Ryan Ellis of the Predators took care of the Flyers as teams kick off their final shots ahead of the NHL expansion draft

Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher got his man. The mild-mannered executive, rarely known for making big, flashy moves, acquired Ryan Ellis from the Nashville Predators for former No. 2 pick Nolan Patrick and young defenseman Philippe Myers.

It was the biggest move in a wave of deals ahead of Saturday’s expansion plan protection deadline.

Top shooting right-backs are a rarity in the NHL, and the Flyers’ failure to fill the void left by Matt Niskanen’s retirement after 2019-20 has been a major factor in the franchise’s hellish season in 2020-21. Ellis, 30, known for his huge slapshot, is an elite two-way player who will be the Flyers’ best right-handed defenseman since Eric Desjardins first shot two decades ago.

Additionally, Fletcher managed to clean up two disappointments from the Ron Hextall era. Nolan Patrick was considered the top prospect in the 2017 Draft, was seen as a franchise-modifying player as the Flyers, thanks to ping-pong balls, rose to second and New Jersey Division rivals took Nico Hischier in the front row. Patrick, hampered by health concerns and migraine problems, was a disappointment, scoring just 70 points in three seasons. Meanwhile, the three players who succeed him – Miro Heiskanen, Cale Makar and Elias Pettersson – have all become stars.

Nashville returned Patrick to the Las Vegas Golden Knights for the guy who finished sixth in that draft, Cody Glass, the first pick from Vegas.

The 24-year-old Myers, the other part of the trade, is an incredibly athletic 6-foot-5 right-handed defenseman who made Flyers fans salivate after being signed as an undrafted free agent, but his erratic play last season made him drool. made consumable. If Myers can build on his talent, he could give the Predators a nice coin, but his advantage is unlikely to come close to that of Ellis.