That pick was a head-scratcher, and you are right... typical of Philly. I thought for sure it would be Zadorov or Shinkaruk. Possibly Domi or Pulock (although I dont like Pulock or Domi)
That pick was a head-scratcher, and you are right... typical of Philly. I thought for sure it would be Zadorov or Shinkaruk. Possibly Domi or Pulock (although I dont like Pulock or Domi)
I dont think 5 years at $5.5 is that bad, really. He would be 37-38 at the end of the deal.
For the Flyers, I think they should step out of the "go get it" mode and work on building again for 2-3 years down the line, while getting rid of the old, amassing picks/prospects, while keeping their own. It is what the Sabres are doing and I fully support it. The days of being able to build a team through FA is over. Long Term contracts have killed that, as well as teams becoming very careful of re-signing their most valuable pieces, while trading the less valuable.
Instead, I could see them making a dumb trade for Ryan, signing LeCavalier and Thomas, having no defense, and having it blow up again, only this time there arent buy-outs.
Thomas wouldnt surprise me. They do need someone a little older, who is on board with playing partial games to go along with Mason.
Short contract, decent money.
And so you see, I have come to doubt All that I once held as true I stand alone without beliefs The only truth I know is you.
David William Naylor @TSNDaveNaylor 1m @DarrenDreger just read from his text live on #TSNDrive ... He asked a Flyers source "Did you guys get Lecavailier?" Answer: "Yes" #Flyers
Sigh, if true, the length better be reasonable.
And so you see, I have come to doubt All that I once held as true I stand alone without beliefs The only truth I know is you.
3 years would be reasonable. A trade must be coming now. I'd like Bob back in net.
so who do they trade now. I have mix feeling about this signing. he will do well with helping the young guys but we still need some defense and a goalie.
Tim thomas is not going to sign here for nothing so i think we go for nabokov or emery.
Bob just signed a new contract so I don't see him coming here.
it's a bad deal. $4.5 cap hit for 5 years for a 33 year old on the downside. Homer is like a little kid in the candy store with 2 dollars to spend who tries to pick up every item to buy. is there even a plan with this franchise?
I think the money is good. Term isnt too bad... but this is an unnecessary signing and takes resources away from the Flyers' problems they have been dealing with for 30+ years. Grab the shiniest toy on the market.
Last year they were one of the worst teams in the league due to defensive depth, not because they needed to trade Briere for Lecavalier or Bryz for a 39 year old who just took a year off. Nabokov and Emery are rough as well.
Pronger getting hurt completely derailed the franchise
I think the money is good. Term isnt too bad... but this is an unnecessary signing and takes resources away from the Flyers' problems they have been dealing with for 30+ years. Grab the shiniest toy on the market.
Last year they were one of the worst teams in the league due to defensive depth, not because they needed to trade Briere for Lecavalier or Bryz for a 39 year old who just took a year off. Nabokov and Emery are rough as well.
Pronger getting hurt completely derailed the franchise
exactly, which was my point about it being a bad deal. on it's own the money doesn't seem bad but it's a waste of a $4.5 million dollar cap space when you are already up against it and have bigger holes.
the flyers franchise for some reason gets a huge pass in this town. they get killed far less than the eagles or phils for their stupid moves. 38 years and counting now.
I think the money is good. Term isnt too bad... but this is an unnecessary signing and takes resources away from the Flyers' problems they have been dealing with for 30+ years. Grab the shiniest toy on the market.
Last year they were one of the worst teams in the league due to defensive depth, not because they needed to trade Briere for Lecavalier or Bryz for a 39 year old who just took a year off. Nabokov and Emery are rough as well.
Pronger getting hurt completely derailed the franchise
exactly, which was my point about it being a bad deal. on it's own the money doesn't seem bad but it's a waste of a $4.5 million dollar cap space when you are already up against it and have bigger holes.
the flyers franchise for some reason gets a huge pass in this town. they get killed far less than the eagles or phils for their stupid moves. 38 years and counting now.
to be honest the flyers are really still 4 million under the cap when you count pronger contract not counting. the positive i see with this signing is that he can help the younger players on the team. even Giroux will benefit from this signing.
