Ah, the Phoenix… er… Arizona Coyotes, The NHL’s dumping ground where veterans and albatross contracts go to ride out their careers. The organization has had a predominantly miserable existence from an on-ice perspective since their move to the desert in 1996, which has often led to them being a central trading hub around the league, and the Flyers have always been open to doing business with them. Whether it’s shuffling veterans, dumping contracts or swapping draft picks, the Flyers and Coyotes have never strayed far when it comes to making trades.
3/8/00 – Rick Tocchet for Mikael Renberg
Rick Tocchet was originally a Flyers draft pick in 1983 and played eight seasons with the club until he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992. He bounced around the league after his days in Philly, eventually landing with the Coyotes in 1997. He played three seasons in Phoenix until the Flyers reacquired him in this trade. He played parts of three more seasons with the Flyers before retiring in 2002.
Renberg is best remembered as one-third of the Legion of Doom, but his second stint in Philly was not nearly as illustrious as his first. After this trade, Renberg played just 10 games for the Coyotes to close out the 1999-00 season ad left his his native Sweden for the 2000-01 campaign before returning to the NHL to play for the Maple Leafs the following year.
7/2/01 – 2003 first round pick (Jeff Carter) and 2002 second round pick (Dan Spang)(traded to TBL) for Daymond Langkow
Daymond Langkow had a messy run with the Tampa Bay Lightning to start his career, but developed into an NHL-caliber forward with the Flyers. He played three seasons with the team but was traded to Arizona after the Flyers signed Jeremy Roenick, who was a free agent leaving the Coyotes, the same day. Langkow played three seasons with the Coyotes, setting new personal bests in offense, eclipsing his totals from his days in Philly. He was traded to the Calgary Flames in 2004.
The Flyers drafted Jeff Carter 11th overall in 2003. He’d play six seasons with the team scoring 343 points in 461 games, helping them to a Cup run in 2010 and a Calder Cup victory with the Phantoms in 2005.
The Flyers packaged the 2002 second (52nd overall) along with a previously acquired 34th overall pick and forward Ruslan Fedotenko to the Lightning in exchange for fourth overall pick in 2002 that they used to draft defenseman Joni Pitkanen.
6/12/02 – Michal Handzus and Robert Esche for Brian Boucher and 2002 third round pick (Joe Callahan)
Brian Boucher was the Flyers’ 22nd overall pick in 1995 and had some bright moments early in his career. He led the league in goals against average in 1999-2000 with a measly 1.91, and was tied for third in save percentage with .918. He had trouble regaining the form over the next few seasons was was traded to Phoenix. His overall numbers didn’t improve greatly with the Coyotes, but he did set the modern record for the longest shutout streak at a whopping 332 minutes, nearly five-and-a-half games. He was traded to Calgary in early 2006.
The Coyotes drafted defenseman Joe Callahan 70th overall in 2002. He spent three seasons with the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate and later signed with the Ducks, never suiting up for an NHL game for Phoenix.
Michal Handzus became a defensive stalwart during his time in Philly, garnering two top-ten Selke votes in his first two seasons with the Flyers. He spent three seasons with the club and was later traded to Chicago in August of 2006.
Robert Esche would man the Flyers’ crease for four seasons, securing the Jennings Trophy in 2002-03 for the fewest goals scored against. He also helped carry them to an Eastern Conference Final appearance in 2003-04 before ultimately losing to the Lightning in seven games. He signed in Russia following the 2006-07 season after losing the starting gig to Antero Niittymaki.
12/19/02 – 2004 conditional pick for Paul Ranheim
Paul Ranheim was a 16-year NHL veteran at the time of this trade, he spent three seasons in Philadelphia, but his play had greatly diminished by that time. He played 40 games for the Coyotes in 2002-03, including the 1,000th of his career, and retired during the offseason.
The 2004 conditional pick was not transferred to the Flyers and the condition was unknown.
3/10/03 – Tony Amonte for Guillaume Lefebvre, 2004 second round pick (Brandon Dubinsky) and 2003 third round pick (Tyler Redenbach)
Tony Amonte was a 13-year NHL veteran by the time this trade happened. His production had declined from what it was in Chicago in the late 1990s, but that didn’t stop the Flyers from acquiring him at the 2003 trade deadline for a playoff push. He put up 15 points in his first 13 games with the club, but only managed to register 42 over the following 80 and the Flyers did not offer him a new contract post-lockout. Amonte spent two more seasons with the Flames before retiring.
