The Philadelphia Flyers have a history of making surprising trades in recent years, although their ambitious moves have not yielded positive results lately.
On July 22, 2021, the Flyers sent Shayne Gostisbehere, along with a second-round pick and a seventh-round pick in 2022, to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for nothing in return. During his time in Arizona, Gostisbehere recorded 82 points in 134 games and later joined the Carolina Hurricanes for a brief playoff stint in 2023. He had a strong 56-point season with the Detroit Red Wings last year before rejoining Carolina this offseason.
In a more recent trade, the Flyers dealt Sean Walker along with a fifth-round pick in 2026 to the Colorado Avalanche in return for Ryan Johansen and a first-round pick in 2025. Walker had a mediocre playoff performance with the Avalanche but, like Gostisbehere, signed with the Hurricanes as a free agent this summer.
Teaming up as a defense pairing for a rival in the Metropolitan Division, Gostisbehere and Walker have quickly become one of the NHL’s top defensive duos based on early statistics. Their expected goals percentage (xG%) stands at an impressive 81.1%, leading all defense pairings with a minimum of 20 minutes played together, according to Moneypuck.
This statistic surpasses notable pairings such as Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek (75.8%), K’Andre Miller and Adam Fox (69.8%), Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard (68.4%), and Thomas Harley and Miro Heiskanen (60.5%).
While these numbers come from just two games, they reflect the foresight of Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky, a former Flyers blogger, and head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Tulsky, in his first season as an NHL general manager, strategically acquired Gostisbehere and Walker, known for their advanced analytical metrics.
Both defensemen excel in puck movement, with Walker being slightly stronger on the defensive end, which aligns perfectly with the Hurricanes’ objectives. It’s likely that Tulsky, who observed their performances during their time in Philadelphia, capitalized on the opportunity to enhance his team with their skills.