I am still not a fan of the length of the contract but at the same time he can help alot on this team. the main thing I don't like is the no trade clause. I will also like to see the d if they stay healthy cause they are not as bad as they were last year.
I think the money is good. Term isnt too bad... but this is an unnecessary signing and takes resources away from the Flyers' problems they have been dealing with for 30+ years. Grab the shiniest toy on the market.
Last year they were one of the worst teams in the league due to defensive depth, not because they needed to trade Briere for Lecavalier or Bryz for a 39 year old who just took a year off. Nabokov and Emery are rough as well.
Pronger getting hurt completely derailed the franchise
exactly, which was my point about it being a bad deal. on it's own the money doesn't seem bad but it's a waste of a $4.5 million dollar cap space when you are already up against it and have bigger holes.
the flyers franchise for some reason gets a huge pass in this town. they get killed far less than the eagles or phils for their stupid moves. 38 years and counting now.
to be honest the flyers are really still 4 million under the cap when you count pronger contract not counting. the positive i see with this signing is that he can help the younger players on the team. even Giroux will benefit from this signing.
I am still not a fan of the length of the contract but at the same time he can help alot on this team. the main thing I don't like is the no trade clause. I will also like to see the d if they stay healthy cause they are not as bad as they were last year.
they are not 4 million under the cap yet because they can't put Pronger on Long Term IR until October according to the rules. at the current moment they are actually over the cap. see article listed below. and as the article also states once again they are overloaded at center.
I want them to sign Thomas just so I can hear his awesome political views on a daily basis. GOP represent.
If they have to dump a dman, I sure as hell hope it's meszaros and/or grossman...and not coburn.
I like lecavalier. Don't love the 5 years, but it sounds like they will be able to absorb the contract.
this is a good read....
Apart from the five-year length of the contract that free agent Vincent Lecavalier has agreed to with the Flyers, there is really not much to criticize about the deal. The deal makes sense from a hockey standpoint and is not nearly as crippling to the Flyers' salary cap as the knee-jerk naysayers -- and there's a legion of those -- would like you to believe.
In my initial reaction blog posted last night, I explained why the team will not have a major problem in getting restricted free agents Claude Giroux, Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier signed to contract extensions even before considering the projected jump in the cap ceiling by as much as $6 million for the 2014-15 season.
Recapping the blog in a nutshell, the Flyers will have roughly $11 million in tagging space worth of expiring contracts next summer based on impending unrestricted free agents on their current roster -- with the likely-to-retire Kimmo Timonen's $6 million representing more than half of it.
The Flyers are NOT even in that much trouble getting back under the 2013-14 salary cap before Chris Pronger's $4.9 million long-term injury reserve allowance is eligible to be used. The club is currently $318,522 over the cap ceiling for next season, but getting compliant will not be all that difficult even with other additions yet to be made to complete the roster.
Philadelphia currently has 24 players under contract. Restricted free agent Erik Gustafsson and, by NHL-mandated rules regarding injured players, Eric Wellwood, are also both likely to be on the NHL roster come opening night, adding about $1.5 million more onto Philly's cap figure.
OK, so let's go through how Philly is likely to pare down the cap before addressing other needs. Start with the defense, where the team currently has nine contracted players, including Pronger.
One of Andrej Meszaros ($4 million cap hit, unrestricted free agent in 2014), Braydon Coburn ($4.5 million cap hit, partial no-trade clause) or Nicklas Grossmann ($3.5 million cap hit, partial no-trade) is likely to get dealt. When all is said and done, I still expect it be Meszaros who goes in a salary-dump for a low-end Draft pick. As a last-resort incentive to get another team to take a chance on Meszaros' recovery, the Flyers could even eat up to half of the oft-injured player's salary, gaining "just" $2 million of cap space if they can't get the entire amount.
