Retooling Flyers move veteran center to Oilers

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General manager Chuck Fletcher sold off another piece at Monday's trade deadline, dealing Derick Brassard to the Oilers.

In exchange for the veteran center, the Flyers received a 2023 fourth-round draft pick.

Brassard was a clear-cut candidate to be moved by the retooling Flyers, who have completely shifted their focus to next season. The well-traveled pivot is 34 years old and on an expiring contract for only $825,000.

He had a nice résumé for contending teams looking to add experience in their bottom six for cheap. Brassard can play center or winger and boasts 117 career playoff games on his record.

The Oilers will be the 10th team of his career. Brassard is a pro that can jump into a lineup and perform, having been traded six times.

More: Flyers deal one of their best trade chips to Metropolitan Division team

"Probably he's been sort of hardened by some of that stuff that's gone on throughout his career," Flyers interim head coach Mike Yeo said earlier this month.

Because of a troubling hip injury, Brassard was out of the lineup as much as he was in it during his one season with the Flyers. In 31 games, he put up six goals, 10 assists and a plus-6 rating. The injury forced Brassard to miss 31 games. He had returned three times from the injury only to come back out of the lineup the very next game.

"I take a lot of pride in staying healthy," Brassard said in early February. "I've played a lot of hockey, too, in the last five to seven years, some long seasons, especially in the playoffs. Missing two months there for, I call that like a small injury, you just can't really do anything about it — there's a lot of frustration."

Brassard has recently stayed healthy — which was critical to the Flyers' chances of moving him — and played well. Since returning Feb. 26 for a fourth time, Brassard put up two goals, three assists, a plus-1 mark, 20 shots and a 54.9 faceoff win percentage in the Flyers' final 11 games before the deadline.

More: Reminder of disappointment as Flyers forced to sell at second straight deadline

With Edmonton, Brassard will look to make another postseason run. He lost the 2014 Stanley Cup Final with the Rangers and has lost in the Eastern Conference Final three times — twice in a Game 7 and once in a Game 6.

"That's what we play for; I came really close three times I think in my career," Brassard said earlier this month. "It's really hard, just to even make the playoffs, everything has to click. With the salary cap now, it's a really long season, you're hoping for your team to stay healthy for a playoff run. Everything has to click."

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