Two years ago, the Philadelphia Flyers made a very surprising, but necessary trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Both teams were looking to trade players who looked as if they just needed a change of scenery. In a rate star-for-star player swap, Philly sent Jakub Voracek to Columbus for Cam Atkinson. Both were players in their early 30s but still had a lot of hockey left in them – or so we thought.
The trade was also one of those trades that worked out quite well, initially. In his first season with the Blue Jackets, Voracek scored just six goals but his 56 assists were good enough to give him a team-leading 62 points. Likewise, Atkinson’s 23 goals were just one behind team leader James van Riemsdyk. His 27 assists were second to only Travis Konecny’s 36, and his 50 total points trailed Konecny by just two.
Then, last season happened and everything went wrong. Voracek got concussed and will probably never play hockey again. Atkinson never made it through training camp. He was hurt, with a then-undisclosed injury, and despite some close calls, never suited up for the Flyers. At the end of the season, he expressed his disappointment with missing the entire year.
What makes last season such a downer for Atkinson is the fact that it would’ve reunited him with fellow Blue Jackets transplant John Tortorella. Under the guidance of Torts, Atkinson had the best seasons of his career, toiling away for a mediocre team in central Ohio. During their time together, Atkinson scored 154 goals and 136 assists, playing the best hockey of his career. That’s not too shabby.
More than that, Tortorella has a “reputation” with his players. We saw some of this play out with Kevin Hayes and Tony DeAngelo this past season. We also saw this in Columbus with some of the Blue Jackets players. However, Atkinson was not one of them. He took well to Tortorella’s playing style and flourished under his tutelage. More than that, he was expected to be a leader for the Flyers and help to adapt them to the demands of their new coach.
Perhaps had Atkinson been able to play, he may have been able to bridge the gap between Hayes, DeAngelo, and the coach. Maybe not. Either way, Atkinson’s leadership was as missed as much as his scoring touch. If he can compete this year at any level, it will be well worth it.
Atkinson has two years left on his contract, and he’ll be 36 when it expires. This could be his last contract depending on his health. You can almost guarantee that he wants to go out on his terms instead of having his body fail him. If he can hit the ice this year, he is going to prove to the NHL world that he still has some gas left in the tank.