Mike Richards

When the clock struck noon on July 1, very few things were certain. One thing that was: the Philadelphia Flyers were going to make headlines. Paul Holmgren and company certainly didn't disappoint, landing future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr, forward Maxim Talbot, and defenseman Andreas Lilja and dealing away winger Kris Versteeg. 

With the dust from day one settling, its time to take a look at how the Flyers fared in free agency. 

1. Jaromir Jagr

When it was announced that the Flyers signed Jagr to a one-year deal with $3.3 million, many were left wondering if the 39 year old winger had enough left in the tank to justify that salary. I for one believe Jagr will not only be worth his money, he'll be one of the best-value players signed this offseason. 

Jagr may not have the monstrous legs he once had, way back when he was winning scoring titles left and right. But Jagr still has a pair of world-class hands, great vision, and an otherworldly hockey sense. His temper and demeanor have mellowed with age, and he's finally embraced practicing as a viable method of pregame preparation.

On a Flyers team with six of the (projected) top nine forward under the age of 24, Holmgren was desperate for consistent point production and veteran leadership. The Flyers powerplay without Pronger last season was dismal and needed a jolt of life. And the Flyers needed a player to mentor young guns James van Reimsdyk, Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux, Brayden Schenn, and (especially) the enigmatic Czech winger Jakub Voracek. In Jagr, Holmgren addressed all of those issues in one fell swoop. 

Even at 39, Jagr is still a lock for 20-30 goals and 50-70 points. That's better (and more consistent) production than the Flyers could have expected from Ville Leino, and at a fraction of the cost. Great signing by Paul Holmgren and Philadelphia Flyers.

Grade: A

2. Maxime Talbot

In Talbot, Paul Holmgren may have finally found Ian Laparierre's replacement. Talbot was a fan-favorite in Pittsburgh (reason alone to sign him) and is known around the league as a great hustle player. Talbot doesn't have the offensive skill to light up a scoreboard on a consistent basis or the size to grind in the corners like Paul Gustaud, but he can hustle up and down the ice, get underneath the opposition's skin, and kill penalties with the best of them.

But perhaps the best aspect of this signing isn't what Tablot brings on the ice; its what he brings off of the ice. Its no secret the Flyers missed "Lappy" last season—his ability to foster camaraderie and communication between young players, veteran players, and the coaching staff was invaluable in bringing the 2009-2010 Flyers together during their Stanley Cup run. Just watching the team last season, it was obvious they missed his heart, grit, and his leadership.   

The only strange part about this signing was the contract itself: five years, $9 million. The cap hit ($1.8 million) is very reasonable for what Talbot brings to the table, but the term of the contract is a little long. However, Talbot is only 27, so if the goal is for him to step into a long-term locker room leader role, it makes a lot of sense. Overall, another very good signing by the Flyers.

Grade: B+

3. Andreas Lilja

The Flyers also signed Sean O'Donnell's replacement, 35-year-old Swedish defenseman Andreas Lilja to a one-year contract worth an estimated $750,000. Lilja is known as a stay-at-home defenseman with a bit of a physical edge. He has good size (6'3", 220 pounds) and a decent hockey IQ, but has been prone to injuries and defensive zone miscues.

This was Holmgren's first move of the day that I didn't like. Sean O'Donnell, a rock-solid veteran on the Flyers third pairing last season, signed with Chicago for only 100 thousand dollars more than Lilja, despite playing 188 more games than Lilja over the past four seasons. O'Donnell was well-liked in the Flyers' locker room, had a great reputation with the Philadelphia media, and was one of the most consistent Flyer blueliners.

Lilja can be an upgrade over O'Donnell on the ice, but he hasn't been on the ice enough to ever demonstrate that for a consistent period of time. The potential gain in on-ice performance does not offset the sure loss of O'Donnell's intangibles and consistent performance.

