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
Jeff Carter has been traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jake Voracek, a first-round pick, and a third-round pick. (Matt Slocum/AP Photo)
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.
For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers
Get exclusive videos and analysis in our new app for iPhone and Android. Download it here.
Comments (162)
a dose of reality for you flyer die hards from meltzer:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Bill-Meltzer/Meltzers-Musings-Reaction-to-Dual-Blockbuster-Deals/45/36590
— rtm1031- target a fundamentally sound performer who is a stud on faceoffs and decent power play presence;....then let's get a Madden type who has a ring and comes at a good number and we'll have lots of cap space for February's deadline,......this is bitter sweet but its the business of hockey;....this is one of the all time best defenses in the history of the game and lets not forget that JVR is breaking out to stardom and he needs to be re-upped next year as well,.....play it smart and soak up some cap space NOW on Bryz and JVR and save future problems of this nature— SyddBarrett
- Glad Richards is gone- went from being my favorite Flyer to biggest punk! No respect for someone who bumps heads with a first-class coach like Lavy that knows how to win. No respect for someone who doesn't respect the media, either. I feel like old Rodney Dangerfield ... "No Respect!"— puck14
- rtm1031, how many goals did Carter and Richards have against Boston? One goal...the sky isn't falling.— Badhog
- for the nitwits who think todays moves are somehow going to help us win a cup in the foreseeable future, get a clue. the columbus dispatch reported that voracek wasnt the guy the flyers wanted, we wanted johansan, the jackets top prospect, but got stuck with voracek, a third liner nothing more with apparent effort issues, always a good catch, in the mold of nik z. and simmonds is another third liner. so the good news is that homer has now cornered the market on 3rd line players between voracek-simmonds-the savvy versteeg pickup-hartnell-leino, but unfortunately we traded 2 top liners, and went from a team that had a bunch of top 6 forwards, to now having 3, giroux JVR and briere. you guys can hope schenn and these draft picks pan out, but by the time that happens, prongs will be retired, assuming he ever returns to being an impact player anyway which isnt guaranteed, and our current core like briere and timonen are past their prime. we are rebuilding, deal with it. well done homes...— rtm1031
- Carter and Richards- Not playoff players. Sure, great- get us into the playoffs, yet go south during them.— mrjarn
- Richards was clearly not the leader than one would expect from a Captain. And every year after the playoffs he revealed some injury that explained his poor performance. Carter is a goal scorer, but offers little else. They had their time here and its time to move on.— blaqjaq
- Harts has a no trade. So that would be tough. Versteeg, as much as I malingned the move, perhaps can have a rebound year.
If we can sign Ville along with the rest + have some good picks, I think positionally this was a good move.
Aside from that, Richards had to give up the C. And had he stayed AFTER giving up the C - the locker room would have been forever tense.
Good move. Now make Briere or Claude the C. Nice moves Homer. PS Loved how Richards DOES have a no trade, but that does kick in 'till 7/1/2012. Look it up.
