The Philadelphia Flyers traded one of their top prospects, Cutter Gauthier, to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night. Just hours after the trade was made official, Flyers president of hockey operations Keith Jones got on the broadcast — since, you know, the Flyers were actually playing a game when this trade happened — and did not mince his words when it came to the reasoning behind the trade.
Simply put, they only want players who want to play in Philadelphia and can deal with being a Flyer, to be a Flyer.
“He didn’t want to be a Flyer,” Jones said on Monday night’s broadcast. “So, we had to come up with a plan, and fortunately, we were able to execute on that plan. His value would never be hire than it was after the World Junior Championship — it was only going to decrease if the word got out there. I have to give a lot of credit to the people we were negotiating with that they were able to keep this quiet.”
It was a very good point that this trade was supposedly in the works for several months. Gauthier apparently made it clear (eventually) that he was not going to sign with the Flyers after he wrapped up his collegiate career at Boston College this spring, and both general manager Danny Briere and Jones have been working the phones since.
Then, Jones made it clear with just 15 words. Maybe the best 15 words we could hear after the team traded away who was supposed to be one of the better players on this team for the next decade.
“If you don’t want to be a Flyer, you’re not going to be a Flyer,” Jones said emphatically. “And we are very pleased in the return that we got. A player that we coveted and were searching for, in Jamie Drysdale. A right-handed-shooting defenseman that was a former sixth-overall pick. He’s got skill and we’re looking forward to seeing him get into our lineup. It’ll be an emotional time in Anaheim for him. He’s an extremely popular player and a great person, so can’t wait to meet him.”
Sometimes it is just as plain as that. Instead of trying to plead and beg a player to play for your team, if he doesn’t want to be there, don’t let him be and then get a player you have been wanting for a while now, instead.
It is refreshing to hear this from a member of the front office. To show some pride in running in this team and not letting a talented young player hold themselves above the team. It’s simple as that.