Grade: C-

4. Kris Versteeg to the Panthers for second, third-round picks in 2012/2013

 The Versteeg trade was another move by Paul Holmgren and the Flyers that I did not agree with at all. While I'm aware Flyers fans were disappointed with Versteeg's production during his short time in Philadelphia (8G-9A-17P in 38 games), few remember he was playing with a sports hernia during the latter part of the season, an injury which basically prevents players from using their core effectively. For a hockey player, especially a hockey player that depends on his speed and agility, its a very difficult injury to overcome. 

Despite the injury, Versteeg was able to break 20 goals and 44 points for the third consecutive season, play solid defense, and successfully fill-in on the penalty kill. With Mike Richards and Darroll Powe traded, Versteeg was likely the best penalty-killer on the Flyers roster. 

While Holmgren did get a decent return for Versteeg, it was still less than what the Flyers gave up to acquire him from Toronto at the trade deadline. The move was likely made to clear salary cap space, but the question remains: for what? The Flyers are unlikely to be able to sign a player comparable to Versteeg for less than a $2.5 million cap hit, and any major move is going to require more than the $4-5 million the Flyers currently have available.

From watching him, Versteeg seems like the prototypical player Holmgren and the Flyers have been trying to add all offseason: a gritty, team-first winger with exceptionally good skating ability, a ton of hustle, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win. Which begs the question: why trade him? Until that question is answered, I'm going to give this trade a "D". Should Holmgren pull off another major move, I'll revise it as appropriate.  

Grade: D (Pending Further Moves)

In today's world of professional hockey, almost no one is as vital to a franchise's success as the general manager. The best GMs can transform a struggling franchise into a Stanley Cup contender in a few years, change the outward perception of the franchise and give the team's fans a reason to believe the next season could be their year. 

Paul Holmgren is undoubtedly the architect of the most recent iteration of the Philadelphia Flyers. Nothing is greater proof of that than the franchise's recent trades of their 26-year-old captain, Mike Richards, and leading scorer, Jeff Carter. While these trades have left many fans wondering what "Homer" has planned, I think the answer is simple: Holmgren is trying to build a "Flyer Dynasty."

To this day, the Flyers are defined by their 1973-74 and 1974-75 Stanley Cup winning teams, affectionately known as the "Broad Street Bullies." Every Flyers team that has taken the ice since those golden years has been compared to those two legendary squads.

The term "Flyer hockey" has become synonymous with an overly physical, gritty, aggressive, blue-collar style of play, team-first attitude, willingness to do whatever it takes—legal, illegal, painful, whatever—in order to win.

In trading Mike Richards, Holmgren traded away a player who many believed was the second coming of the great Bobby Clarke. In trading Carter, Holmgren moved a player with the ability to be another complete player in the mold of Bill Barber.

But the problem with both of the former Flyers stars was never their talent—it was their willingness to be like the Hall of Famers to whom they had been compared.

Sports fans of all stripes have witnessed the disastrous effects of locker room feuds, player-first attitudes and coaching carousels. Any student of the NHL game knows that the most successful franchises are those with stability and excellence that resonate from the front office and the head coach.

In electing to side with Laviolette and trade Richards and Carter, Holmgren has made a dramatic attempt to change the culture of the entire Flyers organization. 

There can be no question now that "The Room" belongs to Laviolette and (soon-to-be) captain Chris Pronger, two men who exemplify the mentality of the last Flyers dynasty. Philadelphia's young core has a lot to learn and massive skates to fill, but if they follow their leaders, in a few years we could be debating whether this version of the Flyers is better than the one that hoisted the Stanley Cup all of those years ago.

Once the dust had finally settled last week after the Philadelphia Flyers' shocking trades of Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, many things were said by the involved parties. Richards himself had a conference call with reporters. Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren poured out his emotions by saying how much he would miss both players, but claimed his excitement for those he acquired.

Yet there was an odd silence coming from Carter, the newest member of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was disappointed with the deal and he certainly had a reason to be. He had signed an 11-year contract with the Flyers last November, with a no-trade clause set to kick in next July.

When news of the trade broke, many waited for the 26-year-old center to comment. Instead, silence ensued until Monday, when Carter finally spoke.

