Simon Gagne, left wing, was traded by the Los Angeles Kings back to his former team, the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday for a conditional draft choice. This means the Kings will receive a third-round pick from the Flyers if the Flyers make playoffs or a fourth-round pick if they do not.
Gagne was not fitting in properly with the Kings, according to General Manager Dean Lombardi.
“That said, this is an NHL player that’s proven to play on a good team,” he said. “You don’t want to do this unless you feel fairly comfortable on what you have coming through the minors.”
The Kings didn’t play Gagne for four games straight. Gagne had no goals and five assists in 11 games, according to Yahoo! Sports. He had not played since Feb. 17 in Chicago.
“I’m happy to get that chance,” Gagne told RDS Network. “It was tough not to play. I’m going to a place I know well.”
Gagne, 32, did not play many games during his time with the Kings because of a concussion and injuries. During the height of his career, 10 seasons of which he spent with the Flyers, Gagne scored 47 goals with 32 assists in 72 games.
To get Gagne back, the Flyers had to give up a fourth-round pick, meaning his value has decreased over time.
Some fans believe it may help Gagne’s game for him to return to the team he spent most of his career with and that the Flyers will not be greatly affected by him rejoining the team.
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