One Year Later: Evaluating the Flyers' Trade of Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost to Calgary
It’s been exactly a year since the Flyers shook things up by sending Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost to the Calgary Flames. The deal - which brought back Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, and draft picks - was part of a broader effort by GM Danny Brière and President Keith Jones to wrap up the teardown phase of the rebuild and start carving out a new identity for the team.
At the time, the move raised some eyebrows. Farabee, still just 23, was in the third year of a six-year, $30 million deal.
He’d shown flashes of top-six potential and was viewed as one of the more promising pieces from the previous regime. Frost, meanwhile, was a young center - a commodity the Flyers weren’t exactly flush with - and though inconsistent, he had just come off a 46-point season and was trending upward.
But the writing was on the wall. Frost was a pending RFA, and the Flyers didn’t seem sold on committing long-term.
Calgary gave him a two-year, $8.75 million deal after the trade - a significant raise from his $2.1 million salary in Philly. Farabee’s $5 million cap hit through 2028 wasn’t doing the Flyers any favors either.
So Brière made the call: move on from two young but plateauing players, clear cap space, and stockpile more future assets.
What the Flyers Gave Up - and What They Haven’t Missed
Let’s be clear: there was risk in moving on from Farabee and Frost. Farabee had just posted career-best numbers the season before the trade - 22 goals, 28 assists, 50 points - and still had upside.
But in the 50 games leading up to the deal, he managed just 19 points. A change of scenery might’ve sparked something, but it didn’t.
He put up only six points in 31 games to close out the year in Calgary, and while he’s been a bit better this season with 21 points in 54 games, he hasn’t exactly taken off.
Frost’s trajectory followed a similar arc. He had that strong 2022-23 campaign, buoyed by a productive second half, but the next season saw a dip to 41 points.
Before the trade, he had 25 points in 49 games with the Flyers - solid, but not game-changing. After landing in Calgary, he tallied just 12 points in 32 games.
This year, he’s sitting at 27 points through 54 games - respectable, but again, not the kind of production that makes you regret moving on.
Both players were former first-round picks who showed glimpses of promise, but neither had cemented themselves as core pieces. The Flyers bet that their ceilings had been reached - and so far, that bet looks pretty sound.
What the Flyers Got in Return - and What It’s Meant
The return package was a mixed bag, but there were some strategic wins baked in. Kuzmenko had a short but productive stint in Philly - five points in seven games - before being flipped to the Kings at the deadline for a third-rounder in 2027. That’s a tidy bit of asset management: turn a veteran into another future pick while opening up space for younger players.
Pelletier, on the other hand, didn’t stick. He logged just 10:31 of ice time per game, mostly on the fourth line, and finished with eight points in 25 games.
The Flyers chose not to extend a qualifying offer, letting him walk in free agency. Tampa Bay scooped him up, but even with their injury issues, he’s played just two NHL games.
He’s been productive in the AHL - 42 points in 37 games - but the Flyers likely don’t regret letting him go, especially given their organizational depth on the wing.
The most intriguing piece of the deal, though, is the 2025 second-round pick. Philly used it to draft Shane Vansaghi, a 6'2", 216-pound forward who’s currently playing at Michigan State.
His numbers - eight points in 24 games - don’t jump off the page, but he’s 19, has NHL size, and plays a power-forward style that could translate well to the bottom six at the pro level. He’s a long-term project, but there’s potential there.
The Bigger Picture: Where the Flyers Stand Now
The trade also created flexibility - both in terms of cap space and roster spots. That breathing room allowed the Flyers to swing a deal for Trevor Zegras and sign Christian Dvorak in free agency.
Would those moves have happened anyway? Maybe.
But moving on from Farabee and Frost certainly made them easier.
It also opened up more ice time for younger guys like Bobby Brink, who’s been pushing for a regular role. In that sense, the trade wasn’t just about what they got back - it was about what it allowed them to do next.
But here’s the thing: a year later, the Flyers are still stuck in that uncomfortable middle. They came out of the gates strong this season, flirting with a playoff spot for much of the first half.
But a brutal 2-8-3 stretch has them nine points out with 28 games to go. Since beating the Ducks, they’ve been outscored 58-33 over 13 games - a collapse that’s eerily similar to last season’s second-half slide.
At this time last year, they were 23-24-6 and six points out of a playoff spot. Today?
They’re 58 points through 54 games - a better record, but a tougher hill to climb in the standings. And unlike last year, there aren’t many obvious trade chips to flip at the deadline.
Looking Ahead
The Flyers made the Farabee-Frost trade to reset the roster and move toward a new era. And in some ways, that mission was accomplished. They cleared cap space, added future assets, and opened doors for new faces.
But the results haven’t shifted dramatically - at least not yet. The team still finds itself in the mushy middle: not bad enough to tank, not good enough to contend. And with the deadline approaching, the question becomes whether there’s another bold move to be made - or whether the Flyers will ride out the season and hope internal growth changes the narrative.
One year later, the Farabee-Frost deal looks like a smart, if unspectacular, piece of roster management. The real payoff might not come for another year or two. But for now, the Flyers are still looking for that next step - the one that finally pulls them out of the rebuild and into the future.