Sometimes teams make good partners for each other. Their general managers have similar problems they need to fix. So, from time to time they connect to solve their own problems by taking another problem off of someone else's hands. Eventually, they can develop a relationship and work together for years.
Daniel Briere and Pat Verbeek, the GM of the Anaheim Ducks, have connected twice before over the last few seasons. The first was the trade that sent Cutter Gauthier to Anaheim for Jamie Drysdale. Most recently, the Ducks sent Trevor Zegras to Philly for some scraps. Now, there is the possibility of a third trade looming.
This involves disgruntled Ducks defender Pavel Mintyukov. Mintyukov is a 21 year Russian who shoots left handed. He was Anaheim's first round pick in 2022, selected 10th overall and was the fourth blueliner selected in that draft behind Simon Nemec, David Jiricek, and Kevin Korchinski.
When Mintyukov was scouted, he was praised for being an aggressive defender with a hard shot. It was believed that he could put up some major offensive points in the NHL. A quick look at the stat sheets show why the promise was there. Playing for the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL, he posted 17 goals with 45 assists in his first season in Canada in 2021-22. The following year, he played in just 37 games for the Spirit and scored 16 goals with 38 assists. Midseason, he was traded to the Ottawa 67s and finished out the season with eight goals and 26 assists in 24 games. The promise was there.
Then he went to Anaheim. To be fair, the Ducks have been more of a dumpster fire than the Flyers have over the last few seasons. In his first pro season (2023-24), he scored three goals with 24 assists and a -20 rating. Despite those struggles, it was deemed good enough to garner some votes for the Calder Trophy as Mintyukov finished 14th. He followed that up with a five goal-14 assist campaign the next season. While the offensive numbers were down, his defense was a bit better as he finished with a -4 rating. His blocked shots went up from 68 to 92.
The big issue were his turnovers. In his rookie season, he only turned the puck over 20 times. Last season, that skyrocketed to 62. So far this year, he's already at 18 turnovers in 18 games. Points wise, he has registered only three assists this season.
It's in part because of the turnovers, and lesser offensive numbers, that the Ducks have began to make him a healthy scratch. Mintyukov has not taken too kindly to this and has seen his minutes drop from almost 19 minutes his rookie year to just over 15 this year. He might not be a good fit for Anaheim anymore.
With him reportedly going public on his trade request as his rookie deal is set to expire this year, what can Anaheim get for him? Disgruntled players only bring a lot of return if their play warrants it. Does his? Not so sure. Disgruntled players also can bring a big return if a lot of teams are clamoring for their service. Are teams knocking down Verbeek's door for Mintyukov? Not sure.
It's something to keep an eye on. Surely, with all of the young defenders the Flyers have been acquiring recently, there could be one or two that Anaheim might accept in a trade. Briere might be able to pull this off without giving up any more draft picks.
The bigger question is: would he be a good fit? Drysdale has performed better in Philly. So has Zegras. Maybe there is something about Anaheim that stifles young talent. Perhaps Mintyukov, being a Russian, could strike up a friendship with Egor Zamula and/or Matvei Michov. Perhaps Mintykov and Zamula could connect and become a great defensive duo. Who knows?
Since Briere has taken over as GM of the Flyers, they've been doing well with "reclamation projects" like Mintyukov. Drysdale is starting to blossom and Zegras is playing well. The recent acquisition of Christian Kyrou is another one. Maybe a third Ducks player needs to escape a bad situation and come to a better one.
It's an interesting situation to keep an eye on. As this drama unfolds, it would be good for the Flyers to check in from time to time. This could be something that the Flyers could take advantage of. At the very least, it's worth looking into.