Mike Richards traded to the Kings for Simmonds, Schenn

It appears as though the Philadelphia Flyers are cleaning house. Reports are now coming out that team captain Mike Richards has been traded to the Los Angeles Kings. In return, the Flyers will recieve forwards Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn.

We’re no stranger to hearing talks of a Richards trade, as it is said he was a poor leader both on and off the ice. However, as his leadership role is taken away in L.A., Richards will have more of a chance to focus on his offensive game. He could really shine playing alongside a guy like Anze Kopitar.

The young Wayne Simmonds will be a great fit on an agitating Flyers team. He won’t be counted on for many goals, but could really shine as a secondary player the same way he did the past two seasons in L.A. He’ll also be more than willing to contribute by throwing his body around a bit.

Brayden Schenn is a gifted young prospect, but has only seen ice time in nine NHL games. While he suited up for four different squads last season, his most notable impact was with the Saskatoon Blades. In only 27 games, Schenn picked up 21 goals and 32 assists. The Flyers won’t count on him producing that much so soon, but he may prove to be a huge pick-up for a team that traded away two of their primary scoring threats.

The Flyers have now traded away nearly 60 goals from last season, and over 130 points. Despite that, I think this move will be great for both parties. Last season, Claude Giroux led the team in scoring with 76 points. He’ll stick around and be the team’s top offensive threat once again. In addition, I think next season will be a great year for James van Riemsdyk. He had seven goals in eleven post-season games, and will be ready to carry that over into next season.