Flyers trade Provorov in loaded 3-team deal

After seven seasons in Philadelphia, Ivan Provorov’s career with the Flyers has come to an end.

The rebuilding club, with new front office leadership, traded the 26-year-old defenseman to the Blue Jackets in a complex three-team deal Tuesday.

In the trade, the Flyers received goalie Cal Petersen, defenseman Sean Walker, Swedish defensive prospect Helge Grans and a 2024 second-round draft pick from the Kings. From Columbus, the Flyers netted the No. 22 overall pick in this month’s NHL draft and a conditional 2024 second-round selection.

Along with moving Provorov to the Blue Jackets, the Flyers sent Kevin Connauton and Hayden Hodgson to Los Angeles.

The Kings will retain 30 percent of Provorov’s salary. Next season, Provorov will be in Year 5 of a six-year, $40.5 million deal ($6.75M cap hit).

Provorov was drafted seventh overall in 2015 and very quickly had high expectations bestowed upon him as a 19-year-old rookie.

Early in his career with the Flyers, he built a reputation of never missing games and being ultra reliable in minutes-eating fashion. Over his seven seasons, Provorov played in 532 of a possible 535 games. The only three games he missed came in succession during the 2021-22 season because of the NHL's COVID protocol. Provorov, a stoic ironman type, vented his displeasure with the league's protocols.

As the Flyers stumbled hard over the last three seasons, Provorov's play coincided with the organization's instability. In 2021-22, the Flyers lost 57 games (25-46-11) and Provorov was a career-worst minus-20. He appeared frustrated and irritated at his end-of-the-season press conference.

This season, Provorov was the team's most relied upon defenseman, but his minutes and role dipped under the Flyers' new coaching staff.

Off the ice, Provorov was in national headlines during January. Prior to a game, he chose to not take part in warmups because of the Flyers' Pride Night-themed jerseys. He cited his Russian Orthodox religion for why he made the decision.

By March, after the Flyers fired president of hockey operations and general manager Chuck Fletcher, it became clear the organization was embracing a rebuild and that significant changes could come to the roster.

Provorov became the first of what could be a telling offseason for Danny Briere and company.

More: Briere sends early message to Flyers fans with Provorov trade

The entry draft is June 28-29. The Flyers now have two picks in the first round — Nos. 7 and 22.

Petersen is a 28-year-old with 94 career NHL starts and a 2.92 goals-against average. He's under contract for two more years with a $5 million annual cap hit.

Walker is also 28 and has played 232 career NHL games. He has one year left on his deal with a $2.65 million cap hit.

Grans is 21 and was taken in the second round of the 2020 draft.