"My decision to not talk had absolutely nothing to do with being traded to Columbus," Carter said. "I know it's a team that has struggled in the past, but there's a great future there, a lot of young players. I'm excited to be there." 

So, there you have it. Carter was obviously disappointed with the way things were handled coming from the Flyers' end, and said as much later on in the report. While Richards took the trade in stride and did a fine job speaking to the media, Carter ran and hid from the spotlight.

It was a different way to react to the trade. And also the wrong way. It was disappointing to see Carter deflect the news by not speaking. This could go down as part of the reason why the Flyers traded Carter, if not both him and Richards.

Carter is still young and in his prime. However, it does not look like he has matured in his time here. He took the trade like an immature person would, and that will not leave him in a positive light with Flyers fans.

His agent, Rick Curran, complained to the media that Carter was essentially lied to by Holmgren, and that may be the case. But you always, always hear players say "this is a business." And though it may be cliché, it is true.

Holmgren apparently met with Carter and told him he had no plans to trade him. When Columbus general manager Scott Howson sweetened the offer by including a top-10 draft pick, Holmgren jumped at the deal.

Carter reportedly had purchased a house at the New Jersey shore in Sea Isle. He was prepared to have a summer home and a place to be for the next few years of his life. But things change, and they change quickly.

The Flyers did not do anything illegal or break any rules. They may have angered their former center, but Holmgren made moves he felt necessary to get his team back on track.

Instead of being a stand-up citizen about the deal, Carter essentially decided to take his ball and go home. I'm sure he loved Philadelphia. He always had said as much. He said he loved his teammates and the organization, too.

But he may not like the organization anymore, and the Flyers have no need to like him either. At the end of the day, this was a relationship that just was not meant to be.

A business is a business whether Carter likes it or not. Columbus may not be as fun as Philadelphia, but you are a professional hockey player in the best league in the world. Don't cry. Don't take your ball and go home. Be a stand-up person and accept the deal for what it is.

Carter will likely regret the way things were handled in the future. If he doesn't, Flyers fans will likely send him a not-so-friendly reminder when Columbus comes to town.

Source: http://blog.dispatch.com/cbj/

Some may question the validity of the article’s title. After all, we had the Eric Lindros trades (both coming and going), the Russian Red Army game, not to mention winning two Stanley Cups.

I can sense a top five-list coming at any moment.

However, in terms of the timing, given the caliber of players and the complete unexpectedness of the event, the trading of Jeff Carter and Mike Richards within an hour of each other has no equal.

On that mind-boggling Thursday afternoon when Flyers GM Paul Holmgren decided to jettison his two most recognizable and well-regarded forwards, I finally understood what Charles Dickens meant in the opening of A Tale of Two Cities.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…"

I have never hidden my dislike for Jeff Carter’s play. Yes, he is a great scorer, but I feel he is too soft and one-dimensional to garner star status. And I’m not just referring to hitting, although I would have expected more from a player listed at 6’3”, 200 pounds. At his size he should be tough on the puck and difficult to play against defensively.

I was not upset that he was traded.

Then I heard the news that Mike Richards had also been discarded. As opposed to Carter, Richards is exactly what I look for in a hockey player. He plays beyond his size and talent level, plus he does all of the little things that do not show up on a stat sheet. He was my favorite Flyer, and I was extremely upset to see him go.

So there I stood, relieved that I wouldn’t have to spend the next 11 years watching Carter skate up and down the ice like he is wearing a back brace and hugely disappointed that a heart-and-soul guy like Richards was not allowed more time to succeed.

It was like the old joke about having mixed emotions watching your mother-in-law drive over a cliff in your brand new Porsche.

Carter’s departure had been rumored for months, but the Richards’ deal was a real shocker. The Flyers had enough salary cap room to sign goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov by trading Carter alone and considering that the team will most likely only save around $1 million on the salary cap by moving Richards, his departure was clearly not done purely for financial reasons.

Now I could hypothesize the reason Richards was moved. We have all heard that he wasn’t good in the locker room and had disagreements with his head coach and saw that he wasn’t savvy with the media. It could be easily surmised that he would have been a distraction for the team after his best friend was traded.

