The Philadelphia Flyers have traded veteran defenseman Mark Streit to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for center Valtteri Filppula, Tampa's 2017 fourth-round pick and a conditional 2017 seventh-round pick. Tampa Bay subsequently traded Streit to Pittsburgh for a 2018 fourth round pick.
Streit, an assistant captain with the Flyers, is an unrestricted free agent this summer. Filppula, who turns 33 on March 20, has one season to run on a contract that carries a $5 million cap hit. His offensive numbers have been in decline the last few seasons but he's a solid two-way player and decent playmaker who had 23-goal, 66-point (with Detroit in 2013-14) and 25-goal, 58-point (with Tampa in 2013-14) seasons to his credit. This season, largely in a third-line role, he has posted seven goals and 34 points in 59 games.
Philadelphia was primarily looking for upgrades at forward. The Streit trade at least temporarily restores Michael Del Zotto as a full-time starting defenseman and, in the longer term, can open a spot for one of the prospects in the system to win.
Streit, unfailingly professional and analytical, will be missed. Two seasons ago, he led all NHL defensemen in power play points and ranked in the top 10 in total points. He was derailed by a serious injury last season and played better this season prior to a shoulder injury.
Earlier today, the team announced that has opted to sign goaltender Michal Neuvirth to a two-year contract extension at a reported $2.5 million cap hit. The injury-prone but athletically gifted 28-year-old Neuvirth had a stellar season when healthy a year ago but has been a disappointment this season even when healthy.
This season, Neuvirth ranks dead last in save percentage among all NHL goaltenders who have played at least 15 games, which put him in discounted contract territory. He has shown himself in the past to be capable of going on extended runs of stellar play.
Erstwhile Flyers starting goaltender Steve Mason, has also experienced his most inconsistent year since joining the Flyers at the 2013 trade deadline but put three solid seasons in a row together before this year, remains a potential unrestricted free agent.
Additionally, the Flyers signed fourth-line center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare to a two-year extension. The deal will carry a $1.45 million per year cap hit. Bellemare still remains a potential exposure candidate to the NHL Expansion Draft but his age and now somewhat inflated cap hit (along with his age) could be a deterrent to Las Vegas if he is exposed to the draft.
Bellemare, who turns 32 on March 6, does not offer much offense at the NHL level. However, he consistently hustles, is a good skater, a tenacious checker and a solid penalty killer who takes pride in his role. As a team, the Flyers perhaps have too many fourth-line types in the lineup but Bellemare in and of himself is one of the better ones even if he doesn't chip in many points.