(Kate Frese/Sports Talk Philly)
By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
There wasn't too much out of the ordinary on the first night of the NHL Draft in June until the Flyers made an unpredictable move. With just five picks left in the first round, the Flyers traded Brayden Schenn to the St. Louis Blues to move back into the first round with the 27th overall pick and get a conditional first-round pick.
In addition, they acquired forward Jori Lehtera, who seemed like more of an afterthought in the trade.
For Lehtera, the news of being traded by the Blues certainly came as a shock, but the veteran forward is prepared to use that as motivation.
"I have no idea why [the Blues traded me], but I think it’s better for me that I got traded, so I don’t really care why," Lehtera said to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "That’s the business part of hockey. It’s always tough to leave when you know all of the guys and the city. But hockey-wise, it’s going to be good for me. I didn’t play well at the end, but I think a new start will be really good for me."
Lehtera had his worst season in terms of point production in 2016-17, posting just 22 points. Two seasons ago as a rookie in 2014-15, he scored 14 goals and added 30 assists for 44 points.
Lehtera attributed some of the struggles last season to an early start. The forward served as one of the members of Team Finland at the World Cup of Hockey, so playing in competitive games so early in the season may have hurt his performance over the second half of the regular season.
Ultimately, it was a season Lehtera was not happy with, and it made him expendable to the Blues, who had just signed him to a three-year, $14.1 million contract following the 2015-16 season.
"It was difficult, but actually it taught me a lot of things about how you have to work everyday and earn your spot everyday," Lehtera said. "I think I’m now a little bit smarter. This summer when I did my workouts and my skating, I’ve been trying to do everything perfect, not just come here for two hours and enjoy it but give the hardest you can."
Coming to Philadelphia provides a new opportunity for Lehtera, who had to do a little bit of research about the city he will now call home.
"As soon as I found out about the trade, I went to Google to see what kind of city Philadelphia is," Lehtera said. "I went there last week, and the city felt good and the team felt good. It’s a really young team. I was looking at the ages, how old guys are, and I’m the third-oldest."
Truth be told, Lehtera, who is 29, is indeed the third-oldest among forwards on the team, behind only Valtteri Filppula (33) and Matt Read (31).
In addition, there will be one familiar face in the Flyers locker room. Newly-signed goalie Brian Elliott played for the Blues from 2011 to 2016, including Lehtera's first two seasons in the NHL.
"That’s going to be fun, I can’t wait to see him again," Lehtera said. "Playing with him, I remember how good of a goalie he was, so that’s going to be really good."
It's an adjustment for Lehtera, but it's also motivation. After a season where he didn't play up to his own standards, the offseason move leaves the forward with something to prove.
"It doesn’t matter if it’s the Blues or…I want to show myself," Lehtera said. "That’s the biggest thing. I just want to feel confident in myself and show myself that I can do better."
