Kings claim Randy Jones, now a Flyer in payroll only

The Randy Jones era is officially, unequivocally over in Philadelphia.

Called up from Adirondack and placed on re-entry waivers a day ago by the Flyers, Jones was claimed by the Los Angeles Kings today, just before the 24-hour window to place a claim was closed. The move means the Kings take all of Jones' rights, but the Flyers have to pay half his salary without getting anything in return. He makes $2.75 million this year (and his contract expires in July), meaning that Philadelphia is on the hook for about $1.37 million. That money goes against the salary cap.

It's a smart move for the Kings, who essentially get Jones at a price he's actually worth. As Flyers fans know quite well, his performance with the orange and black was not worth his hefty salary, causing him to fall out of favor with the faithful, before eventually doing the same with management. His demotion to Adirondack was a clear indication from Paul Holmgren and company that a mistake was made when Jones was given that contract back in July of 2008.

This move is painful for us in Philly. Some may look at the plus side and say that Jones is off the roster, but the fact of the matter is that the guy did have some worth, and the fact that we're now getting nothing for him while still having the insult of paying half his contract is plenty of fuel to make us bitter. In fact, it's really unacceptable.

Here's what former Flyers head coach and current Kings head coach Terry Murray had to say about Jones, courtesy of LA Kings Insider:

"Well, he’s a pretty good player. He’s a player who plays in all situations. He can play on your power play. He’s a good penalty-kill defending player. He’s a pretty good all-around player, so when he does get into the lineup, there won’t be any hesitation in any one of those situations."

Murray also said that Jones is "thrilled" to be getting back into the NHL.