Perhaps it was a combination of all of those factors; however, I will leave that for the pundits to debate since I have no first-hand knowledge of the situation. 

And now that I’ve had time to reflect on the trade, I’m actually happy for Richards. He no longer has the weight of an entire franchise on his shoulders and he will not be forced to interact with the spiteful and demanding Philadelphia media simply because someone decided put a “C” on his chest.

Richards can be himself and will join a solid team in the Los Angeles Kings that are better today simply by adding him to their roster. However, the real question is if the Flyers are better today with him gone.

It’s possible that the Richards trade proves to be good for both teams. Brayden Schenn could end up being great replacement at center and Wayne Simmonds could fulfill the promise that he has displayed at times in LA.

However, the Flyers are also a team whose top two defensemen are on the down side of their career, so one would believe a reloading of this nature would occur after giving it a shot with a veteran goaltender and a playoff-proven center.

And while it may not have been possible to sign Bryzgalov and keep both Carter and Richards while still keeping your defense intact, surely Richards could have been useful for the simple fact that you know what you are getting.

There are now so many questions for the Flyers at forward. Will Danny Briere stay healthy? Will Claude Giroux be able to sustain his production if he is the opponent’s main focus? Will James van Riemsdyk pick up where he left off in the playoffs or regress to his early 2010 form? Will Ville Leino, if re-signed, bounce back from a miserable second half of the regular season and playoffs? Will Kris Versteeg play like he did for the Blackhawks?

That’s a lot of questions without even mentioning the unknown quantities that the Flyers received in the trades who are likely to be on the team. And no matter what you think of Richards off the ice, the fact is that he was the Flyers' most consistent forward on the ice over the last four years, and he will be very difficult to replace.

That being said, another thing that will need to be replaced is the target of blame for the team’s shortcomings now that Richards and the self-inflicted revolving door at the goaltender position are no longer an issue.

That means the pressure is not only on Bryzgalov, but on the newly anointed leader Chris Pronger, system-oriented head coach Peter Laviolette and, of course, the trigger man himself, Paul Holmgren.

So I guess we will see if a franchise goaltender, a veteran captain, an upbeat locker room and a good rapport with the media are truly the cure for 36 years of futility.

Even though it appears as if L.A. is mortgaging their future for a shorter but sweeter cup window, they have in fact done quite the opposite in trading Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn for Mike Richards.

To win a cup in the NHL, competitive as it is these days, takes a flawlessly constructed roster, one loaded with scoring power, dominant d-men, forward depth, defensive depth and goaltending. The Kings, quite frankly, were not close to that last year, and the sexy preseason cup pick that was the Kings got some premature praise.

Their playoff loss to the Sharks could be chalked up to Kopitar's absence for a Kings fan in denial, but they were thoroughly outmatched by San Jose and would have suffered losses to Vancouver, Detroit, and probably Chicago and Nashville as well.

The Kings' shortcomings, while not accurately charted by many fans, were well known to the team's brilliant front office. Realizing that they lacked scoring power and forward depth, they decided that they were in fact not just "one piece" away from legitimate cup contention like many thought they were.

Had L.A. kept Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn, they would have had superior forward depth to what they have now. Then, they likely would have gone out and signed a big free agent such as Brad Richards, thinking that he was the final piece.

But as next season's playoffs rolled around, the Kings would still find that they were lacking size on the wing and consistency from their third and fourth lines. Then they would be faced with the tough task of adding a couple more expensive pieces, and the 2011-12 season would essentially have been a waste.

But L.A. was too smart for this. They respect the time and effort it takes to build up Detroit, Boston, San Jose, Vancouver-like rosters, and how far away from this they truly were. 

So, rather than try to win it all this year and inevitably fail, L.A. moved forward depth for the second line center that they desperately needed in order to continue to build their offense. Now, L.A. has a weakened third line and lacks two future top-six guys, but has a stronger top six than before and has the cap room to address the winger void right now. 

