News broke early on Monday about Scott Hartnell being traded
to the Columbus Blue Jackets. I will wait a moment for that to set in. That’s
right, everyone knew the Flyers were desperate for cap space and looking to
move a large contract and Scott Hartnell certainly fit that bill. However he
holds (held) more perceived value to the Flyers, which made his departure
unlikely.
Scott Hartnell was one of the longest tenured Flyers, only
Braydon Coburn has been with the team longer. Not only was he a team leader,
but he wore an “A” as an alternate captain. He was a part of the leadership
committee and very popular in the locker room. He did rub people the wrong way
(suck it Phaneuf) but his teammates supported him. Claude Giroux, captain and
face of the franchise, found out when Hartnell texted him early Monday morning
and thought that it was a prank. But no, now the team moves on from a former 37
goal scorer and top line winger.
Coming back the other way is a familiar face, former Flyer
RJ Umberger and a fourth round pick. Dissatisfied with his treatment by the
Columbus Blue Jackets, Umberger demanded a trade earlier in the offseason.
Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen made it clear that he would look to trade Umberger
or buy him out with Columbus’ remaining compliance buyout. Umberger carries a
$4.6 million cap hit for the net three seasons. Hartnell just completed the
first year of an extension. He has five years with a $4.75 million cap hit.
This is one of three confusing aspects of the trade.
Columbus had little leverage in which to trade him. If they bought him out, he
would become a free agent and any team can claim him. Columbus would lose him
for nothing and be forced to pay him not to play for them. Why then would
Flyers GM Ron Hextall make a trade for him, moving a considerable asset in
Hartnell?
This brings up the second confusing aspect of the trade.
Hartnell had a full No Trade Clause, any trade involving him must be approved
by him. Why then would he waive it to go to Columbus? It seemed that he loved
Philadelphia and the Flyers. He was a stereotypical Flyer, big, tough, and
Canadian. Not only was he a top line player, but he was consistently on that
top line. He played with Danny Briere and Ville Leino during the 2010 Stanley
Cup run, later playing with Giroux and Jaromir Jagr, then Giroux and Jakob
Vorachek.
Finally, the trade did not clear up many cap dollars, saving
less than $200,000 a season. It did save real dollars, but for a team like the
Flyers, that meant nothing. They have money and an owner that is willing to
spend if it helps the team. This is why Ilya Bryzgalov is no longer a Flyer
After the 2013-2014 season ended, changes had to come.
Hextall became GM and stated that the team needed to become faster. Hartnell
did not seem to fit into the plans. He was moved around the lineup last season
and younger players started filling his spots. Other teams saw this and
inquired about the left winger. Hextall compared the offers, finally settling
on Columbus. Fortunately, he did not
have to retain any of Hartnell’s salary.
Umberger seems to fit with Hextall’s strategy. He is
versatile, can play in all situations, and has speed. Right now, he could be
slotted on Claude Giroux’s wing or if they move Brayden Schenn or Wayne
Simmonds into that spot, he could play second line wing. The best fit for him
may be the third line in Steve Downie’s recently vacated spot. Umberger should
play with rising star Sean Couturier and Matt Read, forming a potent third
line.
The Flyers still have moves to make this off-season. With
the draft in Philadelphia, the expectation is for the Flyers to make a splash for
their fans. Rumors have been flying since the team was eliminated about moving
up to the top pick or potential trades of Lecavalier or Grossmann. The need for
more speed on the backend still exists and there do not seem to be many players
that could improve it. This trade was the tip of the iceberg for what should be
an interesting off-season.
Follow us on Twitter: @ SoSchuylkill
Information from NHL.com and NJ.com was used in this article
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