortunately shown through here.

How’d it turn out? Sharp became one of the centerpieces of a Blachhawks dynasty, winning three Stanley Cups. In his first full year in Chicago, he scored 20 goals and started a stretch of scoring 20+ goals in seven of the next eight years. He was even the top goal scorer against the Flyers, scoring four goals in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals.

New general manger Daniel Briere and new president of hockey operations Keith Jones are righting one of the biggest mistakes ever made by this organization. On Tuesday, Sharp, now 41, came back to Philly. He has been hired as a Special Advisor to Hockey Operations.

In the press release, Jones said:

“In adding Patrick Sharp to our group, we are gaining an individual who has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to building an environment of winning at all levels. Patrick knows what it takes to win, he understands how to convey that to our players and is a relationship maker. He will be a vital component as we continue to build the foundation of the Philadelphia Flyers.”

Likewise, Briere added:

“I am proud to announce the addition of Patrick Sharp to our hockey operations team. Patrick is a well-established veteran on-and-off the ice and his incomparable hockey knowledge will be a valuable asset to our organization and young prospects.”

Sharp was one of the best scoring forwards from 2006-2016 in a career that makes him a borderline hall of famer. Likewise, he played with possible hall of famers in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. He knows what talent looks like. He also knows what it takes to put together a winning team, being part of three champion squads.

Upon his retirement, he became an analyst for NBC Sports and NBC Sports Chicago. It’s possible that during this time, he worked with Jones and talked a lot about players and skills. Jones is regarded as having a great hockey mind and he probably wanted to add someone to the mix who feels the same way he does about players. In this capacity, Sharp will be a key advisor to Philly.

Sharp’s role with the Flyers will be to work with Briere and Jones; especially on the development of the prospects. It’s ironic that a player who was cast aside because of impatience will help the team to work with younger players who sometimes need more time and patience.

Sharp’s role also comes as a great time for the organization as the NHL Draft is looming and the team is starting to make some offseason moves.