The Philadelphia Flyers traded defenseman Kimmo Timonen on Friday night to the Chicago Blackhawks. In return the Flyers will receive a 2015 second round draft pick and a conditional draft pick in 2016 based on how far the Blackhawks advance and how much Timonen plays during the playoffs.
Timonen has missed the entire season so far due to blood clots found last summer in his legs and chest. After returning to practice with the Flyers a couple of weeks ago it was anticipated that he would make his Flyers debut against the New York Rangers tonight.
During his 7 year career with the Flyers Timonen scored 38 goals and had 270 points in 519 games. For the last three seasons he has won the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers’ best defenseman.
Despite all the personal achievements for Timonen he has never won a Stanley Cup. He was a part of the 2010 team that went to the Stanley Cup losing to the Blackhawks.
‘I worked out really hard and the goal was to get into the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup,’ Timonen said during a conference call Friday night. ‘It gets down to three, four weeks ago when the Flyers were 13 points out of the playoffs and we started having discussions.’
The Flyers currently sit 6 points out of a playoff sport with only 20 games to go in the season.
‘The only thing missing from my hockey career is a Stanley Cup,’ Timonen added. ‘That was the only goal for which I’d return to hockey. It wasn’t money. Nothing else was missing.’
The Blackhaws and the Flyers meet one more time this season in Philadelphia on March 25th.
‘You’re talking about a special player here, don’t forget. Players like this don’t fall off trees,’ Flyers GM Ron Hextall said. ‘I think it’s fair for Chicago, I think it’s fair for us.’
The Flyers acquired Timonen in 2007 from the Nashville Predators along with Scott Hartnell.
The NHL trade deadline is Monday so this might not be the last deal made by the Flyers. The outcome of tonight’s game against the Rangers could determine if they are buyers or sellers.
NOTES: NJ.com reported this week that tonight’s Flyers-Rangers game was originally supposed to be an outdoor game played at either Citizens Bank Park or Lincoln Financial Field. Something came up that canceled the plans. The game will have a rare Saturday night 8pm face off on National TV.
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