Simon Gagne: The Definitive Trade Post

July 22nd, 2010 by Bill Sudell Leave a reply »
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.

In an uncapped world, the Flyers would not have dealt Gagne, and even if they did, the return would have been much greater than a depth defenseman and fourth round pick.

As disappointing as the trade is, it is not surprising.

This deal enabled the Flyers to go from about $1.4 million over the $59.4 million cap to nearly $1.1 million under it at the time of the move.

Gagne will earn $5.25 million this season and can become an unrestricted free agent after the year.

The 22nd overall pick in 1998 netted 17 goals in an injury-plagued 2009-10 season, but he scored nine goals in 19 playoff games.
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Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
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