From Puck Daddy, Greg Wyshynski at Yahoo!...
Acquired D Kyle McLaren from San Jose for a 2009 sixth-round pick; acquired F Daniel Carcillo from Phoenix for F Scottie Upshall and a 2011 second-round pick.
Unable to do something significant, the Flyers added a veteran castoff to the blue line and a traded one of their most tenacious and well-liked forwards for a guy who's still trying to figure out if he's Milan Lucic or a less clinically insane Steve Downie. Combined with the waiver banishments of veterans Glen Metropolit and Ossi Vaananen, this was a cost-effective deadline for the Flyers -- if not necessarily one that elevates the roster to elite status. GRADE: B.-
From Sam Carchidi's philly.com blog, Broad Street Bull...
My first reaction: The Broad Street Bullies are being resurrected, and that won’t work in today’s speed-first NHL.(Carcillo and Flyers winger Riley Cote are second in the NHL with 18 fights each.)
Still, general manager Paul Holmgren deserves a mulligan. In two years, he has transformed the Flyers from a laughing stock to one of the Eastern Conference’s elite teams.
One bad week, and it was a forgettable one for the man they call Homer, shouldn’t mask his superb two-plus years as the Flyers’ GM.
...
And today they traded Upshall, whose speed and hustle will be missed in the playoffs, for a player who has three goals and a reputation for taking foolish penalties.
Oh, and the Flyers also had to throw in a 2011 second-round draft pick.
Talk about overpaying!
So, in the last week, the Flyers’ close-knit chemistry has been shaken and they have lost considerable depth.
That means the Flyers cleared $341,000. They now have about $900,000 of cap room available and have flexibility if they want to recall a player from the AHL Phantoms in the event of a injury or illness. Now they won’t have to send Giroux back to the minors to free cap space.
Carcillo should become a fan favorite. He is a fearless checker and a good fighter (9-5-4 this season).. And the Flyers are hoping he can regain his modest scoring touch (13 goals in 57 games last year) and become more than a fighter.
It wasn’t a good trade, by any stretch of the imagination. But Carcillo will offer protection for smallish forwards Giroux and Briere, I’m assuming he’ll be on their line, and his hard-nosed style will keep opponents on their toes.Fans are disappointed by today's developments. They liked Upshall’s hustle. They were hoping the Flyers upgraded their defense by adding Jay Bouwmeester or Chris Pronger.
But give Holmgren a mulligan. The talented Flyers didn’t get better today, but, thanks to the GM’s moves over the last two years, they still have a legitimate chance to go deep into the playoffs.
More reaction after the jump.
We're still trying to figure this one out. We'd hoped if Upshall or Lupul were dealt, it would be for defense help/depth, not a low-line forward known for taking too many penalties. Carcillo is the NHL leader in PIM, and the Flyers' biggest current weakness is spending too much time in the box. I hope we're all collectively missing the silver lining, but I imagine this deal boils down to straight cash—whether it's for cap cushioning or another deal... we don't know...
I grasp the intellectual reasoning behind this trade, but I won’t say I’m a huge fan. I genuinely enjoy Scottie Upshall, both for his high energy style of play and his consistent work ethic this year. Once again he’s departing a playoff-bound group for another rebuilding team that likely won’t achieve a playoff berth, the disappointment of which I can only imagine.
I recall an episode of FlyerBuzz TV in which Upshall talked passionately about his belief that the current team had the type of bond that championship teams have. Yes, I know all players say that. But from the look on his face, you could tell this wasn’t just another careless and rehearsed statement for an interview. Hopefully Upshall will find another such situation in Phoenix.