Guillaume Lefebvre spent two seasons with the Flyers, mainly in the AHL. He was a Coyote for just 24 hours as he was dealt to the Penguins the following day.
The Coyotes would later trade the 2002 second round pick to the Rangers to move up from 60th overall to 50th overall in the 2002 draft and select Enver Lisin. He played 78 games over the course of three seasons with the Coyotes.
They also drafted forward Tyler Redenbach 77th overall in 2003. He never played in the NHL.
2/9/04 – Sean Burke, Ben Eager and Branko Radivojevic for Mike Comrie
This was Sean Burke’s second stint with the Flyers after a brief 11-game run with them late in the 1997-98 season. He was a 16-year NHL veteran at the time of this trade. He finished out the 2003-04 season with the team, securing his 300th win in the process, and signed in Tampa Bay during the summer.
Ben Eager was the Coyotes’ 23rd overall pick in 2002 but never played for them. He spent parts of five seasons with the Flyers’ organization between the AHL and NHL serving primarily as an enforcer. He was traded to the Blackhawks in 2007.
Branko Radivojevic was a depth forward who played three seasons with the Coyotes and two with the Flyers. He was not given a qualifying offer by Philly in the 2006 offseason and signed with the Minnesota Wild.
Mike Comrie was in a contract dispute with the Edmonton Oilers and ultimately traded to the Flyers on December 16, 2003. He suited up for just 21 games in Philadelphia before being flipped to the Coyotes in this trade. Comrie spent parts of three seasons with the Coyotes before a trade that sent him to Ottawa in January of 2007.
7/30/05 – 2005 fourth round pick (Jeremy Duchesne) and 2006 second round pick (Andreas Nodl) for 2005 second round pick (Pierre-Olivier Pelletier)
This trade was the Coyotes moving up to the 59th overall pick in 2005 and selecting goalie Pier-Olivier Pelletier. He never played in the NHL.
In exchange the Flyers got the 119th overall pick in 2005 which they’d use on goaltender Jeremy Duchesne, who played a single NHL game with the Flyers in April of 2010.
They also got the 39th overall pick in the 2006 entry draft and would select forward Andreas Nodl. He played 127 games over the course of four seasons with the Flyers before the Carolina Hurricanes claimed him off waivers in November of 2011.
12/28/05 – Kiel McLeod for Eric Chouinard
Kiel McLeod was an AHL forward. He didn’t see NHL ice time with either the Coyotes or Flyers.
Eric Chouinard was in his second brief stint with the Flyers organization at the time of this trade. He played out the remainder of the 2005-06 season in the AHL and left the Coyotes organization to continue his career in Germany the following season.
1/20/06 – Petr Nedved and a 2006 fourth round pick (Joonas Lehtivuori) for Dennis Seidenberg and a 2006 fourth round pick (Tomas Marcinko)(traded to NYI)
Petr Nedved had signed with Phoenix after the lockout. He played just 25 games with the Coyotes before this trade. He’d play 28 games in 2005-06 and 21 in 2006-07 with the Flyers and had a brief stint in the AHL with the Phantoms before he was once again traded to the Edmonton Oilers, where he’d close out the season before retiring from the NHL after 15 seasons.
The Flyers drafted defenseman Joonas Lehtivouri 101st overall in 2006. He’d play two seasons with the Adirondack Phantoms before returning to Europe for the rest of his career.
Dennis Seidenberg was the Flyers’ sixth round pick in 2001. He’d play just shy of one calendar year with the Coyotes, getting traded to the Hurricanes on January 8, 2007.
The trade listed the condition as the Flyers choosing to swap sixth round picks, so the Flyers chose to do so, moving up to 101 to select Lehtivouri, meanwhile the Coyotes get the 115th overall pick. They packaged the 115th overall with their previously acquired 119th overall to the Islanders for pick 88 in 2006 to select defenseman Jonas Ahnelov, who played three seasons with their AHL affiliate before returning to Europe.
