The trade that sent Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Los Angeles Kings for Jordan Weal and a draft pick took weeks to consummate.

In Dean Lombardi and Ron Hextall, you had two general managers who are competitive. They know each other well, and know each other’s organizations well.

“Hexy and I beat the piss out of each other for a month,” Lombardi joked in getting the deal done.

But once it was done, nobody was really surprised. The Kings and Flyers making a trade is nothing new. It’s like a trade between the Coyotes and Rangers -- as annual as the All-Star Game or Winter Classic. Coyotes GM Don Maloney has made eight trades with the Rangers since leaving New York to run the Coyotes.