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Trades: Flyers get Ryan Ellis, Predators get Cody Glass, Golden Knights get Nolan Patrick

Ryan Ellis

NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 8: Ryan Ellis #4 of the Nashville Predators skates against the Carolina Hurricanes at Bridgestone Arena on May 8, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHLI via Getty Images

NHL teams were scrambling to make moves before the expansion draft roster freeze kicked in at 3 p.m. ET. on Saturday, and the Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Vegas Golden Knights combined for a doozy of a trade.

Here is how it breaks down:

Philadelphia Flyers get: Ryan Ellis
Nashville Predators get: Cody Glass and Philippe Myers
Vegas Golden Knights get: Nolan Patrick

They ended up in those spots with Philadelphia sending Patrick and Myers to Nashville for Ellis, and then Nashville turning around and flipping Patrick to Vegas for Glass.

The Flyers get their defensive upgrade

It has been pretty obvious for a while now that the Flyers wanted to make a significant upgrade to their defense, and Ellis certainly addresses that need. He should instantly become their top defender and is signed for six more years at a salary cap number of $6.25 million.

Trading Patrick also clears up some expansion draft decision making among the team’s forwards.

The No. 2 overall pick from 2016 has not developed as hoped and would have been eligible to be taken by Seattle in the expansion draft. Trading him removes him from the decision and could open a spot for James van Riemsdyk to potentially be protected if the Flyers choose.

More changes for the Predators

It is becoming clear that the Predators are going to look very, very different next season.

Pekka Rinne has retired.

Viktor Arvidsson was traded for draft picks.

Now Ellis, a longtime staple on their defense, has been traded for what amounts to Myers and Cody Glass.

All of that has saved them over $10 million in salary cap space and brought back a couple of young players with intriguing futures. Glass is especially intriguing because he has shown flashes of being a very good player with the Golden Knights but has not really had a huge opportunity.

Golden Knights take a chance

If the Golden Knights have one major weakness it has been with their depth down the middle at center. Once you get beyond William Karlsson there is a significant drop off, and it is definitely something that needs to be addressed if they are going to get over the hump and win the Stanley Cup.

Can Patrick help make that happen?

Given what we have seen from him so far in his career, probably not. But he is still only 22 years old and has the talent that made him a No. 2 overall pick in the draft. His development was derailed for a full season due to health issues in 2019-20, and his return to the ice this past season did not produce great results.

It is a gamble, especially when the price is Glass, a player that might still have equal (or more) potential.