3/9/06 – Denis Gauthier for Josh Gratton, 2006 second round pick (Shawn Mattias)(trade to DET) and 2006 second round pick (Cory Emmerton)(traded to DET)
Denis Gauthier was a longtime defenseman with the Calgary Flames but was not brought back after the lockout and ended up with the Coyotes. He played 45 games during the 2005-06 season before this trade. He’d go on to play 60 games for the Flyers and 78 for the Phantoms before he was traded to LA in the 2008 offseason.
Josh Gratton was an undrafted forward who spent two seasons with the Flyers organization, mainly in the AHL. He’d play 64 games for the Coyotes over the following three seasons before he was traded to the Rangers. He’d have a brief return to Philadelphia the following season.
The Coyotes would package both of their 2006 second round picks and send them to Detroit in exchange for the 29th overall pick (Chris Summers) and fifth round pick, 152nd overall (Jordan Bendfeld), both in 2006.
3/4/09 – Daniel Carcillo for Scottie Upshall and 2011 second round pick (Lucas Lessio)
Daniel Carcillo was an enforcer with the Coyotes, racking up a whopping 324 penalty minutes in just 57 games during the 2007-08 season. During his three seasons with the Flyers, he accumulated 414 penalty minutes over 153 games.
Scottie Upshall was a depth forward who spent three seasons with the Flyers. He had developed into a fan favorite and well known partier, and this trade was in part to squash that lifestyle brewing in the Flyers’ locker room. He played two and and a half seasons with the Coyotes before being traded to the Blue Jackets in February of 2011.
The Coyotes drafted forward Lucas Lessio 56th overall in 2011. He spent parts of three seasons with the organization, mainly in the AHL. He would play all across the globe after he was traded to the Canadiens in late 2015 and subsequently not re-signed.
6/7/11 – Ilya Bryzgalov for Matt Clackson, 2012 third round pick (Oskar Sundqvist)(traded to PIT) and 2011 third round pick (Harrison Ruopp)
Ilya Bryzgalov won a Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007 and had four very successful seasons with the Coyotes from 2007 to 2011. The Flyers were in need of a goaltender to keep their dreams of a Stanley Cup alive and decided to acquire his rights and sign him to a massive nine-year, $51 million contract. He played just two of those seasons to a very underwhelming result and was bought out in 2013 with a compliance buyout resulting from the lockout. The Flyers will be paying him $1.6 million a year until 2027.
Matt Clackson was the Flyers seventh round pick in 2005. He played four seasons with the Phantoms but didn’t make the NHL. He did not sign a contract with the Coyotes after the trade and joined the Canucks during free agency.
The Coyotes traded the 2012 third round pick to the Penguins in exchange for defenseman Zybnek Michalek in June of 2012.
They also drafted defenseman Harrison Ruopp 84th overall in 2011. He did not sign with the team and spent his career as an ECHL journeyman.
6/27/15 – Sam Gagner and 2016 fourth round pick (Otto Koivula) for Nick Grossmann and Chris Pronger
Chris Pronger signed a seven-year, $34.5 million extension with the Flyers in July of 2009 that was set to kick in during the 2010-11 season. He was forced into early retirement in November of 2011. Because it was a plus-35 contract, the Flyers had to carry his $4.9 cap hit for the remainder of his deal. It was on the books for three seasons until his total salary (real world dollars) dropped to just $575,000. The high cap hit but little cash value contract worked well for the cheap Coyotes and the last two years of his contract were spent on Arizona’s LTIR.
Sam Gagner was the sixth overall pick in 2007 and spend the first seven years of his career with the Edmonton Oilers. He was traded to Tampa in the 2014 offseason, and was flipped to Arizona later the same day. He played a single season with the Coyotes, scoring 41 points. He would only spend one season with the Flyers as well, which included a demotion to the AHL. He had a career-worst 16 points in 53 NHL games. He was not re-signed and joined the Blue Jackets during the 2016 offseason.
The Flyers traded the 2016 fourth round pick to the Islanders for a 2017 fourth round pick, that would later get traded to the Coyotes.
Defenseman Nick Grossmann played the 2015-16 season with the Coyotes and was not tendered a new contract during the offseason, instead he joined the Calgary Flames.