They still will likely fall short of their ultimate goal this year, as their forward depth is weak and they don't have an excess of defensemen or prospects to correct this via trade. But this move ensures a return to the playoffs and gives the team a better chance at maybe even making it out of the first round, so long as they can grab a top-five seed.

Then, going into next offseason, the Kings will look incredibly strong, coming off their best season in years and lacking only forward depth. That will be enough to attract veterans that are hungry for cups (see: Malhotra to Vancouver).

This move was made because depth comes to you once everything else is in place, but it doesn't work the other way around. Going into 2012-13, L.A. will be a legitimate cup contender, and will likely win one sooner rather than later.

Two of the most talked about teams in the NHL over the past three years, and maybe even two of the more overrated teams, but is this the year that the Philadelphia Flyers and the Los Angeles Kings actually represent their conferences next June?

I do not want to make it sound like I am overzealous with the whole spectacle of the Flyers' decisions that resulted in blockbuster trades and signings that were made by the teams on Thursday, however, I do believe that several team weaknesses were addressed through them.

The difference between the Flyers and rebuilding teams such as the Oilers, Islanders,  and Avalanche, is that Philly already has its foundation. In other words, despite trading away two franchise centers, Paul Holmgren did not exactly blow this team up.

Philadelphia still has elite veteran leadership and high calibre talent in Chris Pronger, Daniel Briere, Kimo Timonen and Scott Hartnell. They also have young but highly experienced players in Ville Leino, Braydon Coburn, Claude Giroux, Kris Versteeg, Andrej Meszaros, Matt Carle, and even newly acquired Wayne Simmonds, who have all had significant playoff exposure.

Therefore, the Flyers already have a head start.

Most rebuilding teams start from scratch and acquire some of the missing leadership and experience during their young talent development, so it usually takes a few years for them to have a complete package to become a contender.

The Flyers are even more of a contender now, after signing one of the top five goalies in the league, Ilya Bryzgalov. Goaltending was clearly the biggest, and perhaps the only weakness of Philly in the 2011 postseason, but now, the void has been filled.

Giving up Mike Richards and Jeff Carter will definitely cause the Flyers to take a hit in the goal scoring department, but they are still a deadly offensive team with toughness from top to bottom. By all means, they will still be among the best teams in the East, and should have a good shot at winning the conference if they select the right captain, play appropriate styles, and are influenced by the right motives.

The Los Angeles Kings on the other hand, should continue to get better year by year, and have accelerated their development process with the acquisition of Mike Richards.

The fact that several sports books had them favored to win the division last season says a lot about the direction in which this team was already heading even before acquiring Richards.

Not only does this team now have more offensive depth when healthy, they also have a strong group of skilled forwards who are also responsible defensively, and also possess elements of physicality and toughness.

Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, Dustin Brown, Justin Williams, Dustin Penner, Michal Handzus, Alex Ponikarovsky and Jarret Stoll, form a core offensive package composed of size, talent, toughness and experience, similar to that of the Boston Bruins main offensive units. Support players such as Kyle Clifford and Bran Richardson have demonstrated that they can be effective role players in the playoffs as well.

On defense, the Kings continue to solidify by season. Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson, talented and significant as they already are, will continue to improve even more, while veteran defensemen such as Matt Greene, Rob Scuderi and Willie Mitchell will bring a presence of playoff experience and leadership if they continue to remain with the team next June. Alec Martinez will also continue to develop into a good player, and has the right mentors on his side.

Jonathan Quick has proven that he can perform in high pressure situations, and it helps that he now has a few rounds of playoff experience.

Truly, despite these two teams being among the deepest overall in the league next season, there will be several possible contenders as usual. By no means were the trades this week the only factor in why I believe that this could be a possible Stanley Cup matchup. Both of these teams have had, and will continue to experience complex development situations, and will probably both acquire more pieces that will complement their growth.

However, I think that a combination of the positive situation of the direction of where these two teams are heading, with the addition of their new members, may be appropriate to drive them to new heights in next year's postseason.   