— Poppys - I know the Phillies have the best record in baseball right now. But remember who the starting rotation was when they won the world series. Amaro goes overkill and gives them great starting pitching but no way to score runs especially against the pitchers they will see in September and the playoffs. Amaro overkill. Holmgren kills one of the best offenses in hockey to get a goaltender who is not in the class of the Phillies four aces. Wait till next spring when they end up in 11 place and don't make the playoffs. The one thing that will be nice will be seeing snyder and comcast taking a beating. It will be worth it to see no one at the wells fargo center and no one watching comcast sports. People should have figured out by now that it is better and a lot more fun to waste your money at a casino. Just think they will announce the paid attendance for both the seventy sixers and the flyers and there will be an echo.— rich729
- there are a whole lot of incredibly stupid idiots who comment on this page. Let's see now all the flyers did two years ago was come within a heartbeat of winning it. And Holmgren and snyder's stupid answer for not doing it this year is because there was no cup winning goalie. I hope all you idiots above have season tickets because you are going to wish you had spent the money on something important like your mortgage and your children's education. This is why this team has not won a cup in nearly forty years. The biggest problem this team has is snyder. And of course boy wonder holmgren sure went from genius back to the stupid no nothing that he is in a hurry. It he was such a great gm in waiting how come he wasn't grabbed for a lot of money by some other team a long time ago. Just think now they are much younger except at goalie where they became way older. This is like Washington signing Werth, incredibly stupid. Do you think they will hire holmgren as a color analyst after he gets fired in about a year.— rich729
- I agree with Homer that the Flyers were too small on wing , even when Carter played there. The Flyers also got out of two very long contracts that would tie up around $11 Million of cap space for the next 10 yrs. Apparently there must have been more to the rumors of Richards not being a good captain. When Pronger came I remember the talk was how they didn't get along. Richards is a good, physical player, but his size is always going to hurt him. He always seemed to have some injury that we found out about after the playoffs. If Columbus thinks they are getting a center for Nash, they should know that Carter was never a play-making center. I always felt he had the size & speed to play LW, but make no mistake he is a goal scorer. Giroux, Briere & JVR's, play in the playoffs I feel made Homer, look more closely at the team's chemistry. The Flyers gave up a lot of offense in this trade, will Giroux, JVR,& Voracek plus the #1 prospect Scheen make up the difference? The Flyers did get what they really needed, a very good goalie. The Flyers still have around $9 Million in cap space and are in a good position to do more in free agency.— sox12st
- Well, Ill admit I didnt want to see Carter get traded. I never saw Richards coming at all. That said, I don't think this is the end of the dealing. While Stankos seems unrealistic, Im getting this feeling that Gagne and Stamkos are both on their way here and if that is the result, then we essentially traded Carter and Richards for gagne Bryzgalov and Stamkos while getting a future elite player(Scheen) and a guy who can help this year(Voracek) to fill the void. And that is pure genius if it happens. I agree with word, I thought Bryz was brought in to be the final piece of the puzzle. They just bought a whole new puzzle. Im puzzled.
— seaonasdad - It's a hard blow when you look at how far we went in 2010, but that's with Pronger in the lineup. Richards' ability to inspire this team without Pronger this year proved he didn't care enough so why should we? And don't give me this bullpucky about him being hurt. His mouth worked fine and we still played flat more games than not. Same with Carter aka Mr Invisible when it matters most. With this trade we just got younger, we got draft picks (which we need because the D is aging) and now we will be able to lock up JVR long term and re-sign Leino. It's a win-win, plus we got a #1 goalie on top of it. Anyone who plays hockey will agree this is a hard but necessary trade and we really didn't lose as much as you Richards and Carter lovers are making it out to be.— Kanayd
- ...obviously a good move for the Kings--the only downer is how late I have to stay up now to watch Richards
— petemagoop - Flyers have walked away from the cup....this is now a young team that is years away from contending.....holmgren has no vision...he panicked last year and did so again. Flyers will fight for 7th or 8th now
— lockmaster - These aren't moves to get the Cup next year, or year after!
This is a re-build that will take time to come together.
I thought the idea was to get a goalie that was the finishing touch on a team poised to win it all.
That's not what just happened . . .
