By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor
Two days after the completion of Claude Giroux’s 1,000th game with the Flyers, the trade that many felt was coming has been completed.
The Flyers have traded Giroux, forwards Connor Bunnaman and German Rubtsov, and a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Florida Panthers for forward Owen Tippett, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick. The Flyers are also retaining half of Giroux’s salary.
Giroux finished with 1,000 games and 900 points in his Flyers career over the course of 15 seasons. Giroux scored 18 goals and 42 points in 57 games with the Flyers this season.
Bunnaman, 23, has one goal and three points in 54 career NHL games. In 41 games this season in the AHL, Bunnaman has six goals and five assists. Bunnaman was the team’s fourth-round pick at 109th overall in 2016.
Rubtsov, 23, was the Flyers first-round pick at 22nd overall in 2016. He scored two goals and four assists in 37 games with the Phantoms this season. He played in four NHL games in the 2019-20 season, but never stuck at that level.
Tippett, 23, was the Panthers first-round pick in 2017 at 10th overall. The 6’1”, 207-pound winger scored six goals and 14 points in 42 games with Florida this season and had six goals and 18 points in 12 games with AHL Charlotte.
The NHL trade deadline is on Monday at 3 p.m. and the Flyers do have other players that could be moved. Justin Braun, Derick Brassard, and Martin Jones are all names that could be on the move in the coming days.