Simon Gagne

With the NHL preseason only a few weeks away, it’s only a matter of time before NHL analysts and enthusiasts across Canada and the United States start making their predictions about the 2010-11 season and playoffs. And if the Philadelphia Flyers’ 09-10 campaign taught us anything, it is that we probably shouldn’t bother making predictions at all.

Today, I am going to take an in depth look at the Southeast division.

Washington Capitals

Key acquisitions: DJ King (only acquisition)

Key losses: Brendan Morrison, Joe Corvo, Shaone Morrison, Jose Theodore and Scott Walker

In case you needed another reminder that sports are a business, the Philadelphia Flyers trade of longtime winger Simon Gagne proves just that.

The fan favorite was the epitome of class both on and off the ice. However, on a team up against the cap and full of veterans with no-trade clauses, somebody had to go.

It's sad that the era of players starting and finishing their careers with one team is essentially over. There aren't many Steve Yzermans, Tony Gwynns or Cal Ripkens anymore.

For what it's worth, my sources tell me the bag of pucks the Flyers received in exchange for left wing Simon Gagne are indeed very nice pucks.

By now you have no doubt heard that the Simon Gagne era in Philadelphia ended yesterday, as the Flyers shipped their longest tenured player to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for journeyman defenseman Matt Walker and the Lightning's fourth-round draft selection in 2011.

That's all?

After ten years with the Flyers and giving it his all through thick and thin, Simon Gagne is gone.  Everyone has heard about it for about two weeks now that he will be a goner because the Flyers were 3.1 million over the cap and he only had a year left on his deal. but most thought that the deal was for a goalie.

In return the Flyers get Matt Walker and a Fourth Round Pick.

Wait.  What?

At the very least, this is hard to digest. For ten years, Simon Gagne called Philadelphia home.

He was as much a part of the city as the Liberty Bell or Ben Franklin. It’s easy to go the sentimental route with this, but that can be avoided. This is understandable. It is, as they say, a business.

It’s a business that has seen Philadelphia sports institutions like Brian Dawkins and Donovan McNabb go to Denver and Washington respectively. Bobby Abreu’s trade to the New York Yankees also comes to mind.

As everyone has been expecting, the Flyers pulled the trigger and traded away their longest-tenured player in Simon Gagne. But in an unexpected twist, the Flyers recieved next to nothing in return for a player who played such a large role in their recent Stanley Cup push.

After numerous rumors of Philadelphia Flyers forward Simon Gagne heading to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings, and everywhere in between, Simon Gagne has been traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Matt Walker and a fourth-round draft pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Tampa Bay could be turn out to be a nice landing spot for former Philadelphia Flyer Simon Gagné. 

The Lightning have acquired the veteran left winger for defenseman Matt Walker and a fourth round pick in the 2011 NHL draft. The 30-year-old Gagné will be joining fellow Québécois Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, and head coach Guy Boucher in Tampa.