Philadelphia Flyers Trade Lecavalier & L.Schenn to Los Angeles
By Ryan Ritchie
Philadelphia Flyers Trade Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn to Los Angeles for Jordan Weal and 3rd Round Draft Pick
The floodgates opened on Wednesday; The Philadelphia Flyers trade Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn to Los Angeles in exchange for Jordan Weal and a third round draft pick. TSN reported the Flyers will retain 50 percent of both players salaries.
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"via NHL.com,Lecavalier has one assist in seven games this season and hasn’t played since Nov. 12. He had eight goals and 12 assists in 57 games last season.He’s in the third season of a five-year contract worth $22.5 million, according to war-on-ice.com.“I still believe in what I can do and what I can bring,” Lecavalier told ESPN.com writer Pierre LeBrun. “I can bring leadership, whatever role a team would want me to do. I can play solid both ways. It’s just a matter of having the chance to have some type of role. Whatever role that is, I’d be ready to fill it and help that team win. That’s the most important thing at my age (35) and where I’ve been; the last few years have been really tough. I just really want to win and help be part of that puzzle to help a team win.”TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported Lecavalier’s agent, Kent Hughes, said Lecavalier intends to retire at the end of this season. The No. 1 pick in the 1998 NHL Draft has played 1,170 games with the Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning.Schenn, 26, has two goals and five points in 29 games this season. He’s in the final season of a five-year contract worth $18 million, according to war-on-ice.com, and can become an unrestricted free agent. His brother, Brayden Schenn, is a forward with the Flyers.Weal, 23, made his NHL debut with the Kings this season and is scoreless in 10 games."
Both teams should benefit from the trade.
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From a Kings Point of View
For Los Angeles, additional defensive depth was their only need heading into 2015-16 after the departure of Andrej Sekera, and emigration of Slava Voynov. The gaping void was evident at the beginning of the season when LA was one of the slowest teams out of the gates. They’re currently featuring Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez, Brayden McNabb, Christian Ehrhoff, Jamie McBain, and Derek Forbort on the blueline. Jeff Schultz played one game for LA before being demoted to AHL Ontario. Their other depth defender, Matt Greene, is now ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Luke Schenn is a physical stay-at-home defender who offers very little offensively. There’s a chance he replaces Derek Forbort as the number seven on the Kings back-end. Although, he’s a good enough defenseman to be a solid upgrade on Jamie McBain on the bottom pair. Regardless, the addition of Schenn gives the Kings enough defensive depth to make another run at a Stanley Cup.
Vincent Lecavalier seems to be the main talking point of the trade, even though he’s the most insignificant piece or factor in this entire deal. Lecavalier’s agent Kent Hughes, already announced his client’s intention to retire at the end of 2015-16. He’s only suited up in seven games this season, and hasn’t played since November 12th. His numbers have steadily declined since his later years in Tampa Bay, and he’s not about to finish with a bang. He’ll play some games with Los Angeles, but don’t be surprised if he sees more time in the press box than he does playing. He was a waste of a roster spot in Philly, and will continue to do the same until season’s end in Los Angeles. The Kings did the Flyers a favor by allowing them to open up that roster spot, even if they’re absorbing half his salary.
From a Flyers Point of View
Not a lot to get excited about with the return haul. The third rounder is a solid score given the difficulty of prying away draft picks from GMs nowadays.
Jordan Weal is a former 70th overall pick from 2010 who’s spent most of this season in the press box. He’s coming off two productive seasons in the AHL, 70 points in 2013-14, and 69 points in 2014-15. At 5’10 179lbs, Weal is a talented playmaking center who sees the ice extremely well. Unlike some players with his physical stature, Weal’s size is the only thing preventing him from regular NHL duties. He’s easy to knock off the puck, and struggles to win puck battles. He’s only 23, so there’s still room for development and adding bulk to his small frame. Weal could end up being a quality third/fourth line center in Philly for years to come.
Most important for Philadelphia wasn’t the return in this deal. What matters most is the cap relief and roster space freed up to make way for additional moves. The Flyers sit near the basement of the Eastern Conference with just 16 wins in 38 games. Losing a couple bad contracts, and adding a bottom six forward does little to fix the problem. Don’t be surprised if Philadelphia made this trade to open up enough cap space to make an impact move. Whether it be Wayne Simmonds, Sean Couturier, Brayden Schenn, or Matt Read, it wouldn’t be shocking to see at least one dealt.
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The Flyers also have a dilemma in-goal (again? Philly is a black hole for goaltenders). Michal Neuvirth is playing excellent this year, but he’s not a long-term solution. Hopes were that Steve Mason and Neuvirth might co-exist together as a 1/1A tandem. There’s still a chance that happens, but, Steve Mason is struggling thus far. They’ll role the dice with the duo to finish off the season, just don’t be surprised if Philadelphia is on the market for a starting goalie once again next summer.