— wordsword - They are now a better team, no question— camasbud
- Carter scores in the regular season and at the bars, he is a lazy two way player. Richards has nights where he is feeling it and nights when he is not, perhaps after nights out with Carter. Glad the lazy party boys are gone.— TKL008
- I like the trades, but I'm holding out final judgment until I see what is next. Are they really going to pay BOB that much to be a backup? Can they dump Versteeg's contract? How much will the salary cap be increased? Those may allow them to make a run at Stamkos (although I believe he is restricted) or other scorers to fill the scoring void.— Badhog
- Love the trades. Never thought Richards was anything special. Good, solid hockey player, but not elite. I gave up on Carter after he couldn't use his best-wristhot-in-the-league to lift the put over a prone Niemi in OT in game six. As much as I blame Leighton for a really soft goal, if Carter makes that shot, who knows what happens.— CousinEddie
- Time is the perspective to view the Flyers - and ever since Keith Allen left as GM - the team has knee jerked at the whim of Snider because the GM's he's had (for the majority of the years only 2) are blindly loyal and follow orders. This team has outspent every other team in the league over the last 30 years on players salaries and Ed is not cheap. He over-reacts and is excessively impatient; this management style does not afford a GM the time to put together a well thought out plan to build a winner......Like Ken Holland or Lou Lamierello. Mark my words - 2 years from now - there will be another housecleaning and the journey to winning the cup will once again start anew........how do I know this?? I've been watching this and been part of it for 38 years...........— Northcountry
- Can't wait to see pics on the internet next year of "Carts" slumming it up in Ohio.— UncleEddie
Comment removed.- Bruins GM took heavy hits 2 years ago when he moved Phil Kessler to Leafs----look where that got them!— Romus
- Bruins got the 2nd pick in the draft and got one of the two can't miss prospects. The Flyers won't get anyone on Seguin's level and that trade wasn't that big of an influence in winning the cup. The reason was Tim Thomas, who the Flyers passed on last year because they didn't want to get rid of Carter. — dlore
End of another era without a SC. Carter and Richards worked their way through the system, had success in the minors, but couldn't get it done in prime time. Having said that, the playoff losses had more to do with dreadful goal tending. Hope the new guy can do better.- So last offseason, Boston offered Tim Thomas for Carter and Philly rejected it. They offered Gagne instead and Boston rejected that. They could've had the Vezinna and Conn Smythe winner this year, instead they get some picks and Vorahek. Sounds like a great move to me.— dlore
- did the holmgrem press conference start or end? where can i find it on tv/internet? anyone— stxprowl
- Epic error sending Richards, unless he requested. How many lies did Homer tell in the last 24 hours?
You simpletons may have your bones to pick with Richards, but the Kings will be playing hockey next spring while Bryzgalov is vacationing in Russia.
But the Phantoms should be on the upswing by the time they get to Allentown. So we got that going for us. - Just an excellent move to get rid of these two party boys. Richards, an immature punk; Carter, big body with no guts.— misterhman
- Absolutely stunning.— schultz8
- These trades had very little to do with signing Bryzgalov. Dumping a player like Versteeg would've been the only thing they would've had to do to sign their goalie at a 5.6/per season cap hit. These trades were made to send a message to the team that the clowning around off the ice in old city would not be tolerated any longer. There were obvious locker room issues and the big man upstairs (Ed Snider) made it clear to Homer that it would no longer be tolerated. When Ed speaks people listen.— Trashcan_Man
- Rot in hell Holmgren!!!!— RowdyRoddy
- Flyers haven't had a Great goalie in decades. Winning playoff hockey is all about the guy between the pipes. In order to acquire a top goalie, Richards & Carter had to go.— pogiepop
- While we needed a top flight goaltender, and had to restock talent in the minors which had been given away in prior trades, we still need to account for all the goals that were traded away today. In the past the Flyers were not able to make up the lost goal production of guys they got rid of such as Upshall, Knuble, Gagne and Umberger. They were not exactly able to score "at will" this past season even with Carter's and Richard's goals, so they had better do something to bolster offensive production or they will find themselves at the short end of a lot of 2-1 or 1-0 games with great goaltending next season.— Bermar
- Comment removed.
- W..........O.........W!!!!!— flyerdup
- Wow...I'm shocked. I trust Homer but I'm saddened to see Carter and Richards go. I probably get too attached to guys who work hard(especially Richards).— Gray Areas
- Some of you fans are nuts!! I've been a flyers fan since 1970 and I have to tell you I am very excited for next season. Have any of you looked at voraceks stats...46 and 50 points last two seasons on a untalented team and he's 6'1" and 205. What could a talented big guy like that do on a team with talent?? Schenn is also a 5th pick with high expectations. With Giroux and JVR coming into thier own and these two maturing next year i don't think the flyers will have any problem baking up 50+ goals. And as far as Bryz, your talking about a top flight goalie that can steal a game when a team isnt't scoring. Plus he has decent numbers backing up a very average team. what could he do with the flyers in front of him? Also I think there were problems with Richards leadership. They needed a new captain to have a real in your face personality in the locker room. All in all Holmgren, I think, did an awesome job again.— yntwinmdk
- What could a talented big guy like that do on a team with talent??
