OILERS, FLYERS TRADE FOUR!
The Philadelphia Flyers acquired defenseman Jason Smith and winger Joffrey Lupul from the Edmonton Oilers for defenseman Joni Pitkanen, winger Geoff Sanderson and a third-round draft pick in 2009.
What does it give the Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers add more veteran presence and leadership on the back end with the addition of Smith, as well as a potential scoring winger in Lupul. Both players were not at their best last year, so there's plenty of room for improvement in their game. Smith could be paired with fellow newcomer Kimmo Timomen on the first pairing, or nurture one of several young Philly blueliners. Lupul is expected to play a second-line role next to Jeff Carter. The Flyers gave up a lot of potential in Pitknanen, but also unloaded a bad contract (Sanderson) in the process.
What does it give the Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers needed a No. 1 defenseman since the departure of Chris Pronger, and they're now banking on Pitkanen to fill that role. It cost them their captain (Smith) and a projected top-six winger, but GM Kevin Lowe didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Pitkanen was on Lowe's radar for quite some time, so the Finnish defender has pressure to perform. Sanderson merely fills out a roster at this stage of his career, so the other key element to the deal from the Oilers' perspective is the third rounder. The swap is fairly even today, but there is potential for the deal to sway one way or another down the road.
Fantasy impact
