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Calgary Flames trade Kuzmenko and Pelletier to Philadelphia in multi-player deal

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Jan 31 2025, 2:38 am
Calgary Flames trade Kuzmenko and Pelletier to Philadelphia in multi-player deal
Sergei Belski/USA TODAY Sports

The Calgary Flames are trading Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Many Flames fans were on high alert after Kuzmenko was a late-game scratch tonight versus the Anaheim Ducks. He had taken line rushes today during morning skate and looked like he was set to be in the lineup.

The speculation surrounding Kuzmenko amplified after Pelletier, who was in the lineup to begin tonight’s game, didn’t return for the second period.

Heading back to the Flames is 25-year-old centre Morgan Frost and 24-year-old winger Joel Farabee. The Flyers will also receive a 2025 second-round pick and a 2028 seventh-round pick as part of the deal.

Frost, who is in the final season of a two-year deal with a cap hit of $2.1 million, will be a RFA at seasons end. He’s played in 49 games this season, scoring 11 goals and 25 points.

As for Farabee, he’s in the third year of a six-year contract that carries a $5 million cap hit. The 24-year-old has struggled this season with 19 points through 50 games, but had a career-high 22 goals and 50 points in 2023-24.

Moving on from Kuzmenko comes as no surprise, as the 28-year-old has struggled this season. Pelletier, on the other hand, has done a solid job at rebuilding his value after being placed on waivers before the season began. Since being recalled in December, he’s managed four goals and 11 points in 23 games.

Kuzmenko, who is just two seasons removed from a 39-goal, 74-point season with the Vancouver Canucks, carries a cap hit of $5.5 million and will be an UFA at seasons end. Pelletier is currently on a one-year deal with an $800,000 cap hit. He will be a RFA with arbitration rights this coming offseason.

While it’s disappointing to see a young player like Pelletier get shipped out, this is a very good move from Conroy. He was not only able to add the centreman he’s been after all season long, but also added a young, offensively gifted player in Farabee. This is a trade that should benefit the Flames not only for the remainder of the 2024-25 season but long after.

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