Philadelphia Flyers trade Braydon Coburn to Tampa Bay Lightning

By Cory Buck | Mar 2, 2015

Jan 8, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn (5) shoots the puck against the Washington Capitals at Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers defeated the Capitals 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

The Philadelphia Flyers have traded defenseman Braydon Coburn to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Radko Gudas and two draft picks.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are burning the midnight oil to keep up with their fellow playoff teams in the Eastern Conference. The Tampa Bay Times reported around 2AM on Monday’s trade deadline that the team has acquired veteran defenseman Braydon Coburn from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for young defenseman Radko Gudas, a first-round pick and a third-round pick in the 2015 NHL draft.

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In addition to that deal, Tampa GM Steve Yzerman sent budding prospect Brett Connolly to the Boston Bruins in exchange for second-round picks in the 2015 and 2016 drafts. This deal was likely meant to soften the blow of the team losing a first-round pick among others.

However you cut it, Tampa Bay paid a premium price for their guy. Such is the cost of business when you want to acquire a steady veteran defenseman who can bolster your blue line for a run at the Stanley Cup. After the New York Rangers paid a first-round pick and more as compensation for Keith Yandle of the Arizona Coyotes, the market was set high for top-four blue liners.

Coburn is a defensive stalwart who’s averaged more than 20 minutes per game this season and just about every season in his pro career. He has one goal and eight assists so obviously the Lightning didn’t get him for his ability to light the lamp, but Tampa has more goals than any other team in the NHL as of trade deadline day so offense is hardly the concern for a team that sports Steven Stamkos on its second line.

That’s also what made the team’s trade of 22-year-old forward Brett Connolly so easy to make. The Lightning needed to recoup picks they lost in acquiring Coburn and while they weren’t able to replace the quality of a first-round pick, they did replace the quantity of the first and third picks.

The Lightning also included a provision in the trade that would prevent the highly unlikely scenario that the team might miss the playoffs this year and win the draft lottery, picking first overall. If that wacky scenario takes place, Philadelphia will get the first-round pick Tampa Bay acquired from the New York Rangers last season in the Martin St. Louis and Ryan Callahan trade.

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