Not sure, I'll answer when Voracek's on a team with talent. Bryzgalov will be average, not spectacular.
Great move if you're in LA though. Kings go deep in p/o's, Flyers done in one if they make it. You heard it here first. - Trading Richards was a MISTAKE!!!— cotaysmi
- June 23, 2011 - The Day The Flyers Died.— phillydude
- ps if not stamkos, brad richards is a strong possibility.— otown philly fan
- Comment removed.
- now trending on twitter...stammer time to the flyers. versteeg to fla for the #3 pick, that pick flipped to tampa for negotiating rights to steven stamkos.— otown philly fan
- Carter made sence.... but richards?!! unless he demanded a trade.. i dont get it. the kings got a steal. we get.. simmons??? i live in LA and simmons underproduced here and they r on him hard out here.. so who knows how he will deal with big hockey media city.. but maybe change of scenery will do him good. just shocked about richards. they better trade versteege to... well they will have lot of cap space. im sure they arnt done— LAdelphia
- Reports of Bryz signing for 9 years and 51 mill are accurate.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=566911&navid=mod-rr-headlines— 7xChamp - Ilya Bryzgalov...all eyes are on you. LET'S GO FLYERS!!!— Reality Speaks
- The casual fan thinks that goaltending wins Stanley Cups. That is not quite correct. Although you need reliable goaltending, forwards win Stanley Cups. The casual fan probably could not name the last 6 or 7 SC winners. But Thomas, Niemi, Fluery, Ward, Khabibulin, Giguerre, and the rest won because their forwards were better. And this is where Philadelphia was let down in the last two years. Anyone who saw the Boston series knows that the Boston forwarded dominated the Philadelphia forwards. Carter and Richards were non-factors. In the previous playoffs, Carter and Richards were minuses against Pittsburgh, whose forwards made Carter and Richards look like smurfs. Pittsburgh went on to win the SC. BTW, Pittsburgh was shut out only one time on their way to the cup. Which goalie did that? The Flyers goalie, Marty Biron. Yes, the goaltender has to play well and the blue line has to be solid. But there are about ten goalies who can win the Stanley Cup, and they need to have the forwards in front of them who actually win it. Congratulations to Paul Holmgrem. I thought Carter might go to CBJ, didn't think this whole thing could happen all at once. Great move!— Cazptain Philadelphia
- 9 year contract for a 31 yo goalie; some GMs just never learn!— JBinPA
- I guess Snider didn't want the 76ers to have all the attention tonight.— 76erfn
- I think it is safe to stop using the phrase "they are built to win now" saying about the Flyers. They just showed that they think they need to rebuild. I hope Bryzgalov is worth is when he is in his late thirties, an I mean really worth it.— SlinkTMP
- They didn't need to dump both players to afford the goalie. One more salary dump are we able to make a play for Stamkos? With the raised salary cap floor Hartnell may actually be able to be moved. His cap # will be higher than his actual salary.— chham57
- Terrific move..Carter and Richards are very overrated...Carter is a locker room killing diva and Richards is a sullen moping mini Lindros who wanted neither the leadership role or the spotlight. Great message to the rest of the team...produce or you are out.— Chrisnchris
- All hands look out below, there's a change in the status quo; Carter and Richie will be celebrating the good times with two teams nobody cares about. Let's face it , if they were great players the Flyers wouldn't have averaged about a goal and a half against Boston. The only guys I couldn't bear to see leave were Giroux and Van Reimsdyk and they're still here. Plus , we got the prime FA goalie. Great job, Homer.— drbob1
- and we signed a goalie for 9 years? Till he's 40???? Geezus Homer! You just killed us.— Corsair42
- i am really happy about this. i haven't liked this team all that much since they decided to make these two players their centerpieces. i kept trying to remind people that if they were our best two players, we were never going anywhere.— tockeyhockey
- So....