7/16/17 – Brendan Warren and 2018 fifth round pick (Wyatte Wylie) for Nick Cousins and Merrick Madsen
Warren was the Coyotes’ 81st overall pick in 2015. He was not signed by the either the Coyotes or Flyers.
The Flyers drafted defenseman Wyatte Wylie 127th overall in 2018. He played three seasons with the Phantoms and was not qualified during the 2023 offseason.
Nick Cousins played two seasons with the Coyotes after bouncing around the Flyers’ organization for five seasons. He came into his own in Arizona, but ultimately wasn’t offered a contract during the 2019 offseason and he joined the Montreal Canadiens.
Merrick Madsen was a goaltender the Flyers drafted 162nd overall in 2013. He was not signed by the Flyers or Coyotes and retired shortly after his collegiate career at Harvard came to an end in 2018.
7/24/17 – 2017 second round pick (Isaac Ratcliffe) for 2017 second round pick (Filip Westerlund), 2017 third round pick (Nate Schnarr) and 2017 fourth round pick (Noel Hoefenmayer)
This trade occurred at the 2017 NHL draft when the Flyers traded up nine spots from pick 44 to pick 35.
The Flyers drafted forward Isaac Ratcliffe 35th overall in 2017. He spent four seasons with the Flyers, mainly in the AHL before he was shipped to the Nashville Predators for future considerations in February 2023.
The Coyotes drafted defenseman Filip Westerlund 44th overall in 2017. He never signed with the club.
They also drafted forward Nate Schnarr 75th overall and defenseman Noel Hoefenmayer 108th overall. Neither ever played for the Coyotes.
1/11/19 – Jacob Graves and 2019 sixth round pick (Egor Serdyuk) for Jordan Weal
Chuck Fletcher’s first trade as GM of the Flyers was to deal a Hextall-era favorite Jordan Weal to the Coyotes. He had spent parts of four seasons with the Flyers primarily in a depth role. He suited up for 19 games for the Coyotes to close out the 2018-19 season but scored just two points and wasn’t re-signed in the summer.
Jacob Graves was an ECHL defenseman who played 15 games with the Royals before being traded once again to the Wichita Thunder as part of a “future consideration” from a deal between the two clubs a few months prior.
The Flyers drafted forward Egor Serdyuk 165th overall in 2019. He was not signed by the club.
6/21/19 – 2019 first round pick (Cam York) and 2019 second round pick (Egor Afanasyev) (traded to NSH) for 2019 first round pick (Victor Soderstrom)
This was a trade where the Coyotes moved up three spots from 14th overall to 11th overall. They drafted defenseman Victor Soderstrom with their new pick. He’s played 50 NHL games with the Yotes, with most of his North American ice time coming in the AHL so far.
The Flyers drafted defenseman Cam York 14th overall in 2019 He’s split his professional career between the AHL and NHL as of this writing.
They would package the 2019 second round pick with a 2019 third round pick and drafted forward Bobby Brink 34th overall in 2019.
7/22/21 – Nothing for Shayne Gostisbehere, 2022 second round pick (Artem Duda) and 2022 seventh round pick (Miguel Tourigny)
The Flyers had quite a show during the 2021 offseason. Still in the middle of the flat-cap era thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Flyers had to clear some cap to juggle other main roster changes, and ended up shipping Shayne Gostisbehere and his two remaining years at a $4.5 million cap hit to the Coyotes along with two draft picks in exchange for nothing. Not even the typical “future considerations.”
Shayne Gostisbehere, who was coming off two terrible seasons with the Flyers, had a bit of a renaissance with the Coyotes, scoring 51 points in his first 82 games. He put up 31 points in 52 games during the 2022-23 season before being sent to the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline.
The Coyotes drafted defenseman Artem Duda 36th overall in 2022. He is unsigned by the Coyotes as of this writing.
The Coyotes traded the 2022 seventh round pick to the Canadiens in exchange for a 2021 seventh round pick and they selected Philadelphia native forward Samuel Lipkin second last, 223 overall. The Flyers previously acquired this pick in the trade that sent Erik Gustafsson to Montreal.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
brotherlypuck.com 