Minutes prior to football Sunday and the Eagles getting underway, news broke that a Philadelphia Flyers ‘legend’ was traded. Ryan Ellis, yes, the same Ryan Ellis who played just four games for the Flyers in the last four years, was dealt to the San Jose Sharks. Did the Flyers give us an indication that this trade was going to happen?
Ellis last suited up on November 13, 2021. He arrived in Philadelphia as part of a three-team trade – probably the worst three-team trade in NHL history – which sent Nolan Patrick to Vegas and Cody Glass and Philippe Myers to Nashville.
Here’s how the trade turned out for each club:
Ellis in Philadelphia: 4 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 P
Patrick in Vegas: 25 GP, 2 G, 5 A, 7 P
Glass in Nashville: 121 GP, 20 G, 29 A, 49 P
Myers in Nashville: 27 GP, 1 G, 3 A, 4 P
I know, impressive right.
“His first of many as a Flyer”
Ellis had two years left on his contract with a cap hit of $6.25 million. The Sharks took Ellis’ full contract and acquired a 2026 sixth-round pick out of the deal too. Philadelphia’s 2026 draft board is slim at the moment. They have one first-round, one second-round, one third-round, one sixth-round, and one seventh-round pick after having nine selections in 2025.
The 34-year-old defenseman has dealt with an ongoing injury regarding a torn psoas muscle in his back that also effects his hips and core. He’s been rehabbing but it’s safe to say Ellis’ career is over. It’s unfortunate. Ellis was a key member of the Predators’ elite defensive unit working alongside Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, and P.K. Subban. Ellis had his career years between 2015-2020 averaging 36.2 points per season and helped the Predators reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2017.
Ellis now joins Carey Price in San Jose for what it’s worth as the rebuilding Sharks picked up a draft pick and get closer to the cap floor.
Heading to Philadelphia are forward Carl Grundstrom and defenseman Artem Guryev.
Grundström, 27, had three goals and nine points in 56 games last season. The 57th overall pick in 2016 spent six years with the Kings prior to the Sharks with the 2022-23 season being his best year scoring 12 goals and 19 points. Grundström has 76 points in 292 NHL games. The Flyers placed Grundström on waivers, so if no team claims him and his $1.8 million contract, he’ll go to Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia will only be on the hook for $650,000 against the cap.
Guryev, 22, played 47 games in the ECHL with the Wichita Thunder and had five points. He was second in penalty minutes with 81 when playing for the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, in 2023-24. The 6-foot-4, 215lb listed blue liner will report to Lehigh Valley.
When all is said and done, this was a salary move. The Flyers now have $7,240,238 in cap space, per PuckPedia.
