Posted by RICHARD G. MASON
COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired defenseman Ivan Provorov as part of a three-team trade involving the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a first-round pick, 22nd overall, in the 2023 NHL Draft, and a conditional second-round pick in either the 2024 or 2025 NHL Draft, club general manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today.
The details of the trade are as follows:
Philadelphia trades Ivan Provorov and Hayden Hodgson to Los Angeles in exchange for Cal Peterson, Sean Walker, Helge Grans and the Kings’ 2024 second-round pick. Columbus acquires Kevin Connauton from Philadelphia in exchange for a 2023 first-round pick (22nd overall) and conditional second-round pick in either the 2024 or 2025 NHL Draft. Columbus acquires Provorov from Los Angeles in exchange for Connauton.
Provorov, 26, has registered 65 goals and 152 assists for 217 points with 196 penalty minutes and 11 game-winning goals, including 10-37-47 on the power play, while averaging 24:05 of ice time in 532 career games with the Flyers. He is tied for 17th in goals and 40th in points among all NHL defensemen since the 2016-17 season, which was his first in the league. In 2022-23, he collected 6-21-27 and 24 penalty minutes in 82 contests. He has two years remaining on a six-year, $40.5 million contract he signed with Philadelphia in September 2019.
“Improving our blue line has been a priority for us and acquiring Ivan gives us an established left-shot defenseman who is still a young player with his best seasons in front of him,” said Kekalainen. “He immediately improves our group on defense as he is durable, has great skill, skates well, is an excellent passer with an accurate shot and can effectively play at both ends of the ice.”
The 6-1, 201-pound blueliner was selected by the Flyers in the first round, seventh overall, at the 2015 NHL Draft one pick before the Blue Jackets selected defenseman Zach Werenski with the eighth overall pick. He has collected 30 or more points four times in his seven NHL seasons and has twice scored 13 or more goals. He set career highs for goals, assists (tied) and points with 17-24-41 in 82 games in 2017-18 and notched 13-23-36 in 69 outings in 2019-20. Provorov has played in every one of his team’s games in six seasons, missing just three contests during the 2021-22 campaign. He played 403 consecutive games to begin his career before missing the Jan. 4, 2022 game vs. Anaheim after being placed in COVID-19 protocol.
The Yaroslavl, Russia native has represented his country at several international tournaments, including the IIHF World Junior Championships in 2015 (silver medal) and 2016 (silver medal) as well as IIHF World Championships in 2017 (bronze medal) and 2021 (named Top 3 player on Team Russia).
Provorov moved to the United States at age 13 and played three seasons of AAA hockey with the Wilkes-Barre Knights before spending the 2013-14 campaign with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the United States Hockey League. He then played two seasons with the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings, registering 36-98-134 and 58 penalty minutes in 122 games from 2014-16. He was a two-time WHL East First All-Star Team selection and captured the Bill Hunter Trophy as the league’s top defenseman and CHL Defenseman of the Year award after leading the Wheat Kings to the WHL championship in 2015-16.
‐ CBJ ‐
Full and partial season tickets for the Blue Jackets’ 2023-24 campaign are currently available for purchase. Information on all ticketing options can be obtained by calling (614) 246-3350 or visiting BlueJackets.com/ticketplans.
COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS
