|
The Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets hooked up to make a deal involving veteran wingers, both of whom have size and can score. Cordarrelle Patterson Jersey . Numbers Game looks into the trade that sends Scott Hartnell to Columbus for R.J. Umberger and a pick. The Blue Jackets Get: LW Scott Hartnell. Hartnell, 32, is coming off a season in which he scored 20 goals for the seventh time in his career and his 52 points represented the third-highest total of his career. Since joining the Flyers in 2007, hes one of eight players with at least 100 goals and 500 penalty minutes. While Hartnell does take more than his share of penalties, hes an aggravating player to play against, doesnt hesitate to go to the other teams net and has a tendency to fall, which means he also draws a lot of penalties. So long as hes healthy, Hartnell gets involved in the play. Despite his style of play, Hartnell is durable. Hes missed 23 games in seven seasons with the Flyers, including 16 games with a broken foot in 2013. Part of the reason that Hartnell has been so effective is that he has been riding shotgun alongside Claude Giroux for a good portion of the last handful of seasons. While Hartnell isnt necessarily the one driving play on that line, hes been a very good complement to Giroux and Jakub Voracek, most recently, as that trio has generated better possession numbers together than when they were apart. In Columbus, that ability to play with top talent, could give Hartnell a legitimate chance to spend time on the wing with Ryan Johansen on the Blue Jackets first line, though Boone Jenner and Nathan Horton can make some claims to those wing spots as well. Where this deal could become an issue for Columbus is that Hartnell is signed through 2019, thats five more seasons, at a cap hit of $4.75-million. Hartnell isnt the fleetest afoot already, so as he gets into his mid-thirties, that is only going to be more of an issue in a game that is getting ever faster. But, if Hartnell could fill a top six role for the next couple seasons, and a third or fourth line spot for a couple more, then maybe the last year could be tolerable when compared to what the Blue Jackets felt they could be getting out of Umberger going forward. The Flyers Get: LW R.J. Umberger and a fourth-round pick. Umberger is a 32-year-old who can play all three forward spots and is a five-time 20-goal scorer who has hit for 50 points or more three times in his career. This past season, Umbergers role was reduced, his 16:53 average time on ice representing his lowest since 2006-2007, when he was playing for Philadelphia. While Umberger doesnt stir things up the way Hartnell does, hes still a physical player, using his 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame to his advantage and Umberger is a stronger skater. The trouble for Umberger is that hes been getting worse as a possession player. He had some okay years mixed with some bad years earlier in his career, but Umberger has been thumped in possession terms over the past three seasons and virtually every one of his teammates has fared better without Umberger on the ice. That doesnt mean Umberger cant play. It does mean he was likely playing too big a role on a Columbus team that, until 2013-2014, has been on the wrong side of the scoreboard all too often. Where does Umberger fit in Philadelphia? Well, his flexibility does help in this respect. While Umberger isnt necessarily a natural choice to play with Giroux and Voracek, playing alongside Sean Couturier and Matt Read could be a possibility. Umberger has also played enough centre that he could fit into that spot if the Flyers juggle some pieces around when composing their lines. If Umberger isnt going to play on the Flyers top line, thats a plum opening. If it is going to come from within, Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn or Vincent Lecavalier could get that opportunity. Umberger is signed for three more seasons, at a cap hit of $4.6-million per season, so he doesnt provide much cap relief, aside from the fact that his deal runs a couple of years less than Hartnells. A fourth-round pick doesnt offer huge value, but of the 600 picks in the 91-120 range made between 1990 and 2009, just over 4% became top-six forwards, top-four defencemen or starting goaltenders, while just under 20% have played (or are most likely to play) 100 NHL games. Immediately, the Blue Jackets appear to be the better team for making this deal. Not that Hartnell holds a monumental advantage over Umberger, but hes been more productive and has fared positively no matter who he plays with. Umberger had requested a move out of Columbus, not appreciating his declining role, and he should have a chance to play a top nine role in an organization that he played with for the first three seasons of his NHL career but, in a vacuum, this deal makes the Flyers slightly worse. