Looks like Scotty gets to try on a new erm, jacket.
In a completely shocking move today, new Flyers General Manager Ron Hextall decided to trade longtime forward Scott Hartnell to the now Metro rival Columbus Blue Jackets for a 4th rounder next year, and former Flyer R.J Umberger. It seemed the only parties who really knew what was going to occur were the two clubs and Hartnell as he has since stated that he was “upset and angry” when first informed of Hextall’s intentions a few days ago. Hartnell apparently took the time to think about it, and realized that even if he liked playing for the team, they obviously no longer reciprocated the same feelings.
Hartnell had possessed a NMC in his contract, hence the reason it probably took this long to move him. He considered the teams he was going to, spoke with management of the Blue Jackets, and decided that being a veteran presence on a club with a bunch of young up and comers seemed like a promising situation. The deal so far has had all the makings of a change of scenery exchange for the two players, seeing as Umberger had found himself in Columbus Coach Todd Richards’ doghouse, and never truly found his way out of it. Coming back to Philly gives Umberger the opportunity to provide depth at wing although he is a natural center, while logging PK time as well.
Honestly speaking however, I seriously don’t expect Umberger to be a Flyer as he came back with nearly the same cap hit that Hartnell had, albeit for a couple less years.
Instead I view Umberger as a bargaining chip, a player to be packaged in a draft deal to help some club (-cough- that would be you, Florida Panthers -cough-) make the cap floor, and hopefully push the Flyers up the draft charts, possibly even to the very top slot. They currently hold the 17th in the First Round of this weekend’s draft in Philly, and along with Vincent Lecavalier, all three could move to a team desperate for both salary and Centers.
As a Hartnell fan, it hurts a little to see him go, but the NHL is still a business. Hextall wants younger and faster, and personally speaking, any Flyer under the age of 30 who skates slow should be a little worried.
As if to bolster the notion, Hextall re-signed 22 year old Brayden Schenn to a two year contract worth around 2.5 million a year. Schenn is a faster player, provides as many hits, and still has plenty of potential to fulfill. This is precisely why Umberger remaining on the roster makes little to no sense. It appears to be the very antithesis of Hextall’s vision for the club, trading for a player on the back nine of his career with diminishing value. Grabbing Schenn for that price is a steal, although I would’ve liked to have seen a couple more years tacked on to it.
It’s been polarizing watching social media have at it concerning this deal all day, with some feeling that Hextall was duped, while others praised Hartnell’s exit. It was hard to see the token big Philly media portrayal of Hartnell as a betrayer of trust, especially a certain writer’s article painting a portrait of Hartnell that seemed as if Scott felt like the Blue Jackets were winners, and the Flyers were not. This is nothing new, and anyone who follows this club is completely aware about previous Flyer exits, and how they were also portrayed. We all remember how unceremoniously treated Mike Richards and Jeff Carter were by certain figures in this town’s media, and for a guy who became the face for the charitable side of the Flyers organization, making remarks about Hartnell “taking nights off”, or even worse, others implying that he initiated the trade talks after both Hextall and Hartnell have made it clear by now that Hextall was the man behind the Flyers need to move older parts for potentially more youth down the road, makes the writing somewhat unfounded.
Despite what many think about Hartnell, I saw a guy who tried to make up with heart for what he might have lacked in talent, a tough gritty player who loved his teammates, a player who always tried to do what he felt was right for the club’s best interests. Honestly, he could have signed for more than he did, given today’s market and coming off of a season where he potted 30 goals and finally realized his shot on the power play. I believe that while he might not have been the best choice on the top line with Giroux and Voracek, he was certainly a top six forward, and will most likely be as much in Columbus, and Ryan Johansen and Cam Atkinson have to be pleased by the news. A player like Boone Jenner will most definitely learn from Hartnell’s experience.
So what does it all mean? Well it could mean that Berube was tired of watching Hartnell fall down, and figures Umberger perhaps can stay on his feet a little longer. Most likely it means another deal is coming, and if I had to rate the possibility of it occurring on draft day in Philly this Friday, I’d go with about an 8 at this stage. Hextall has to undo a lot of Holmgren’s errors so that he can retain Holmgren’s gems. He also wants to put his own stamp on the club, making them more versatile and younger so they may challenge for years to come in the playoffs. Ron learned from some of the best, mostly Dean Lombardi, the GM of the current Cup champs, the L.A Kings, his former mentor.
All this day presents to Philly is the notion that if you happen to be a Flyers fan, then hang on, it’s going to get a little weird from here on out.
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