After months of speculation, the Philadelphia Flyers have finally moved on from Shayne Gostisbehere this afternoon, trading him to the Arizona Coyotes. The Flyers moved Ghost alongside a second and seventh-round draft pick to open up cap space ahead of free agency.

“This was a difficult decision but one we thought was necessary given the reality of the salary cap,” said Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher. “Shayne has been a quality player for this organization since the moment he arrived in Philadelphia and has been a part of many special moments in his seven seasons as a Flyer.”

By moving Shayne Gostisbehere, the Flyers open $4.5 million in cap space for this season and 2022. Philly was in desperate need of cap relief, reportedly trying to move Jakub Voracek to the Seattle Kraken the last few weeks. The Kraken eventually took Carsen Twarynski from Philadelphia, which left the Flyers in a problematic situation.

Shayne Gostisbehere has been with the Flyers for seven seasons, racking up 219 points and having had 20 points this past season. He led the Flyers’ defense last season with nine goals. During his time with Philadelphia, Ghost Bear was one of the team’s staples and an elite scoring defenseman. Back in 2017, Gostisbehere signed a six-year $27 million extension with the Flyers.

According to Cap Friendly, the Flyers will have over $13 million to spend this offseason after the move. Philly has been aggressive this offseason, acquiring Ryan Ellis and almost trading for Tyler Pitlick from the Kraken before he was moved to the Calgary Flames.

Mandatory Credit: Yong Kim Philadelphia Inquirer