Philadelphia Flyers’ Sergey Bobrovsky trade is worst in NHL history – Hockey Writer – Flyers History

NHL teams have been trading for more than a century now. Therefore, the title of “worst” in league history is difficult to obtain. But the double whammy of the Philadelphia Flyers’ Sergei Bobrovsky trade might just be the icing on the cake.

On June 22, 2012, the Flyers traded Bobrovsky to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a 2012 second-round pick (Anthony Stolarz), a 2012 fourth-round pick (Tyler Lehr) and a 2013 fourth-round pick (trade). What made this deal such a disaster?

Who is Bobrovsky? Why did the Flyers trade him?

Long ago, Bobrovsky was an undrafted free agent, and the Flyers took a chance. He performed well in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) between the ages of 20 and 21, posting a .923 save percentage and 2.62 goals-against average despite a 15-38-5 record.

Although the Flyers reached the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, their biggest weakness was goaltending. According to Michael Leighton, a third-string player, they need to upgrade in the final two rounds of the playoffs. Bobrovsky played 54 games in 2010-11 for the dominant Flyers (third in the NHL standings), and he certainly lived up to that expectation.

As a rookie, Bobrovsky posted a .915 save percentage, 2.59 goals-against average and a 28-13-8 record in Philadelphia. That’s a remarkable number for someone his age — and a sign of future stardom. However, a disappointing playoff run cost him his starting job in the first round, causing the team to reconsider things.

During the Cup window, the Flyers felt like they didn’t have time to deal with the ups and downs of their young goalie. So they offered a contract to the best guy on the market: Ilya Bryzgalov. Signing a nine-year, $51 million contract, Bobrovsky’s fate was sealed. Not wanting to be a backup for nine years, he quickly requested a trade.

Bobrovsky Trade: Harmful and Insulting

This is where things get ugly for the Flyers. In the 2011-12 season, Bryzgalov was tied with Bobrovsky, but the player worth $51 million made 57 starts. He has a .909 save percentage, a 2.48 goals-against average and a 33-16-7 record. The postseason was pretty dismal, with a save percentage of .887 in 11 games, but Philadelphia was committed to developing the highly paid veteran. Bobrovsky was traded to Columbus over the summer.

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The Flyers team has never been the same since then — and neither has the goaltending. Bobrovsky won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top netminder in 2012-13, posting a .932 save percentage in 38 games during the shortened season. Bryzgalov, meanwhile, played 40 games and posted a .900 save percentage, causing Philadelphia to miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2006-07 season. The remaining seven years of his contract were bought out on June 25, 2013.

Let’s go all the way to now. Bobrovsky has two Vezina Trophies and two Stanley Cups. He may be 37 years old, but he is far from “clean”. In fact, he won titles at ages 35 and 36, and he’s the first goaltender to do so in 2025-26.

Then, you have the flyers. Before the Bobrovsky trade, they were one of the league’s model teams: reaching the Stanley Cup Finals eight times in 44 seasons and missing the playoffs only eight times. But since leaving the future Hall of Famer, they’ve missed the playoffs nine times in 13 seasons and managed just one series victory. Philadelphia has not hosted a second-round playoff game since the move.

Even 13 years later, the Flyers are still feeling the double whammy of it all. First, Bobrovsky is competing for his third consecutive championship ring with the Florida Panthers. Second, Bryzgalov is still receiving a check from Philadelphia prohibiting him from playing for their team — the buyout penalty will last until 2027. Finally, last season, the Flyers had the worst save percentage among NHL teams through 21 games.^Yingshi Century: .879, according to QuantHockey.

The Bobrovsky trade is the worst in league history because it marked the downfall of a once-great franchise. Young stars Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone could help bring the team back to its glory days, but for now, the decision still haunts the Flyers.