The Flyers brought in another defenseman for AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
The club acquired Roman Schmidt in a trade Monday night with the Lightning. In exchange for the 22-year-old blueliner, the Flyers sent Ethan Samson to Tampa Bay.
This is the third deal the Flyers have made for a defenseman this season. They also traded for Maxence Guenette last month and Christian Kyrou toward the end of October.
Schmidt is a 6-foot-5, in-your-face prospect who defends with physicality. He was selected by the Lightning in the third round of the 2021 draft. Over parts of three seasons with Tampa Bay’s AHL affiliate Syracuse, Schmidt recorded three goals, four assists, 117 penalty minutes and a plus-7 rating in 63 games.
He’ll report to the Phantoms.
Samson, also a 22-year-old defenseman, had played 10 games this season for Lehigh Valley after recovering from an upper-body injury. He was an upside pick by Flyers in the sixth round of the 2021 draft.
Over parts of three seasons with the Phantoms, the 6-foot-3 prospect had 40 points (15 goals, 25 assists) and a minus-19 rating in 142 games. While Schmidt is a defensive-minded guy, Samson has more of a scoring mentality. He had been figuring out the balance of offense and defense with Lehigh Valley.
“One of his greatest strengths is his shot,” Phantoms head coach John Snowden said in September. … “He can score when he gets his opportunities.”