The Philadelphia Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers] are impressively continuing to find ways to turn water into wine with what has been a rather quiet NHL trade market thus far. On Monday, the Flyers traded veteran defenseman Dennis Gilbert [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/trade-flyers-senators-swap-defenseman] to the Ottawa Senators for unsigned prospect Maxence Guenette, which was yet another example of a rebuilding team doing exactly what they should be doing. But, what does that mean? Gilbert, 29, is a career tweener and journeyman who has played a total of just 111 NHL games across seven seasons. He finished training camp well behind Flyers teammates Noah Juulsen, Egor Zamula, and Adam Ginning, and, while Emil Andrae [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/latest-flyers-roster-move-shows-team-still-stuck-in-old-ways] failed to make the cut initially for whatever reason, he, too, bypassed Gilbert with time. Gilbert played four games for the Senators last season, so he returns to a team that has a use for him and knows what he can bring. At 29, the former third-round pick is what he is, and the competition the Flyers felt they needed to bring with Gilbert's signing in free agency no longer exists. On the other side of the fence, the Flyers got five years younger with Guenette, 24, a former seventh-round pick with eight games of NHL experience and 236 games of AHL experience. Flyers Star's Olympic Chances Just Received a Major Boost [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/53ee1330-9764-477e-9b3f-b90888531f4d.jpeg] Flyers Star's Olympic Chances Just Received a Major Boost With Jack Hughes injured, Philadelphia Flyers star Trevor Zegras can seize a golden opportunity to make Team USA's roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-star-s-olympic-chances-just-received-a-major-boost] Guenette is on the older side for a prospect, but he has at least shown some promise in the past. In the 2022-23 season, the 6-foot-2 blueliner racked up five goals, 35 assists, and 40 points in 72 games with the Belleville Senators. With Andrae presumably staying up with the Flyers for the foreseeable future, Guenette can and should help bring further offense to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms' back end. This is not the first time the Flyers have made a move like this, either. On Oct. 29, the Flyers traded Samu Tuomaala [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/trade-flyers-acquire-intriguing-prospect-defender-from-stars] to Dallas for defenseman Christian Kyrou, who, like Guenette, is a right-shot defender. Kyrou, 22, has already managed a goal, eight assists, and nine points in seven games with the Phantoms and is pacing well to smash his career-high [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-new-prospect-is-dominating-in-ahl] of 23 points in 57 games, set back in the 2023-24 season with the Texas Stars. How Guenette fits in the Phantoms' lineup remains unclear; the Flyers added Kyrou, still have Helge Grans, and just got Ethan Samson back from injury. Oliver Bonk could soon return from an injury of his own [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-latest-injury-updates-on-ristolainen-bonk], which makes four right-shots for three lineup spots. It would be unrealistic to expect Bonk to come back and hop right into contention for an NHL roster spot, but anything is possible. At the end of the day, though, even if the Flyers turned nothing into nothing, they got a younger player in Guenette, provided he clears waivers, who has an outside chance of growing beyond his previous circumstances. That's a smart play from GM Danny Briere and Co., regardless of the outcome.
