Flyers Trade with Flames Leads to Exciting Reunion of Russian Teammates
The Calgary Flames traded Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier as well as a 2025 second-round pick and a 2028 seventh-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost. The late-night deal was first reported by Frank Seravalli, NHL Insider for Daily Faceoff, on Thursday evening. It took a while for all the details to come out, but it was officially confirmed around midnight EST on Friday. The 25-18-7 Flames are trying to keep their playoff hopes alive while the 23-24-6 Flyers are preparing for the future.
Offensive-Minded Kuzmenko Relied on Power Play for Success
The Russian forward had been playing for the Flames for less than a full calendar year; the Vancouver Canucks traded him to their divisional rival on January 31st, 2024, in anticipation of their playoff push. He played very well towards the end of last season, scoring 14 goals to go along with his 25 points in 29 games. This season hasn’t seen the same success for Marchenko, unfortunately. The soon-to-be 29-year-old has only found the back of the net four times and earned 11 assists through 37 games. He’s mainly been used as a power-play specialist this year since six of his 15 points have been on that unit. His 2:20 average power-play time on ice was sixth among all skaters on the team, showing how coach Ryan Huska preferred to use him. On five-on-five, his average time on ice took a drastic dip, ranking 16th among all skaters who played at least 25 games for Calgary and third least for all forwards.
Frost and Farabee Hope to Breakout in C-Town
Frost is a key acquisition for the Flames, who are seeking their first playoff berth since 2022. The Aurora, Ontario native will be a restricted free agent this offseason and looks to serve well on an aging team that has five of their top-seven points leaders at age 31 or older. Frost has 25 points in 48 games, which would tie him with MacKenzie Weegar for fourth on the Flames. On the other hand, Farabee has been dreadfully inconsistent. After posting career-highs with 22 goals and 50 points in 2023-24, he’s scored just eight times with 19 points in 49 games this season. After all’s said and done, these forwards will surely benefit from a change of scenery, going from the third-worst team in the Eastern Conference to a team holding a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
Flyers Keep Michkov Happy, Clear Cap Space to Continue Rebuild
Before the announcement of the draft picks involved, the trade seemed fairly even for both sides. With all the details announced now, the Flyers might have the edge even though they’re in a worse spot in the standings. First, they got out from under a bad Farabee contract instead of being stuck with it for another three seasons. His five million-per-year deal is a big gamble for the Flames, but they’re hoping to maximize his potential. Also, adding Kuzmenko to the team is important because he waived his no-trade clause to reunite with Matvei Michkov. The outstanding rookie played for KHL St. Petersburg with Kuzmenko during the 2021-22 season. By satisfying their budding superstar and acquiring draft picks while freeing up cap room, general manager Daniel Briere is taking a big step forward for the future of this franchise.
