Philly insider @CPHL_ElliottePhriedman has confirmed:
To Toronto:
Wayne Simmonds (72OV)
To Philly:
Mikkel Boedker (70OV)
Alex Burrows (66OV)
2016 3rd (TOR)
Some jalepeno havarti
We were super excited to originally get Simmonds, but he's proven useless while in Philly, unable to play with the top line. He's also in the top 5 for CPHL penalty minutes, making the team work harder on the PK. This one was a huge factor, as we noticed his stats for PIM (4th in the NHL) have more than doubled this year over last year. He's 3nd in CPHL goals, so Toronto gets the BPA, for sure. But we're very afraid that his already low discipline rating of 64 drops even more next year, becoming even more of a liability.
We were excited about getting him, and wish it had worked out, but wish him all the best in Toronto.
Burrows comes in as playoff insurance. He's a bum...there's no sugar coating it at all. But his ability to play any forward position means we have post season injury coverage if needed. He's strictly a rental and we have no intention of gridding him.
From our viewpoint, Mikkel Boedker is the key to this trade. Although he gets little love on this board, GM JonDuke is a big fan and still thinks there's plenty of potential. He's on the verge of having a career year and 7 points away from doubling his last seasons' point total. Even if he gets just a small raise in rating, his $2.5 x 3 year contract will be a steal. What remains to be seen is what Colorado does with him in the off season. Either way, we're excited to follow his progress and hope he surpasses what most people believe he's capable of.
We'll experiment with him on the top line for now to see if there's any chemistry. Looking forward, Philly brass expect Brayden Schenn to get a decent re-rate, and we expect Bodeker to ultimately slot in on the 3rd line.
Big thanks to Devo for the multiple back and forths, and being so patient with me on this one.
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