Flyers trade Ellis to Sharks for Grundstrom, Guryev and 2026 pick

The Philadelphia Flyers traded defenseman Ryan Ellis and a conditional 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the San Jose Sharks on Sunday in exchange for forward Carl Grundström and defenseman Artem Guryev, the teams announced. The move clears long-term salary from the Flyers’ books and gives San Jose a draft asset while taking on the remainder of Ellis’s contract.

Ellis, 34, has not played since November 2021 after suffering a pelvis injury that has kept him off the ice and is widely regarded as career-threatening. He has two seasons remaining on an eight-year, $50 million contract that carries a $6.25 million annual cap hit through 2027. The Sharks are expected to place Ellis on long-term injured reserve, which would allow them to manage their salary-cap situation while holding his contract. The conditional pick going to San Jose will be the earlier of two sixth-round selections the Flyers hold in 2026, their own pick or one they acquired from Columbus.

For Philadelphia, the principal benefit of the trade is cap relief and roster flexibility. The Flyers now have more than $7 million in projected cap space before any further moves and can reduce that number further by assigning...