On June 23rd, the Philadelphia Flyers made a historically significant collection of trades and roster moves. Perhaps the most significant was moving team captain Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings for Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn, and a second-round draft pick.

Simmonds is a young, gritty forward who pairs his physical game play with an ability to produce points. He will fit perfectly into the orange and black uniform this fall.

Schenn has seen little playing time in the NHL, but is touted as one of the league's greatest prospects and could be ready for the NHL as early as next season.

His potential is regarded in such a light that Kings general manger had been reluctant to give him up until a player of Richards' stature became available.

While the fairness of the trade in terms of will be unknown until Schenn is seen playing full-time in the NHL, many are questioning how the captain of a team was traded in what seemingly may have been a salary dump of sorts.

Mike Richards earned his captaincy and became a fan favorite in Philadelphia through a relentless playing style.

A finalist for the 2009 Selke Trophy, Richards was known for being an excellent two-way forward who wasn't afraid to throw around his body.

"Richie" was also no stranger to dropping his gloves, having fought an average of six times per season until 2011.

Richards was a skilled, physical, hard-working captain of the Philadelphia Flyers, which drew unavoidable comparisons to hockey legend Bobby Clarke.

Richards was a fan favorite in Philadelphia; his jersey was one of the most popular dawned inside of the Wells Fargo Center, and the sixth-most sold of this past NHL season.

However, during this past season Richards showed signs of change, and seemed to play with less intensity.

Earlier in his career, Richards was willing to drop his gloves and swing hard against an experienced fighter in Arron Asham in order to wake up his team.

While fighting isn't the captain's job, it was his duty to inspire his team by whatever means necessary. Events like that were lacking this past season.

Before a game against the New York Rangers turned into a 7-0 blowout, Richards' half-attempted to fire up the Flyers by taking a run at Brandon Dubinsky, but failed to follow during the fight. Richards seemed disinterested as he looked and leaned away for most of the fight.

Other instances which showed lack of emotion included certain post-game interviews from this past season.

After an atrocious no-goal and penalty call during a game against the Calgary Flames on November 26, 2010, Richards' emotions contrasted those which a team leader would be expected to exude.

During and after the game, Chris Pronger was visibly irate with having a win stolen from the Flyers. Mike Richards did not seem to care as much in his interview.

After a game against the New York Rangers on January 16, 2011 in which the Rangers' Sean Avery went after non-fighter Matt Carle during a scrum, fought him, and continued to hit him while Carle was down on the ice, Mike Richards said “I’m sure Matt (Carle) would take a couple of punches to get an important win.”

In other words, Richards didn't mind seeing a teammate get beat up. Clearly this is a different player than the one who used to care enough about his teammates to stick up for them.

Once again, it isn't Richards' job to fight. However, no captain of the Philadelphia Flyers should ever say anything resembling what he uttered after that game.

Another disgusting remark apparently made by the Flyers captain was a complaint during the 2011 playoffs.

In a pathetic statement, Richards cried to the referees regarding the Buffalo Sabers, "They're getting away with murder."

During an interview after a fight-filled game against the Ottawa Senators on January 20th, 2011 Richards said "I don't like fighting."

That is an awfully peculiar statement from a hockey player who had fought 53 times since the start of his 2001-2002 season in the OHL.

A physical player does not just stop hitting and fighting. After watching Richards play in more than 90 games this past season, it was clear to many Flyers fans that something was different about him.

It seemed that Richards was content with himself and did not feel the same drive to win that led to the historic image of him diving towards Jaroslav Halak of the Montreal Candiens during the clinching game of the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals.

Mike Richards was traded yesterday afternoon, but the captain Philadelphia loved had been missing long before that.

Danny Briere may have an idea of what sparked such a drastic day of trading which included moving another core player, Jeff Carter, to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Briere told NHL.com in an interview, "...the message that I got from that was … our goal is to win the Stanley Cup. The last two years, we had the team to win the Stanley Cup and we didn't succeed, we didn't reach our goal. This organization isn't going to sit back and let the parade go by. That's the message I got. Come next year everybody better be ready to go. They're not going to just sit back."

