From the “only out of Philadelphia” file comes this beauty, from Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch:
Sources have told The Dispatch that the blockbuster trade swung between the Blue Jackets and Flyers on June 23, 2011, could have been much larger in scope, perhaps in a way that would have assuaged [Jeff] Carter’s feelings toward playing for the Blue Jackets.
After weeks of haggling between Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren and then-Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson – did the Jackets want Carter or Mike Richards? would the Jackets include a prospect, first-round pick, and maybe another decent pick? – the two sides began to narrow in on a deal that would send promising left wing Jake Voracek, a first-round pick, and a third-round pick to the Flyers for the veteran Carter.
Holmgren hemmed and hawed for a few days until GMs began showing up in St. Paul and Minneapolis for the draft.
Holmgren called Howson the day before the draft in the morning to tell him he was ready to make the move, but not before he dropped a bombshell on Howson’s lap, one that staggered him and forced him to sit down:
“You want ‘em both?” Holmgren asked Howson, meaning Carter and Richards.
While the Jackets might’ve wanted both, they could not afford it -- at least according to Howson (who, it should be noted, declined to comment on the report.)
Undeterred, Howson still managed to swing the Carter deal -- in exchange for Jakub Voracek and the eighth overall pick at the ’11 draft -- and Holmgren was able to ship Richards to LA (on the same day, no less) in exchange for Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds.
The Carter era in Columbus wasn’t great. He did score 15 goals and 25 points in 39 games for the Jackets, but seemed lukewarm on the idea of sticking in Columbus and was flipped to Los Angeles at the ’12 trade deadline for Jack Johnson and a first-round pick.