Who's gonna be the new captain?— 7xChamp - "It is unclear at this time whether close friend Richards then requested a trade from the Flyers." WTF is this Frank????????? You think Richards requested a trade and was traded in the 15 minutes between the deals??? Why would you write something like this?!?
— sla6yer - I really think Homer is going to dump some more dead wood on this team and load up with players that actually give an S and will do anything to win the Cup. I love these moves. Now I am wondering if Brad Richards and Kovalchuk may be in the mix as well as the players and picks just acquired. All I can say is that Snider must have read Holmgren and Luukko the riot act after the embarrassing display in the playoffs— CTL
- So, we're hoping a guy (kid, really)who has played 7 AHL games and 9 NHL games does... exactly what? Fill out the Phantoms roster? Isn't it a little ridiculous to think he'll be playing with the Flyers next year? And we get two guys who - combined - scored 28 goals??? We needed to get bigger, why? If they sign Brzy, great, but who exactly scores on this team besides Giroux? Can we expect JVR to be that much better? I think we're not going to like this come next June.— Corsair42
- the people saying this was a good move and don't let door hit you on the way out will be the same ones calling for Holmgren's head when the Flyers are in last place next Feb.
- Comment removed.
- Jeff Carter and Mike Richards ARE NOT the nucleus of the team! On the other hand, they are gone!— BEMiller
- So later one we trade the young guys and the picks for for older, established, winning players.— ExiledinNJ
- They must have pissed off the higher ups. Sends a message to the team that the coach ain't goin nowhere. LETS GO FLYERS!!!— GigantiSP
- Never going to be comfortable shipping out 130pts. With the increase in the cap this year, I think it would have been better to get rid of Versteeg to make room for Bryz. It'll be nice to finally have a tender though.....— Slinger
- Homers not afraid to pull they trigger. Flyers are younger but lack big scores. Is Gagne coming back? Who else will Homer get? Draft day will tell— The Marco Islander
- All I can say is WOW! Big time defensemen coming at #8 pick or will be trading up to nab Larsson, and Schenn will be awesome! Giroux and JVR are the future of this team. I'm shocked but I love it!!— dave1walsh
- Hope Bryzgalov can put the puck in the net.
- Bryzgalov underperformed in the postseason just like Jeff Carter. I don't think Bryzgalov is a top goalie.— Freedom Fries
- Steven Stamkos will be a Flyer.— Dannyy90
- "And just to clarify, Richards isn't going anywhere.... they love this guy." azguz
Love it when fans think they know something when they really don't. Wish you could delete that comment, huh azguz?
— amg - Wow...gotta hand it to the Flyers, they do make sig moves. Haha, loved the pupu platter comment. Hello, Ilya.— PhillySubsMac
- we traded TWO players. We did not "gut" the team. We traded the gutless parts of it. (not so much Richards, he had alot of heart and I respected him as a player)
- Homer, you are exquisite. Redone damage of draft losses for last four years. New farm system. The frat pack is finally gone. Maybe Stephens can keep enablin them in Cal. Keeps Leino. Dumps soft Carter. Gives us a real captain. Need a center faceoff specialist. Bryz is Parent. God i love these moves. Go Flyers— LaCroix,Nolet,Gendron
- You must live in Glen Falls, b/c there won't be anything to watch in Philly for about 5 years.
