Early Friday morning, the first trade of the off-season took place. The Washington Capitals traded Matt Niskanen to the Philadelphia Flyers for Radko Gudas.
Less than two days ago the Stanley Cup was awarded and the 2018-2019 season came to a close. Yet, hockey fans awoke to the first major off-season trade while St. Louis was still getting their celebration started on their first Stanley Cup victory. The suitors in the first trade since the hockey season ended – the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers.
The two teams swapped defensemen. Matt Niskanen will be heading to Philadelphia while Radko Gudas will be heading to Washington.
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Niskanen signed with the Capitals as a free agent in 2014 and helped the franchise win its first Stanley Cup championship in 2018. Caps general manager Brian MacLellan went on to explain that the move was motivated by roster flexibility, as the Caps find themselves in a cap crunch almost every season.
According to CapFriendly, Niskanen carries an annual salary of $5,750,000 compared to Gudas’s $3,350,000. The most stunning aspect of the trade was the news that the Flyers will retain 30% of Gudas’s salary.
It might be too quick to react and judge, but all signs point to the Capitals winning this trade. They rid themselves of an expensive older defensive for a much better younger defenseman, while not being on the hook for his entire salary.
Washington got exactly what they wanted, and then some, and fans are left wondering what made Philadelphia agree to this seemingly lopsided deal. A quick comparison of the two players appeared on Twitter that summed it up best:
Gudas (to Caps) is decent defensively and incredibly fond of shooting from the right point. Niskanen is considerably weaker, both offensively and defensively, but shoots the puck better. Doesn't make sense for Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/BP52HrmHBJ
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) June 14, 2019
Even though he was played as a mostly third pairing defenseman on the Flyers, the argument could be made that Radko Gudas was one of their best defensemen. He ended this past season the best plus/minus among all Philadelphia defensemen at +6, routinely playing over 17 minutes a night. He was also awarded the Barry Ashbee Trophy this past year, an award given by the Flyers to their top defenseman every season.
While Niskanen isn’t a bad defenseman, he’s a downgrade from Gudas. Philadelphia fans were quick to take their frustration and anger at the trade to Twitter after the team’s official announcement. This also comes amidst rumors that another Flyers defenseman, Shayne Gostisbehere, could be moved as well.
This is the second trade the Flyers had made in their off-season, previously trading for Kevin Hayes’ UFA rights while the playoffs were still ongoing. After a playoff-less season in the city of brotherly love, the Flyer also made a coaching change giving former Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault the reigns, while hiring former NHL head coaches Michel Therrien and Mike Yeo as assistants. Major changes seem to be coming in Philadelphia, for better or worse.