Two years ago, Helge Grans was acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers in a trade that sent Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Besides the draft picks (two second-rounders and a first-rounder), Grans was supposed to be one of the biggest prizes. Cal Petersen and Sean Walker were "throw-ins". Petersen didn't play well in Philly, and Walker became a stunningly great defender, bringing a first-round pick for himself when he was traded.
But what about Grans? He was a highly touted defensive prospect out of Sweden. He was drafted 35th overall by the Kings in 2020, barely missing becoming a first-round selection. His first year with the Ontario Reign in 2020-21 went well, scoring seven goals with 17 assists.
Then he stagnated. For whatever reason, the Kings soured on him and traded him. In his first season with the Phantoms, he struggled. In the 2023-24 season, he scored just one goal. It looked as if he was going to be just another failed prospect.
Last year, he turned it around. Maybe it was the players he was working with. Maybe he got more comfortable in the Flyers' system. Perhaps it was just that at age 23, it finally clicked. Grans had a career year with Lehigh Valley, scoring eight goals with 15 assists; one point shy of his best year in Ontario. His performance even earned him a six-game call-up towards the end of last season.
What does Grans' future look like?
So now what? As we've been going through the Flyers' defensive corps, we've seen that Nick Seeler and Travis Sanheim are pretty much set in stone—Ditto for Jamie Drysdale and Cam York. Rasmus Ristolainen is still hurt, but if and when he becomes healthy, he'll get his spot back, and maybe the Flyers can finally unload him. Egor Zamula's future is in limbo.
Who gets that last spot is the big question. Oliver Bonk has been generating headlines over the last few months. He could crack the roster, but is he ready? If not, the final slot could come down to Grans and his Swedish compatriot Emil Andrae. Andrae may have the inside track as he's played in more games with the Flyers.
It could come down to who has the better training camp. And if the inevitable injury to someone else comes down the pike, Grans (or Andrae) should be ready to be the next man up. However, with the number of young defensive prospects coming up soon (Bonk, Spencer Gill, Andrew McDonald, Adam Ginning, etc.), he can't wait long. Worst comes to worst, he could become a valuable trade piece as the season goes on.
At 23 years old, Grans could be a part of the Flyers' future. However, he needs to make that future happen for himself. A strong training camp could help increase those odds.