Analyzing The Voracek For Atkinson Swap. Did The Flyers Win The Trade?

Photo was taken via a zoom call on Saturday

On Saturday July 24th, the Philadelphia Flyers made a significant trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets that could be considered a franchise altering transaction. General manager Chuck Fletcher traded away long time winger Jakub Voracek to Columbus in exchange for winger Cam Atkinson, who has spent his entire career with the Blue Jackets. The swap served as a change of scenery for the two players who had both respectively played ten seasons for their former clubs. From a Flyers perspective trading away Jakub Voracek was not a surprise as it was rumored from a variety of NHL insiders and confirmed by general manager Fletcher that the club was looking to move on from Voracek if the right opportunity presented itself. Consequently, the trade proved to be one of the biggest for the Flyers in recent memory although Voracek was a polarizing player and not regarded in the highest manner by many in the Flyers fan base. Nevertheless, there is no denying the fact that he was one of the best forwards to ever wear a Flyers uniform. The Czech forward scored 604 points while a member of the Flyers in 727 games which puts him at 15th overall in regards to points scored in the NHL in the last ten seasons (per quanthockey.com). In addition, Voracek was 5th all time in franchise history in assists and 10th all time in team points. One thing cannot be denied and that is Voracek gave his all for the Flyers franchise as he was year in and year out a competitive player who produced a lot of points for this team and created many scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. Through that alone Voracek will be missed as will his contributions to the team and underlying positive impacts his play had on the players around him. 

Despite the wonderful career Voracek had with the Flyers over the last ten years it was appropriate for the franchise to move in a different direction, as GM Fletcher stated earlier this week, “We just can’t keep bringing the same players back year after year and expect different results.” In light of this, it was the right time for the Flyers to trade Voracek and his large cap hit in order to shake up the team’s forward chemistry, the overall energy in the locker room and bring a new leadership voice into the fold in Philadelphia. In particular the Flyers were able to do that by swapping Voracek and his $8.25 million cap hit for forward Cam Atkinson and his $5.875 million cap hit. A key factor in this trade occurring for the Flyers was the team’s ability to not only trade away Voracek and his cap hit but also ensure the player they got back in the deal had a lower cap hit. Therefore resulting in some cap savings for the club as there are other team needs GM Fletcher still needs to address as the off-season progresses. Another important wrinkle to the trade was shaking up the team’s culture because shipping out a player who had been on the team for ten seasons allows for a new identity to be shaped within the Flyers locker room, as well as, on the ice. 

In regards to the on ice ramifications of the trade both the Flyers and Blue Jackets acquired forwards with very different skill sets and analytical tendencies. Cam Atkinson is a player who is very speedy, gives his all on the ice in terms of battling for pucks, has a shoot first mentality, is a two way forward and is an elite penalty killer. Atkinson also exhibits an impressive stat line as in the last 5 years he is second to only Brad Marchand when it comes to short handed goal scoring (per Bill Meltzer, @billmeltzer on twitter), in the last 6 seasons he also ranks 28th league wide in even strength goals (per Bill Meltzer, @billmeltzer on twitter) and, in his last full season played the forward scored an impressive 41 goals (2018-19 season). Analytically speaking Atkinson has average overall numbers with impressive offensive and transitional play while also being a good play-driver and penalty killer as can be seen in the player card graphic listed below (Courtesy of Andy & Rono, @HockeyStatsCZ):

It’s been questioned if Atkinson will be able to replace Voracek’s production as he was tied for the Flyers team lead in points with 43 last season. Regardless of this, even if he isn’t able to exactly replicate Voracek’s production the player ultimately fits better within this roster’s makeup stylistically. The Flyers roster is full of great passers and playmakers and with trading Voracek for Atkinson they’ve effectively moved out a great playmaker in Voracek and have brought in a shoot first sniper in Atkinson, which is something the team has lacked for a plethora of seasons. Subsequently, it should be quite interesting to see how many goals Atkinson will be able to rack up playing alongside elite playmakers and play drivers like Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, and others next season. 

For the Flyers acquiring Atkinson does not come without a price paid and there will indeed be certain benefits the team will miss through Jakub Voracek’s departure. Not only is Voracek an elite playmaker with incredible vision however he is also a good skater. While, his ability to protect the puck within the corners of the offensive zone and cycle down low is something the Flyers will miss this upcoming season, though one could argue there was always a certain lack of decisiveness with the puck in Voracek’s game. Nonetheless, Voracek is a veteran who produces points and any time a team loses a player who is that productive it is not always as easily replaced as initially thought. Additionally, in relation to analytics Voracek has always had near elite offensive numbers and good transition numbers albeit his advanced play-driving metrics have noticeably dropped off over the last few seasons which can be corresponded through the player card graphic listed below (Courtesy of Andy & Rono, @HockeyStatsCZ):

Evidently, the analytics point to Voracek still being an amazing offensive player especially in terms of his playmaking abilities. It should be noted that comparatively Atkinson’s play-driving numbers are much higher than Voracek’s have been the last few seasons and this may be an early indication of Voracek’s overall game beginning to slip as he starts to age. Clearly, this is something being assumed due to the information provided through these analytical statistics but it is not something that can be ignored. It will most certainly be fascinating to see how Voracek’s game continues to progress with age, as well as, Atkinson’s. Accordingly, I do believe that this may have been the perfect time for the Flyers to move on from Voracek.

To summarize, the Flyers swapping Jakub Voracek for Cam Atkinson is a trade that will likely benefit both the Blue Jackets and Flyers, as both players are still effective point producers and have a lot left to give on and off the ice for their new organizations. Voracek’s on ice production will definitely be missed, however, after ten years spent on the Flyers roster it was time for the team to move on. The fact that Chuck Fletcher was able to do so by saving cap dollars all the while bringing in a forward who has a shoot first mentality this team has desperately needed for years on end in Cam Atkinson makes the trade even more satisfying. Atkinson also makes up for any team leadership lost through this trade as he was also an assistant captain in Columbus just as Voracek was throughout his tenure in Philadelphia. With this move now in the rear view mirror it acts as a signifier to the end of an era for the Flyers and the start of new beginnings in the 2021-2022 season ahead.