Over the last eight seasons, Wayne Simmonds became if not a Philadelphia Flyers franchise legend, at least a folk hero in the City of Brotherly Love. Understandably, even fans who believed it was time to move on from the 30-year-old winger found it hard to say goodbye to a player who qualified as the “favorite” for so many of them.



Apparently, it was hard for the Flyers to say goodbye as well. They waited until mere minutes remained ahead of the NHL trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET Monday before bidding adieu to one of the club’s core pieces.



The Flyers shipped Simmonds to the Nashville Predators on Monday for a two-asset package: 24-year-old winger Ryan Hartman and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft that will become a third-rounder if the Predators — who are expected to make a legitimate run at the Stanley Cup — win at least one playoff round.



For days, a trade appeared to be a foregone conclusion; Simmonds...