The Philadelphia Flyers have traded forward Scott Hartnell to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for R.J. Umberger and a fourth-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Umberger, 32, was not coy about his desire to leave Columbus. As a result, Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen did everything in his power to find the left winger a new home during the offseason. If Kekalainen wasn’t able to successfully move Umberger, it’s safe to say the Pittsburgh native would’ve potentially been bought out by the organization.
Instead, the Jackets essentially turned that probable buyout into 32-year-old Scott Hartnell, an effective, hardworking player who will thrive under head coach Todd Richards’ system.
Hartnell, a Regina, Canada, native, carries a cap hit of $4.75 million for the next five seasons. Last year, he recorded 20 goals and 32 assists for a combined 52 points in 78 games played with the Flyers. Over his 13-year NHL career, he has produced 250 goals and 537 points in 953 total games.
“We are proud and excited to welcome Scott Hartnell to the Columbus Blue Jackets as he is the epitome of the type of player we want in our organization,” said Kekalainen. “He is a talented, tough, hard-working player who brings valuable experience and leadership on and off the ice. We believe he will fit in very well with our group and be an important part of our team moving forward. We would also like to thank R.J. for his years of service to our club and extend our best wishes to him and his family.”
Umberger, who is in the middle of a similar contract, is signed through the 2016-17 season with a cap hit of $4.6 million. His 18 goals and 16 assists for 34 points in 74 games played with the Blue Jackets last year marked a disappointing and underwhelming performance for the sixteenth overall pick in the 2001 Entry Draft. In 673 games played in the league, Umberger has 366 points and is a minus-56.
While the decision to let Hartnell go was indeed a puzzling one from new GM Ron Hextall, it signals the beginning of what was promised to be an extremely busy offseason for Philadelphia.
For Columbus, the move will ultimately swing in their favor in terms of team-wide beneficial change. It’s quite apparent that Hartnell will be a welcomed addition to the Jackets lineup. Whether or not Umberger will provide the Flyers with any sort of similar positive impact remains to be seen.
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