Best Flyers Trades Since 1990 #7: The Wildest Trade Tree You’ve Ever Seen
Fans of the Philadelphia Flyers will still bring up losing Patrick Sharp, Justin Williams, or Sergei Bobrovsky before their prime NHL seasons. However, the conversations don’t include the best trades in Flyers history often enough.
The Flyers haven’t won a Stanley Cup in half a century. However, their competitive history in the top tier of the NHL has required some savvy moves.
You know plenty about the worst, but what are the best trades the Flyers have made since 1990?
- #8 Landing Chris Pronger
- #7 The Wildest Trade Tree You’ve Ever Seen
- #6 Ron Hextall’s Savviest Set of Moves
- #5 Rod “The Bod” Brind’Amour
- #4 A Polarizing Pair Of Moves: Jeff Carter, Mike Richards Dealt In Summer Stunners
- #3 Back With A Vengeance: Scott Hartnell, Kimmo Timonen Trades
- #2 The Eric Lindros Trade: The Biggest Blockbuster in NHL History?
- #1 Mark Recchi Moved For 2 All-Time Flyers
The Wildest Flyers Trade Tree You’ve Ever Seen
July 2, 2001
Flyers Get: 2nd-Round Pick in 2002 (sent to Tampa Bay Lightning), 1st-Round Pick in 2003 (Jeff Carter)
Phoenix Coyotes Get: Daymond Langkow
The Flyers decided Daymond Langkow had run his course in Philadelphia by the end of the 2000-01 season.
The veteran second-line center scored 41 goals and added 86 assists in 209 games with the Flyers. His solid offensive output commanded a first-round pick and a second-round pick from the Phoenix Coyotes, and Langkow actually exceeded his averages with the Flyers in 10 additional NHL seasons after the trade.
Why did the deal make the list of best Flyers trades then? The resulting trade tree had an outrageous trickle effect on the franchise that will last through the end of Sean Couturier’s tenure.
Ripple Effect on Flyers History
Phoenix’s first-round pick in 2003 turned into Jeff Carter. The young sniper reached stardom but wore out his welcome in Philadelphia in time to bring Jakub Voracek and the draft picks that turned into Nick Cousins and Couturier back to the Flyers.
Voracek, even after 10 seasons with the Flyers, brought Cam Atkinson back in a 2021 offseason deal.
Phoenix’s second-round pick changed hands before the Flyers selected, but it ultimately led them to acquire top prospect Joni Pitkanen.
Paul Holmgren later dealt Pitkanen for Joffrey Lupul and Jason Smith to load up for a run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2008. Lupul became a key part of the Chris Pronger trade just over a year later.
Retrace your steps and look back at the names on the Daymond Langkow trade tree.
Jeff Carter, Joffrey Lupul, Jason Smith, Chris Pronger, Jakub Voracek, Sean Couturier, and Cam Atkinson made their fair share of contributions to the organization.
The respective seven players combined for 1721 points in 2483 regular-season games in orange and black. Add 103 points in 197 playoffs games.
Three of them became captains. Two of them skated for the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final. Two others scored epic playoff overtime game-winners. The unlikely assortment of NHL players combined to win the Bobby Clarke Trophy as the franchise MVP seven times.
Would any of it have been possible without the Daymond Langkow trade?