The 2011 Draft is at our doorstep and the Edmonton Oilers have been talked about with rumours of a first-overall pick being traded gaining strength by the day—but it was the Flyers who made the headlines first with two unexpected moves.

Mike Richards and Jeff Carter have been faces of the franchise for the past few years and it came as a total surprise seeing their names related to trades. GM Paul Holmgren said, "Those are two hard phone calls to make."

That is a rather gentle way of putting it. We are not talking about trades involving Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, but Richards and Carter are still the Flyers' captain and one of their top forwards, respectively, but you can't really disagree with his reasoning.

Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk have put up solid numbers for the Flyers in the last few years and the "overload in the middle" mentioned by Holmgren could certainly be a factor that would hold back their development. In acquiring Brayden Schenn they do get more size on the wing.

In fact, all the players acquired in both trades come with the future in mind—even the near future, with a No. 8 pick in this year's Draft. Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds and Schenn are all under 23, so should any of them underperform, their young ages would definitely give the Flyers some room to work out a good deal in a potential trade. Of course, being so young gives them enough of a margin to develop and establish themselves as top NHL players.

The big reason these deals were made is Ilya Bryzgalov. It is known that good players are costly—this fact is even more true when we talk about goaltenders. The recent netminder issues teams all around the NHL have had has made good netminders invaluable assets to any roster. Bryz is no exception.

The Russian has taken the Phoenix Coyotes' crease by storm since leaving Anaheim and has become one of the most solid performers in net over the last few years.

Together with some unexpected issues from the Flyers' masked men—especially after last season's performances from Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher—Bryzgalov became a must have for them. The need to provide the defensemen with some support in their own backs was set as Holmgren's priority for next season and this deal fulfills exactly that.

Also, Sergei Bobrovksy's development is their other main concern. You can't really argue that Bobrovsky is set to become a solid goaltender in the future and, although having ice time is not seen as a negative thing, stepping up because of poor performances from the supposedly No. 1 goalie(s) adds unnecessary extra pressure—pressure a young goaltender can go without.

The Flyers are renewing their roster, trying to do things the right way—building up from goaltending to the forwards. The real question here is this: was it really necessary to "sacrifice" Mike Richards and Jeff Carter? Only time will tell.

Looking at it from a salary cap perspective, definitely. Bryzgalov would have become a free agent if Philadelphia hadn't signed the 31-year-old, and such a move also shows commitment in acquiring him.

The same goes for Giroux and van Riemsdyk. Paul Holmgren sees them as top-liners for the Flyers and freeing roster space for them to step up can only give them a confidence boost for the upcoming season.

From a roster depth perspective, it has to be considered a step back. Playing mentalities aside, losing Carter and Richards is a blow that can only be dealt with by changing the way the team will play—whether it's a successful change, is something yet to be seen.

The Flyers made some huge moves on Thursday, with two prominent player trades and a free-agent signing. In the process, they have performed a major renovation on the team’s roster.

It had been rumored that they were trying to trade top scorer Jeff Carter in an attempt to gain some room under the salary cap. So it wasn’t a huge surprise when he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

It was also unsurprising when the team used that newly acquired cap space on a contract for free agent goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. They had acquired Bryzgalov’s exclusive negotiating rights in a trade and had reportedly been close to agreeing to a deal.

The surprising move came when they traded team captain Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings.

Considering how the team had been operating recently, the moves are somewhat confusing.

For the past few seasons, Richards and Carter have been the faces of the franchise. Richards had been regarded as one of the top leaders in the NHL, and Carter had developed into a dangerous offensive weapon. 

And while this year’s second-round loss to the eventual champion Boston Bruins was disappointing, the team was one year removed from an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. It wasn’t like the team hadn’t experienced any success with Richards and Carter, so it seems a bit strange to get rid of them now.

The Flyers have been in ”win now” mode for the past couple of seasons. All of their recent moves had been geared towards winning the Stanley Cup in the near future. They have traded away many draft picks in exchange for veteran players (Chris Pronger, Andrej Meszaros, Kris Versteeg) who would help them immediately.