The big obstacle with Meszaros getting dealt is his getting medical clearance -- which is expected this month -- and passing a physical with his new team so that a trade would not be nullified by the trading partner's choice. But he's a good and proven NHL defenseman when healthy, is still reasonably young, and happens to play a position where many teams need at least one addition. That's why clubs are hoarding their defensemen who are even half-decent, the salary scales for non-entry level defensemen are out of whack and the trading prices are generally inflated. There will be a club or two willing to gamble on a minimal trade return to take a one-year look at Meszaros.
If it is Coburn who gets traded, the Flyers will have to add another defenseman who is capable of absorbing all the ice time that Coburn currently plays. In the case of Meszaros, the team really hasn't even had him available to play in their lineup for much of the last year, anyway. At some point, Oliver Lauridsen may be ready to take over Grossmann's role at a lower cost, but that point isn't now. The Big Dane still needs some work in the AHL.
Subtract Meszaros and add Gustafsson after he signs, and the Flyers are back to having nine defensemen under contract. They will only carry seven, with Pronger on either IR or LTIR. One of Bruno Gervais ($825,000) or a now medically cleared Marc-Andre Bourdon ($612,500) will be the seventh defenseman and the other will be waived and sent to the Phantoms -- and both of their salaries fall within the threshold that the entire cap hit will come off if they are sent to the AHL.
Of course, the Flyers still need to acquire a goaltender (say, Tim Thomas in the ballpark of $3 million) to either back up or compete with Steve Mason. But if they find a Meszaros trade partner and drop Gervais by opening night, they have the money they need for a goalie and are still below the cap ceiling BEFORE Pronger goes on the IR list.
So don't worry about the Flyers getting within the cap in either 2013-14 or 2014-15. They may not be able to re-sign Simon Gagne at this point and Matt Read's impending UFA status next summer could push his market value beyond what the Flyers' want to spend on what is essentially a high-quality role player whose role is to play either wing or center as needed either on a scoring or checking line. But they are not nearly in the cap hell that some would have you believe.
My big concern has nothing to do with the salary cap: In order to get back into the playoffs, this team is going to have to cut its goals against average next season. Mark Streit will help them move the puck better and both he and Lecavalier should help them keep puck possession in the offensive zone longer. Even so, the Flyers' team defense remains suspect.
Lecavalier's Fit in Flyers' Lineup
Lecavalier is not the player he was about five years ago but, at age 33, is still a quality second-line center. He represents an upgrade over Danny Briere in several areas, while being the younger of the two players and coming at a lower cost on the salary cap.
The Flyers wanted to add some size and skill to their forward corps, and Lecavalier adds both (although he doesn't often play a physical style). He is good on faceoffs, averaging roughly a 51 percent winning percentage over the last five years. That's an upgrade, too. Lecavalier is OK defensively. He's better than Danny defensively but is no Selke candidate. The addition of Lecavalier means that Brayden Schenn will become a full-time left wing, but at least he won't be constantly switching positions and can settle in at one spot.
From a hockey standpoint, my only real short-range concerns related to Lecavalier are about how well he'll fit Peter Laviolette's system. He's not really an up-tempo player, especially at this point of his career. Additionally, Lecavalier has been known to disappear at times during his career -- he will take some mental holidays for entire games.
All in all, however, there is plenty to like about Lecavalier's addition to the lineup.
I want them to sign Thomas just so I can hear his awesome political views on a daily basis. GOP represent.
If they have to dump a dman, I sure as hell hope it's meszaros and/or grossman...and not coburn.
I like lecavalier. Don't love the 5 years, but it sounds like they will be able to absorb the contract.
this is a good read....
Apart from the five-year length of the contract that free agent Vincent Lecavalier has agreed to with the Flyers, there is really not much to criticize about the deal. The deal makes sense from a hockey standpoint and is not nearly as crippling to the Flyers' salary cap as the knee-jerk naysayers -- and there's a legion of those -- would like you to believe.