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Harrison Smith Jersey . The game has been rescheduled for Tuesday at 4:05 p.m. Tickets for Monday will be honoured Tuesday. The forecast Monday calls for heavy rain throughout the day. Jamarca Sanford Jersey . Bortles, one of three quarterbacks vying to be the first taken in the NFL Draft in May alongside Bridgewater and Johnny Manziel, helped his cause by impressing scouts with a clean performance at the UCF Pro Day Wednesday, according to reports.NEW YORK -- The visiting Columbus Blue Jackets were the latest team to use the New York Rangers home ice to their advantage. Matt Calvert, Artem Anisimov and David Savard scored in the first 11:10, and the Blue Jackets beat the Rangers 4-2 on Thursday night, sending New York to its fourth straight loss -- all at Madison Square Garden. "I have to say it was a blessing to go from one great organization to another," former Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky said. "Im glad to come in here and come out with a win. "I fired myself up so much." The Rangers, 0-3-1 in the first four games of a nine-game homestand, closed within 3-2 in the third period, but Ryan Johansen pushed Columbus lead back to two goals with 1:32 left. "Being home for nine in a row or whatever it is, its a chance for us to really propel ourselves up the standings," defenceman Dan Girardi said. "Its pretty unfortunate weve lost the first four. Hopefully we can figure out how to salvage the rest of the homestand and bring us back to .500." The Blue Jackets goalie tandem of Curtis McElhinney and Mike McKenna, who are subbing for injured reigning Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky, stopped 32 of 34 shots. Columbus (14-15-3) has won two in a row. Dominic Moore and Girardi scored for New York. Henrik Lundqvist was pulled after he stopped only 10 of 13 shots in the first period. "It was definitely not a good feeling," said Lundqvist, who made his fifth straight start since signing a long contract extension last week. "The biggest thing for me now is believing in what I do and staying confident. "Confidence is such an important thing in this game, and right now its not very high." Cam Talbot relieved Lundqvist and made 13 saves the rest of the way, allowing only Johansens goal between his pads. Columbus grabbed the lead just 38 seconds in on Calverts goal. He took a pass from Cam Atkinson at the blue line and burned defenceman Anton Stralman before ripping a shot that beat Lundqvist high. Anisimov increased the lead to 2-0 with his fourth of the season at 8:46. The former Rangers forward roofed Blake Comeaus feed over Lundqvist. Savards goal nearly eight minutes later pushed Columbus lead to three and ended Luundqvists night. Linval Joseph Jersey. "It was a great start," Columbus coach Todd Richards said. "Guys were ready for the game, and guys were geared up. There were a lot of subplots going on with this game, and I think the guys knew that. They were focused and energized. It was a great start." Moore got the Rangers within 3-1 at 14:08 with his first of the season. Moore backhanded Brad Richards feed past McElhinney. Girardis second of season at 11:07 of the third was as close as the Rangers (15-17-1) would get. "We need to build off what we did in the second half of the game," forward Brad Richards said. The Rangers generated 18 shots in the last two periods. "We had a push, and right before they score the fourth goal the puck is just lying on the goal line in traffic," Richards said. "When things are going differently, maybe that finds its way in. You get in a jam, its tough. "It seems like everything is going the wrong way, but you have to trust and believe that well have our time with it going that way, too." McElhinney was replaced by McKenna before the start of the second period. The Blue Jackets said McElhinney sustained a lower-body injury in the first period when he made 15 saves. McKenna stopped 17 shots in the final two frames. "You play this game so long," McKenna said. "Ive been in every situation. Im 30 years old. Ive seen it all. You just go in and play your game." NOTES: Rangers D Dylan McIlrath, recalled from Hartford (AHL) on Wednesday, made his NHL debut. McIlrath, the No. 10 pick in the 2010 draft, had seven points and 115 penalty minutes in 24 games with Hartford. ... The game marked the first game back in New York for ex-Rangers Anisimov and Dubinsky. The two, along with defenceman Tim Erixon and a draft pick, were traded to Columbus for Rick Nash, defenceman Steven Delisle and a pick. ... Nash, Richards and Girardi were alternate captains for the Rangers, who were without captain Ryan Callahan. He is expected to be out 4 to 6 weeks because of a knee injury sustained this week. New York D Marc Staal (concussion) missed his second game in a row. ... Columbus killed all three Rangers power plays. ... The new Metropolitan Division rivals will meet twice more this season. Cheap Jerseys ' ' ' |