- bryz just signed for 9 years at $51 mill— arb
- Carter - no heart no and no heart ever. Richards - total lack of production and an insistence on doing things his way to the detriment of th team. Good riddance. And for those of you thinking this was a terrible day for the Flyers, the moves that Homer made are only the beginning; he is going to go after players with heart and desire which is long overdue. GO FLYERS!— CTL
- Carter gets you in the playoffs every year and then takes you out of the playoffs every year. It is good to break up the olde city crowd too. It helped a few years ago when they moved Upshall!— Bigkahuna3131
Who else was tired of every year watching Carter sleep walk through the playoffs? Homer for one.— AznPhan- I think I would have been happy with one or the other leaving but not both at the same time. One trade would be a good wake up call, but both trades might be overkill and leave the team behind the eight ball. If the Flyers sign this new goalie, he better be prepared to serve up shut out after shut out.— Penfold18
- Great moves. Schenn is going to be a superstar.— Rod72
- Now the vocal minority can finally be happy. We shall see if these moves were/are worth it. I fear the worst.— Penfold18
- Congratulations idiots. The Flyers just traded 132 points & got 28 in return + a guy who spent 99% of his time in the AHL last year. So what if they sign Bryzgalov & re-sign Leino. WHO IS GOING TO SCORE GOALS???? To all of you complete jack***es who dogged Richards - I hope you enjoy first round playoff exits b/c this team isn't sniffing the cup anytime soon. I almost hope Richie hoists the cup so that you clowns will finally shut your damned mouths.— thomaspfoolery
- Actually they traded 132 points and got 86 back. And they got bigger. And younger. And oh by the way they got a guy who is maybe the top NHL ready prospect. And they are going to come out of both deals about +3 mil in cap space. — sla6yer
- Wow, there must have been a run on crystal balls this afternoon, because suddenly everybody around here knows exactly how next season is going to turn out. Yeah, I realize these are prospects we're talking about here, but come on, they are *exciting* prospects. Very exciting prospects. And cheap - you guys are aware there's a salary cap, right? We need a massive distribution of chill pills in this town stat. — 3-hit shutout
- Bryz signed 9 yrs $51 mil— sla6yer
- So is Bryzgalov going to want to sign here after we gutted the team? Who is next Pronger?— Blue and White
- Mr. Bryzgalov, your table is ready.— AznPhan
- THANK YOU GOD..
no more wrist shots from the blue line!!! no more shots "Wide" from the net that travel back outside the zone!
Phew— xone9 - I hear you. And no more shots right into the feet of the opposing player standing right in front of Richards or for that matter passes right into his own players feet. — SFPhillyphan
- Crazy...thought those two were going to get us somewhere...the upside is that the boys they are getting for them are young...plus draft picks never hurt!— DavezMental.Com
- Excellent moves by Homer. It was time for this to happen.— delcodanno
- Richards has been traded to the Kings as well!— waldorf45
- Comment removed.
- Don't forget Mad River. — bdizzle
- It was time for Mr. Carter to leave the Flyers. He shouldnt be confused with any big-time goal scorer. Lets rebuild this team. Keep in mind he was sent to a team that is a non-factor in the playoffs for the indefinite future. Other words, enjoy the off-season Jeff by the end of the season.— bartm
- It was time for Mr. Carter to leave the Flyers. He shouldnt be confused with any big-time goal scorer. Lets rebuild this team. Keep in mind he was sent to a team that is a non-factor in the playoffs for the indefinite future. Other words, enjoy the off-season Jeff by the end of the season.— bartm
- Stamkos offer sheet? Makes sense to me— seaonasdad
- Homer just traded Richards Too!!!!
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=369795— flyers2009 - Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- rtm1031: I disagree. Draft projections are elusive. But from what I've read, there are several very solid, large, mobile players who aren't Malkin or Crosby, but could be another Coburn, Staal x 2, or Mezaros types.