The acquisition of Bryzgalov seemed to be in step with that “win now” mentality. The team had made it clear that they blamed their goaltending situation for this year’s defeat. In response, they traded for the rights to Bryzgalov who they regarded as the top available goalie. He would hopefully be the missing piece that they needed in order to finally win it all.

So why then turn around and trade two of the team’s core players in exchange for prospects and draft picks? Wouldn’t Richards and Carter have helped them more in the next few seasons than any of the players or draft picks they received?

Trading Carter is somewhat defensible. Bryzgalov’s new contract did not give the team much flexibility under the salary cap, so getting rid of Carter allowed them some financial breathing room. They also had a plethora of centers with Richards, Carter, Danny Briere and Claude Giroux, so Carter could have also been seen as expendable. Plus, despite his regular season scoring prowess, Carter has struggled in the playoffs.

Less explainable is the trade of Richards. While there was some talk that the team was unhappy with his play and demeanor in the locker room, he was still highly regarded throughout the league. And once again, he was only one season removed from captaining the team to the cup finals. With Carter gone, they didn’t seem to need to clear any more salary, so why did they make the move?

The trades did make the team considerably younger, and it’s not like they didn’t receive anything substantial in return. Wayne Simmonds looks like a solid third-line wing, and Jakub Voracek appears to be emerging as a scorer. 

In addition, Brayden Schenn, the prospect they received in exchange for Richards, is very highly regarded. But once again, are these players going to help the team as much as Carter and Richards would have in the next few seasons? It is difficult to say that.

There’s the possibility that this is not the last big move the Flyers make this offseason. Will the extra financial flexibility they gained be used to acquire another big name player? 

In the meantime, I’ll take a look at the winners and losers from all the moves as they stand now.

Loser: Jeff Carter

He had just signed a 11-year contract extension with the Flyers, and players don’t sign long-term extensions with a team unless they want to stay there. His mistake was that the no-trade clause in his contract didn’t begin until next season. He goes from a cup contender to a franchise that has never even won a playoff game.

Supposedly, Carter was also a big fan of the Philly nightlife. I’m guessing that he won’t find Columbus to be nearly that exciting.

Winner: Columbus 

Not only do they get a good player, this move also served to remind people that yes, Columbus, Ohio actually has a major league sports team. With uniforms and everything!

Winner: Mike Richards 

While I’m sure it’s a blow to his ego to be shipped out, this move might be the best thing for him.  He didn’t have a great relationship with the Philadelphia media, and he might be better served in Los Angeles, where the locals aren’t quite as passionate about hockey.

Winner: Ilya Bryzgalov 

He received a huge contract, and seems happy that he’ll have a chance to play on a contender.  He may not quite realize the amount of angst that Flyers fans have about the goalie position though. If he flames out in the playoffs, he will probably receive Donovan McNabb levels of scorn from the fans.

Loser: Sergei Bobrovski

It is never a good sign for the team’s “goalie of the future” when the team acquires another goalie and signs him to an expensive contract. If Bobrovski is going to be a starter in the NHL, it certainly doesn’t appear as if it will be with the Flyers.

Winner: Chris Pronger 

Some of the negative rumors about Richards involved him being at odds with Pronger, who many outsiders felt was the real leader of the team and should have been the captain.  Pronger almost certainly will receive the captainship now, and will be the undisputed leader of the team.

Loser: Fans with Richards or Carter jerseys 

Everyone knows that when you buy a player’s jersey, you’re taking a risk that the player might leave the team. But after Richards and Carter signed their long-term deals, their jerseys seemed like a pretty safe bet. Looks like there will be a lot of Flyers fans buying new jerseys this year.

Winner: Flyers merchandise sellers 

See above.

Winner: Claude Giroux 

The team seems to feel that he has superstar potential, and that with Richards and Carter gone, he will have an opportunity to show it. Will he be able to succeed where they did not and lead the team to a championship? We shall see.

Originally published on my blog: Stranger in a Strange Land