Richards, Carter traded; Bryzgalov signed
In a span of just 30 minutes on Thursday, the Flyers dismantled the nucleus of their team by shipping leading scorer Jeff Carter to Columbus and captain Mike Richards to Los Angeles.
Richards, Carter traded; Bryzgalov signed
Let the record show that the day the Flyers decided to blow up the nucleus of their team was June 23, 2011.
Thursday started with the Flyers' need to begin to clear cap space in order to sign goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.
In a span of just a few hours, general manager Paul Holmgren traded away not only leading scorer Jeff Carter but also team captain Mike Richards in two separate trades within 30 minutes of each other.
"Today was a huge day for the Flyers organization," Holmgren said at a press conference in Minneapolis. "What we've done today is change the direction of our organization with these two moves. I’ve always said over the last few years that I like our team. I still like our team, it’s just a different team."
The moves left the remainder of the NHL - not to mention the Flyers' fan base - in total shock.
"Those are two elite players to be traded in one day," Columbus general manager Scott Howson told reporters. "It's a little bit unprecedented in our league."
Howson acquired Carter by sending off Jakub Voracek, the 8th overall pick in Friday's Entry Draft, and a third round pick to the Flyers. He also said the Flyers repeatedly asked about prospect Ryan Johansen, who the club opted not to move.
It seems like Howson pressed the Flyers into making the move, saying it "got to a point where it just had to be done" before the draft.
"I don't take trading away a Jake Voracek — a 21-year-old player that's got tremendous upside — or the eighth overall pick lightly, but our fans have been very patient," Howson said. "It's been 10 years now. And we just had to do something that's going to make us better right now."
Carter has averaged 38 goals over each of the last three seasons and was about to begin an 11-year, $58 million contract extension next season. Through his agent, Rick Curran, Carter said he would need at least the weekend to gather his thoughts before addressing the trade publicly.
It is unclear at this time whether close friend Richards requested a trade from the Flyers.
Holmgren said both players were "very upset" and emotional during their trade calls.
“Those are two hard phone calls to make," Holmgren said. "I think the world of both of them. That’s difficult, that’s the hard part of the job. That was tough. They both made long-term commitments to stay in Philadelphia. Probably at a lower number [than they could've gotten]."
Richards will be re-united with former coach and mentor John Stevens in Los Angeles, where he was shipped in exchange for forwards Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds and a second round pick.
Simmonds, 22, and the 19-year-old Schenn, accompanied by the 21-year-old Voracek have not only significantly reduced the Flyers' salary cap stress but also their new team's average age.
Voracek was drafted 7th overall in 2007 and Schenn was the 5th overall pick in 2009. Schenn is the brother of Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn.
With the moves, Holmgren said the goal was to spread the depth from center to wing while adding size.
"We were a little bit overloaded in the middle of the ice," Holmgren said. "To take a step back and try to add size on the wing, and still maintain our presence in the middle... We’re a much different team."
As if that wasn't enough for the day - on a day that the Flyers were officially added on the schedule as the recipient of the 2012 Winter Classic on Jan. 2 at Citizens Bank Park - they dotted the i's and crossed the t's with Bryzgalov on a 9-year, $51 million deal. That means Bryzgalov, who turned 31 this week, will have a $5.667 cap hit until he is 40 years old.
It's safe to say that Flyers chairman Ed Snider now has his man. It only cost the gut of his team.
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- Bombshell!!! Carter and Richards are both history:
http://www.csnphilly.com/06/23/11/Flyers-send-Carter-to-Jackets-Richards-t/news_flyers.html?blockID=537006&feedID=695 - Do you think Philadelphia made the right decision to trade Mike Richards and Jeff Carter?
Yes 29 %
No 71 %
Who do you think wins the Mike Richards for Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds trade?
Philadelphia 23 %
Los Angeles 57 %
Good for both 20 %
Who do you think wins the Jeff Carter for Jakub Voracek and two draft picks trade?
Philadelphia 24 %
Columbus 57 %
Good for both 19 %
http://www.thehockeynews.com/pages/puck_poll.php - Now the true heart of the team, and it's fire, Chris Pronger, can assume the captaincy he deserves. The rumored fighting between Richards and his cool demeanor, didn't mix well with Lavvy. The team supports Laviolette! Pronger is Clarke, with 6 more inches, nasty, and a leader. We still have Giroux, Leino, and Briere. This team has a chance.
- its a great trade actually. the Flyers will receive forward Jakub Voracek, the eighth overall draft pick Friday night and a third-round draft pick from the Blue Jackets— jamarder
- agree, If i told you today you could get former 7th over all in Voracek, Top NHL prospect and nhl ready forward schenn, Big power forward, (Think hartell but stays on his skates)in Simmonds and a solid cup winning goalie in iggy bryz for carter and richards, would you do it? Yes, heatbeat passed. Top that off with a first, second and third rd pick for the hell of it, i'm in like Flinn.
— azguz - Ok then. It was time for Carter to go. He stopped producing.— jcpaul
- Good move by Homer. Seems like they may still be shopping Versteeg or Carle as well.— HandNik
- Goodbye, Jeff, enjoy the bars at OSU, and don't let the door hit you on the way out.— drbob1
- alright let me say this. to all of the blind flyers loyalists out there, do you see now what other teams thought of carter? apparently not a whole lot, since this is the best deal we could have gotten, and its pretty much garbage. the #8 pick in a weak draft, and voracek whose a former high first rounder who columbus wanted to dump, he is versteegesque. carter is one dimensional, overrated, and non clutch, and its clear thats what the rest of the league thought as well, and we ended up with a pupu platter for him. discouraging. but hey, atleast we will end up with a goalie that went 0-4 in this years playoffs with an .890 save percentage. ugh— rtm1031
- rtm1031-----when you come off the drugs then comment. — Romus
- HA! its true, does this guy even know who Voracek is? This guy is going to be awesome in lavy's system. Never really bloomed in columbus, but hes going to be good for us. — azguz
- WOW love this trade, now they can sign leno and bryzgalov..........good job Homer— Tons_of_Fun