— MichaelZoe - This tells me Laviolette and Richards never got along and neither did Pronger. It's their team now.— sjnative94
Richards was also traded to LA Kings. Also confirmed on TSN.ca. Unreal. Just blew up one of the best 1-2 2-way center groups in the NHL for an overpriced goalie. Wow. Just wow. Nothing like the pendulum swinging WAY too far the other way.- Richards has been traded too— thebaron
- it has also been reported that richards has also been traded - where is that report, no mention whatsoever by the flyers beat?!?!? are you guys napping???? traded to la kings for wayne simmons and a junior prospect (supposedly top prospect in nhl, name escapes me)— CosmoK
- I find it hilarious that the cockey Jeff Carter gets traded to Columbus. He was a stuck up womanizer.— Ferrell31
- Richie is gone! Wow. JVR and Giroux played these guys right out of town. Hope they're up to the task now. Thanks for your service guys. Time for a change of scenary, make the most of it.— MichaelZoe
I can't wait to hear Homers reasoning on these ( both Carter and Richards)trades after he defended them out the a** for 2 yrs. I know the GM is suppose to always defend their players, but it will be entertaining. Maybe he should take some notes from good ole Barry B on how to back pedal... EMIRITE?- Richards, too? Crazy.— HandNik
- Richards, too? Crazy.— HandNik
- Carter was a numbers facade. Great totals, but useless under pressure. Just like the Phillies couldn't take the next step until they got rid of similar anti-clutch player Bobby Abreu, hopefully this move is the same step forward for the Flyers.— Pelti
- FYI - Richards is gone >> http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=369795— Philly North
- Looks like Richards is gone too. Traded to LA for Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds.— Blue and White
- The only way I will be OK with this move is if they trade versteeg and the 8th pick to move into the top 3 picks in the draft AND sign Bryz, Leino, and bring back Gagne (Yes he is an injury concern, but the guy can still play and would likely come pretty cheap for a player his caliber). Bring Gagne back home!— jvmiii88
- Richie for Simmonds and Schenn. Its done. Both of them gone. Unreal— sla6yer
- voracek had 16 goals last year, not 36 jim. the draft is weak at the top, the depth is in the mid rounds. Are we getting a stud at 8 nik? no, because there arent any projected studs in the first round. could we get a decent player, sure. but we had an asset here, and instead of getting a young established player whose still a few years away from free agency in return, we received 3 question marks. for everyone whose never seen voracek play, and most of you havent, he has the hands of scottie upshall and the work ethic of zherdev, and 2 draft picks. i'd rather get one projected good player back with a reasonable salary then 3 question marks, which is all they received when you look at it rationally.— rtm1031
- hate to see carter go but seems like a good trade.— stanley
- Voracek is only 21, had 50 points last year and fell just short of that mark this year, playing for a bad team. His upside isn't much below Carter's, who probably won't be getting any better than he is now. Thrown in the two picks the Flyers got, and the cap space it created, what's not to like?— drbob1
- The slowness of reporting on this site is downright embarrassing. A poster has to provide verificatoin of that trade (thanks for that, by the way, flyersfan76).— CosmoK
- Never produced in playoffs when it matters...never will play tough enough to compete, take your 35 meaningless regular season goals to Columbus.— michaeldhockeyguy
- Careful what you wish for, knuckleheads. Who is going to replace Carter's scoring?! I would have gotten rid of Richards before Carter. So now, they had better sign Bryzgalov. Period.— 5NOT4
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- rtm1031...weak draft? says who? not the scouting reports I've read. At #8 we can pretty much get a player ready right now to be a 6th D Man or 3rd line player, maybe 2nd line. If they package Versteeg for another pick, then can even trade up. Or trade them for next year's draft. As for Voracek, I've read that he has a poor attitude. He is a restricted free agent, so I envision a scenario where he walks or is moved after this.
— MichaelZoe - Richie to the Kings per TSN. UNREAL!— sla6yer
- Comment removed.
