June 18, 2007
Flyers acquire Timonen, Hartnell, sign both to deals TheFourthPeriod.com
The Philadelphia Flyers have acquired defenseman Kimmo Timonen and winger Scott Hartnell from the Nashville Predators in exchange for the 23rd overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
The Flyers then signed Timonen to a six-year, $37.8 million contract ($6.3 million, per season), and Hartnell to a six-year, $25.2 million contract ($4.2 million, per season).
The Predators, who would not have been able to re-sign both players, received its own first round pick back that it originally gave to the Flyers as part of the Peter Forsberg trade.
"We expected both Scott and Kimmo to be among the most sought after at their respective positions when the unrestricted free agent marketplace opens on July 1, and it did not appear as if we were going to be able to sign either player before then," said Predators GM David Poile. "That being said, we received a first-round pick for the exclusive right to negotiate with two players who ultimately could have hit the market in two weeks.
"Timonen was our team captain this past season and an All-Star. Hartnell is a young player that we drafted, inserted in our lineup at age 18, and saw develop into a 25-goal scorer. Both of these players have been important contributors to our franchise's success and we wish them the best going forward."
Timonen, 32, notched 13 goals and 42 assists for 55 points in 80 games for the Predators last season.
Hartnell, 25, registered 22 goals and 17 assists for 39 points in 64 games with the Predators in 2006-07.
Both players would have become unrestricted free agents July 1.
Timonen has played in 573 career NHL games and has recorded 79 goals, 222 assists and 348 penalty minutes. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 10th round (250th overall) in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.
In 436 career NHL games, Hartnell has accumulated 93 goals, 118 assists and 544 penalty minutes. He was originally drafted sixth-overall by the Predators in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.
If an impending sale of the Predators to take them out of Nashville wasn't bad enough, fans can now cry over losing their best defenseman and up-and-coming power forward. With the ownership situation still up in the air, the team really had no other choice but to move these two players as they weren't positive if they'd be able to re-sign them. With Paul Kariya and Peter Forsberg (who might retire) left, one wonders if the Predators will do the same with Kariya.
