Flyers acquire Kuzmenko, Pelletier, draft picks from Flames for Farabee, Frost

The Philadelphia Flyers acquired forwards Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2028 seventh-round pick from the Calgary Flames in exchange for forwards Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost.

The deal was first reported by Daily Faceoff hockey insider Frank Seravalli.

Kuzmenko has four goals and 11 assists for 15 points in 37 games with the Flames this season. The Russian winger was traded to Calgary last year, along with a first- and fourth-round pick, Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Elias Lindholm.

In 29 games with the Flames in 2023-24, Kuzmenko had 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points, giving him 22 goals and 24 assists for 46 points on the season.

Kuzmenko, who spent eight seasons playing in the KHL and Russian junior hockey season, made the move to North America in 2022-23. In his first NHL season, Kuzmenko scored 39 goals and 35 assists for 74 points, tied with Elias Pettersson for the team lead in goals and fourth in points.

As Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek pointed out, Kuzmenko and Flyers’ forward Matvei Michkov played together in the KHL with St. Petersburg SKA in 2021-22.

As for Pelletier, the 23-year-old winger has four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 23 regular-season games this year. Now in his fourth professional season, the 2019 first-round pick has eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 60 career games.

Pelletier has spent time in the AHL with the Calgary Wranglers, scoring 51 goals and 79 assists for 130 points in 139 games.

Frost, 25, has 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points in 49 games this season with the Flyers. Taken No. 27 overall by Philadelphia in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, he’s scored 50 goals and 85 assists for 135 points in 278 career games.

Meanwhile, Farabee has eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points in 50 games this season. Now in his sixth NHL season, the 24-year-old was taken No. 14 overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He has 90 goals and 111 assists for 201 points in 384 career games.

Farabee was dominant in his one season of college hockey at Boston University, scoring 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 points, leading the team in goals and points.

Going into Thursday night, the Flyers were 23-23-6 with 52 points, sixth in the Metropolitan Division and 12 points outside of a playoff spot.

Meanwhile, the Flames went into the evening with a 24-18-7 record and 55 points, fifth in the Pacific Division and one point back of the Canucks for a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.