- RTM, think about it a different way. The Flyers have to start restocking the farm and developing players. Instead of having a decent goal scorer that took up a large cap hit, they get a decent winger, two farm stocks and can now sign Bryzgalov. Do the same now for some others and we could be looking very positive next year.— exrec9
- Versteeg and our 8th to Florida for #3 pick... Richards poss to Toronto.. Hockeybuzz.com— fman727
i can only imagine if the flyers were willing to deal Carter, who they loved, They are now prepared to move anyone pretty much. I think Kemo, Pronger , Richards and danny b are safe. But as of anyone else its fair game.... And just to clarify, Richards isn't going anywhere.... they love this guy. Reasons still unknown.— azguz- ok, richards did get moved..... I was wrong. but it also shows i was right, anyone is free game... — azguz
- GM Scott Howson spoiled Paul Holmgren's surprise--- Sunday the Blue Jacket's GM publicly said he wanted Carter to center for Ric Nash.— Romus
- 8th pick and versteeg to the Panthers for the 3rd pick.....— Paperchase
- Stupid stupid move, this move will allow them to sign Bryz, but its a lateral move not a move forward. They should have traded or given away Hartnell / Versteeg. You don't practically give away one of the NHL's top goal scorers to sign a 30 yr old goalie and make him one of the highest paid players. I am not happy with Homer about trading Carter as opposed to many other people, however this is just another example of how the salary cap is screwing the Flyers over. There should be a luxury tax not a hard cap, if that were the case the flyers would have kept this team intact AND signed Bryz. Let me get this straight they received about as much as they gave away for low life Versteeg... bad move come on Homer so many other bloated salaries should have been unloaded prior to Carter.— jvmiii88
- yesssss. dude was the bobby abreu of the flyers = hollow stats, no heart.— main liner
- Ilya makes me super nervous, anyone else? All and all I think this is a good shakeup for a team on the cusp of making a run every year, just made friday night much more interesting too if the picks are this year. Good work Homer.— Chutley26
- rtm, you're crazy. None of what you posted is accurate. #1)The draft is not weak, it's a good draft that doesn't have impact talent at the top. 2)A play-making winger who can score 15 goals a year, with 30 assists, who will play some D is garbage? 3)Two picks to restock is stupid? 4)Bryzgalov was their whole team. Come on, man.— HandNik
- Bye Bye 40 goals. Last time they did this (Knuble) they never found a replacement. Who's picking up that slack?? I'm really not crazy about this. Signing Leino would at least mitigate the blow.— thomaspfoolery
- You folks are NUTS this a bad move. I like that Flyers can sign leino and bryzgalov. But we are stuck with hartnell and richards, really? richards plays when he wants too, and hartnell is not worth his contract. Who is gonna score? Lots of goals to be accounted for with too many "role" players. Folks bad move. First it was gagne, and now Carter...— thebaron
- Do whatever it takes to dump Versteeg!!!!
Nice move Homer. That certainly wasn't a "fire sale" move. Voracek is young and has a huge upside and the 8th overall pick could develop into something great.— PhilsBirdsFlys - He had 36 goals and 30 assists last season. That's not "producing"???— JimG
- Totally agree. Who is gonna pcik that up? Richards? hartnell? Versteeg? Not likely, this is a bad move. — thebaron
- Not that bad of a deal, They get a kid back who will fit great in our system, he will surprise a lot of people. This guy isn't a slouch. He was picked 7th overall. And with the 8th overall pick this year, you got someone for the future. If this trade does anyone good, it will show all the players on the team that no one is safe, and you got to earn a spot on this team now. no more loaf. — azguz
- The Flyers were 3rd in goals per game last year, but 11th in goals against per game. Think of those numbers as just getting closer to each other next year. — 3-hit shutout
- Awesome, maybe they can package that 8th pick and get someone to take Richards and his lifetime contract. How would we replace his 4th line skills though....?— cliftons
- WOW love this trade, now they can sign leno and bryzgalov..........good job Homer— Tons_of_Fun
- 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
- Goodbye, Jeff, enjoy the bars at OSU, and don't let the door hit you on the way out.— drbob1
- Good move by Homer. Seems like they may still be shopping Versteeg or Carle as well.— HandNik
- Ok then. It was time for Carter to go. He stopped producing.— jcpaul
- 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
-
- 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.
- 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
1
Popular Posts
About this blog
Frequent Flyers is your home for news and analysis of all things orange and black.
Reach Frank at seravaf@phillynews.com.
Frank Seravalli
Daily News Sports Columnist