The Kings moved to fortify the bottom end of their defense by acquiring defenseman Luke Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers, along with veteran forward Vinny Lecavalier.
Schenn, if all goes well, could give them the snarl and edge missing since the departures of Willie Mitchell (free agency) and Robyn Regehr (retirement). Vincent Lecavalier is ready for one more run at the Stanley Cup, and the Los Angeles Kings are giving him a chance.
Lecavalier’s agent Kent Hughes said that Lecavalier plans to retire at the end of the season.
He told ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun recently that he just wanted a chance to play, to finish his career on a high note.
According to a report, the Flyers will retain half of the salaries of both Schenn and Lecavalier. I just really want to win and help be part of that puzzle to help a team win.
Schenn, 26, has appeared in 29 games this season with the Flyers and has five points (2-3=5) and 30 penalty minutes.
Lombardi confirmed the Flyers will pay 50 percent of the salaries for both Lecavalier and Schenn, clearing up their own cap space in the process. The Lightning’s No. 1 overall pick in 1998 scored a modest 37 points in his first season with Philadelphia, but has just 21 points while playing in only 64 games since.
Lecavalier is well past his prime, and has only played in seven contests with Philadelphia this season, notching a single assist in those games.
The trade will see the Flyers pick up Jordan Weal, a known prospect who was the top scorer in the Calder Cup Playoffs a year ago and a third round pick for the upcoming draft.