One of the more surprising trades in recent NHL memory went down on Monday night during Philadelphia's home game with Pittsburgh. The Flyers traded prospect Cutter Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenceman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick. Frank Seravalli would report minutes later that Gauthier had told the team he wouldn't be playing with the Flyers, so they were handcuffed in what they could do with him. A trade was inevitable, and this is what we got.

Let's break it down.

What Philadelphia Gets

Drysdale is a right-handed blue liner who was drafted sixth overall since 2020. It isn’t fun to say but what he's most known for at the NHL level right now is his injury history. He suffered a torn labrum early in the 2022-23 season and missed 74 games. He was healthy heading into the 2023-24 season but played just two games before injury hit again. He missed two months and has played just 10 games this campaign. Following a full 2021-22 season where he missed just one game, he has missed 103 of a possible 121 regular season games over the last season and a half. He doesn't turn 22 years old until the spring so this is an ominous start at such a young age. He needs to stay healthy, first and foremost.

Assuming he's healthy, it is hard to know exactly what to make of him as an NHLer right now. Games played are limited and his only full season was as a teenager. His Dobber Prospects profile tabs him as a top-pair guy who can run a power play, and that's the same feeling I have with his upside. He has yet to show that high-end power play upside, however, as over the last three seasons, Anaheim had its worst power play results with him running the power play when compared to John Klingberg, Cam Fowler, and Kevin Shattenkirk. His play-driving numbers, per Evolving Hockey, were poor in that 2021-22 season, even compared to the other Ducks defencemen.

With all that said, Drysdale's four seasons have produced 1.11 points/60 is in the 65^th percentile of regular blue liners (min. 2000 minutes), and that's a high-end second-pair blue liner. There have been flashes of his offensive upside and he goes to a Flyers team that is very good at 5-on-5, but needs a power play quarterback. He may not slide into the top PP role right away, but it shouldn’t be long before he assumes it. We will see what happens with Travis Sanheim – he's their top right-shot defenceman and is having a very good season – but Drysdale may not get top-pair minutes right away. They could move Sanheim to the left side but we'll cross that bridge when it comes.

Drysdale has a lot of upside but we've only seen flashes. Playing on very bad Ducks rosters and missing a lot of time due to injury has made projecting his future difficult but considering the depth the Flyers have up front, and Matvei Michkov on the way in a couple years, Drysdale is a big addition to their future, and he could be a top-50 fantasy blue liner for the balance of 2023-24.

This likely puts an end to any top PP minutes Rasmus Ristolainen has received, and is likely to reduce Sean Walker's role as well.

What Anaheim Gets

This makes sense from Anaheim's perspective. They have Cam Fowler and Radko Gudas signed for two more seasons after this one, Urho Vaakanainen has shown promise on the third pair, Jackson Lacombe has been on the roster all season, and both Olen Zellweger and Tristan Luneau are burgeoning prospects in their own right (the former more than the latter). Their blue line is somewhat full, and trading Drysdale for a high-end forward prospect helps de-clutter the blue line and add to their young forward depth.

Gauthier just finished the World Junior Championship with Team USA where they won the gold, partly thanks to Gauthier's 12 points in seven games. There are questions whether Gauthier is a potential centre or (more likely) a winger, but it gives them more options up front for 2024-25 and beyond. His Dobber profile is effusive of his two-way play, and that's something that gets overlooked when compared to his offensive skills. He has a very high ceiling, but prospects are prospects until they prove themselves at the NHL level.

If Gauthier does end up a left winger, it helps bolster a weakness on Anaheim's roster. Trevor Zegras is a center, as are Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish, and Troy Terry plays the right side. Zegras has been playing more on the wing, though, and with Carlsson and McTavish looking as good as they have, the team is now one winger away from a pretty good, albeit young, top-6 forward mix. It bodes well for the team, but it's a concern for Gauthier's fantasy value. All those players are going to be around for a few years, at least, and there are only so many spots on the top power play when they're all on the team. That is a concern for next season, and it's reminiscent of what's happening with Dylan Cozens in Buffalo; a great offensive option is left off the top power play because veteran stars and other high-end young players have moved ahead of him. Something to keep in mind before assuming Gauthier is going to be an immediate offensive force in fantasy leagues.

Who This Helps

Pavel Mintyukov

Cam Fowler

Bobby Brink

Tyson Foerster

Who This Hurts

Rasmus Ristolainen

Max Jones

Sean Walker