It has been just over four years since the Flyers traded a player for nothing. Yes, you read that right- absolutely nothing.
As the Flyers were trying to revamp their defense in the summer of 2021, they made a move that, to this day, may be one of the worst trades in franchise history. It's not just that the Flyers traded a player; they also attached two draft picks to the deal to make it happen. And what did they get in return? A whole lot of nothing.
By now, you've probably figured this one out. In July 2021, the Flyers traded Shayne Gostisbehere, a 2022 second-round pick, and a 2022 seventh-round pick to the then-Arizona Coyotes. The trade was for "future considerations," meaning that Philadelphia wanted cap space and nothing else.
Gostisbehere broke onto the scene with 17 goals and 46 points in his rookie season, posted a 15-game point streak, and set multiple records. He finished second behind Artemi Panarin for the Calder, a controversial decision at the time. Two seasons later, Gostisbehere had a career-high 65 points and earned Norris votes. He ultimately finished 10th in voting.
At this rate, the Flyers seemed to have a budding star on the backend. Offensive numbers dipped in the next three seasons. Gostisbehere combined for 32 points in 83 games during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. The team also struggled, finishing toward the bottom of the standings with a 25-23-8 record.
This was a season after the Flyers were one point behind first place before the season was paused. Once play resumed, the Flyers swept the round-robin phase of the playoffs and secured the top seed in the East. They came within a game of reaching the Conference Final, losing to the Islanders in seven games.
The Flyers overhauled the team, especially the defense, in the summer of 2021. Aside from Gostisbehere, they made big moves to acquire Ryan Ellis and Rasmus Ristolainen. They also signed Keith Yandle, though that was a depth move. Unfortunately, Ellis lasted four games before an injury effectively ended his career. Ristolainen struggled and has been injury prone as well.
Yandle was only there for a season, and it wasn't very remarkable. But that trade allowed Gostisbehere to solidify himself as a top-four defender in the NHL. He starred for the Coyotes in his first season, topping 50 points and adding 14 goals. It was also the first time he appeared in all 82 games. His ice time jumped to over 22 minutes in his two seasons in Arizona.
A pending free agent in the summer of 2023, he was dealt to the Hurricanes, where his role did diminish. But with how stacked Carolina tends to be, that wasn't a surprise. He still posted a modest 10 points in 23 games and saw his first extended postseason action. Following that, he signed a one-year deal with Detroit and excelled.
He only missed one game and posted 50+ points for the third straight season. The two sides couldn't agree on a deal, and Gostisbehere would return to Carolina with a three-year contract. He did miss some time this past season, limited to 70 games. However, he still managed to record 45 points. The most impressive stat is that 27 of those points came on the man advantage.
Gostisbehere has been a consistent contributor on the power play. He has a combined 56 power-play points in the last two seasons. He regularly contributed to the Flyers unit as his 33 power-play points in 2017-18 are still a career-high. Gostisbehere has 22 and 23 points, respectively, in his first two seasons.
The closest a Flyers' defender has come to Gostisbehere's best season was Travis Sanheim. He had 44 points in 2023-24. For reference, Sanheim had just five points on the power-play. In fairness though, Sanheim averages far less time on the man advantage. But it's still a noticeable point.
It goes without saying that if the Flyers could turn back the clock, they would not have traded Gostisbehere. It changes a large majority of what the team could look like to this point. But if the Flyers had held on for a bit longer, they may have reaped the benefits of what Gostisbehere has become.