(Kate Frese/Sports Talk Philly)
Much like his first trade deadline as Flyers GM, Ron Hextall has completed a trade sending a defenseman to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
This time, it's Mark Streit. The veteran puck-mover has been sent to the Lightning, for Valtteri Filppula, a fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-rounder in this year's draft.
Full deal: #Flyers get Filppula, 4th round pick and conditional 7th for Streit. PHI also eating a portion of Streit's salary.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 1, 2017
In 59 games with the Bolts this season, Filppula has seven goals and 34 points. The 12-year veteran found steady time on their third line this season (along with recently-traded Brian Boyle), though his production has tailed off from his days with the Detroit Red Wings.
Streit, 39, has five goals and 21 points in 49 games with the Orange and Black this season. Injuries — most notably a pubic plate detachment that helped slow down his 2015-16 campaign — have been his biggest drawback during his time with the Flyers. When healthy, Streit's been a steady presence in the Flyers' lineup, and a decent contributor on the power play. Additionally, he was one of the team's alternate captains (along with Wayne Simmonds), so there's a new opening.
Filppula has two years remaining on a five-year, $25 million deal signed in 2013, and it's been speculated the Lightning were considering buying him out at season's end. His $5 million cap hit is a small upgrade from Streit's $5.25 million cap hit — though the Flyers will retain some of Streit's salary, as per TSN's Darren Dreger.
Depending on how conditional picks work out — in addition to this deal, the Flyers have a conditional seventh-rounder from the deal that sent Petr Straka to New Jersey in November — the Flyers could have 12 choices in this year's Draft.
The move is the Flyers' second of the day, after the team re-signed Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Michal Neuvirth to contract extensions.
