Flyers trade Shayne Gostisbehere, two draft picks to Coyotes

Shayne Gostisbehere Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Flyers trade defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, two draft picks to Coyotes

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 7/22/21

The Philadelphia Flyers traded defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and two draft picks to the Arizona Coyotes and received "future considerations" in return, the team announced Thursday.

"This was a difficult decision but one we thought was necessary given the reality of the salary cap," Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in a statement. "Shayne has been a quality player for this organization since the moment he arrived in Philadelphia and has been a part of many special moments in his seven seasons as a Flyer."

TRADE ALERT: We have traded defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, a second round pick in 2022 and a seventh round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft to the @ArizonaCoyotes. https://t.co/rYazFRoris
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) July 22, 2021

Gostisbehere, once considered a top-tier offensive defenseman in the NHL, saw his production dip over the last three seasons. The 28-year-old tallied nine goals and 11 assists in 41 games last season after notching a career-high 65 points during the 2017-18 campaign.

Gostisbehere's struggles got to the point where he was a healthy scratch under Alain Vigneault several times and was even waived in March.

The Flyers' acquisition of Ryan Ellis from the Nashville Predators last week and the development of Cam York left no room for Gostisbehere in Philadelphia.

The Florida native has a $4.5 million cap hit for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. He'll become an unrestricted free agent after the 2022-23 campaign.

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