A trade between Philadelphia Flyers and Arizona Coyotes has been confirmed.

Trade Details
Arizona Coyotes Acquire: Nick Cousins · $1,000,000$1,000,000$950,000 Merrick Madsen · $0$0$0 (AHL/JR) (Signing Rights) Sum: $1,000,000$1,000,000$950,000 Change: +$1,000,000 Change: +$1,000,000 Change: +$950,000	Philadelphia Flyers Acquire: Brendan Warren · $0$0$0 (Signing Rights) 2018 5th round pick (ARI - #127 - Wyatte Wylie) Sum: $0$0$0 Change: -$1,000,000 Change: -$1,000,000 Change: $0

BLOCKBUSTER

jokes aside, a pretty minor move. Gives the Coyotes a C that a) qualifies for the expansion draft and b) is somebody they're interested in having around next year, should he not be taken in the expansion draft. Doesn't seem like they're interested in keeping Peter Holland or Josh Jooris around, so Cousins it is. Merrick Madsen also helps shore up their goaltending pipeline; he's been pretty good the last couple of years for Harvard, in the ECAC, with a .931 in 29 GP season before last and a .923 in 36 GP this past season. It seems, according to Elliotte Friedman, that the Flyers weren't necessarily interested in signing Madsen; understandable, given the insane depth the Flyers have in goal.

Brendan Warren has been... unspectacular while at Michigan; 5 G, 17 P in 38 GP and 3 G, 10 P in 35 GP doesn't really inspire much confidence. My guess is the Coyotes wanted Cousins and were really interested in Madsen, and the Flyers were like, "yeah, you can have these players. just give us somebody so it doesn't look like we're just giving assets away for free."

So crap for crap.. way to one up Montreal/Tampa.. (sarcasm)..

Some my guess is Arizona sent some guy into the Philadelphia front office, put a gun to Hextall's head and said "give us your youth for free!"

Madsen was never going to crack the Flyers' lineup; Anthony Stolarz, Alex Lyon, Carter Hart, AND Felix Sandström were ahead of him on the depth chart. And Cousins wasn't exactly a priority for the Flyers to keep, either. They've already got a logjam at forward. They were two assets the Flyers didn't find particularly useful; I don't think they're going to miss either player all that much in the grand scheme of things.
I think John Chayka got what he wanted out of this deal, and Ron Hextall didn't lose much of anything overly valuable.

Still the Flyers could have gotten more.

I'm not sure they could. Would anyone give a 3rd for Cousins? No. Madsen was a 6th round pick and they got a 5th. It's basically a 3rd for a 3rd and a 6th for a 5th. Seems pretty fair. I like Cousins though I wish it would have been Laughton instead