In my initial reaction blog posted last night, I explained why the team will not have a major problem in getting restricted free agents Claude Giroux, Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier signed to contract extensions even before considering the projected jump in the cap ceiling by as much as $6 million for the 2014-15 season.
Recapping the blog in a nutshell, the Flyers will have roughly $11 million in tagging space worth of expiring contracts next summer based on impending unrestricted free agents on their current roster -- with the likely-to-retire Kimmo Timonen's $6 million representing more than half of it.
The Flyers are NOT even in that much trouble getting back under the 2013-14 salary cap before Chris Pronger's $4.9 million long-term injury reserve allowance is eligible to be used. The club is currently $318,522 over the cap ceiling for next season, but getting compliant will not be all that difficult even with other additions yet to be made to complete the roster.
Philadelphia currently has 24 players under contract. Restricted free agent Erik Gustafsson and, by NHL-mandated rules regarding injured players, Eric Wellwood, are also both likely to be on the NHL roster come opening night, adding about $1.5 million more onto Philly's cap figure.
OK, so let's go through how Philly is likely to pare down the cap before addressing other needs. Start with the defense, where the team currently has nine contracted players, including Pronger.
One of Andrej Meszaros ($4 million cap hit, unrestricted free agent in 2014), Braydon Coburn ($4.5 million cap hit, partial no-trade clause) or Nicklas Grossmann ($3.5 million cap hit, partial no-trade) is likely to get dealt. When all is said and done, I still expect it be Meszaros who goes in a salary-dump for a low-end Draft pick. As a last-resort incentive to get another team to take a chance on Meszaros' recovery, the Flyers could even eat up to half of the oft-injured player's salary, gaining "just" $2 million of cap space if they can't get the entire amount.
The big obstacle with Meszaros getting dealt is his getting medical clearance -- which is expected this month -- and passing a physical with his new team so that a trade would not be nullified by the trading partner's choice. But he's a good and proven NHL defenseman when healthy, is still reasonably young, and happens to play a position where many teams need at least one addition. That's why clubs are hoarding their defensemen who are even half-decent, the salary scales for non-entry level defensemen are out of whack and the trading prices are generally inflated. There will be a club or two willing to gamble on a minimal trade return to take a one-year look at Meszaros.
If it is Coburn who gets traded, the Flyers will have to add another defenseman who is capable of absorbing all the ice time that Coburn currently plays. In the case of Meszaros, the team really hasn't even had him available to play in their lineup for much of the last year, anyway. At some point, Oliver Lauridsen may be ready to take over Grossmann's role at a lower cost, but that point isn't now. The Big Dane still needs some work in the AHL.
Subtract Meszaros and add Gustafsson after he signs, and the Flyers are back to having nine defensemen under contract. They will only carry seven, with Pronger on either IR or LTIR. One of Bruno Gervais ($825,000) or a now medically cleared Marc-Andre Bourdon ($612,500) will be the seventh defenseman and the other will be waived and sent to the Phantoms -- and both of their salaries fall within the threshold that the entire cap hit will come off if they are sent to the AHL.
Of course, the Flyers still need to acquire a goaltender (say, Tim Thomas in the ballpark of $3 million) to either back up or compete with Steve Mason. But if they find a Meszaros trade partner and drop Gervais by opening night, they have the money they need for a goalie and are still below the cap ceiling BEFORE Pronger goes on the IR list.
So don't worry about the Flyers getting within the cap in either 2013-14 or 2014-15. They may not be able to re-sign Simon Gagne at this point and Matt Read's impending UFA status next summer could push his market value beyond what the Flyers' want to spend on what is essentially a high-quality role player whose role is to play either wing or center as needed either on a scoring or checking line. But they are not nearly in the cap hell that some would have you believe.
My big concern has nothing to do with the salary cap: In order to get back into the playoffs, this team is going to have to cut its goals against average next season. Mark Streit will help them move the puck better and both he and Lecavalier should help them keep puck possession in the offensive zone longer. Even so, the Flyers' team defense remains suspect.
Lecavalier's Fit in Flyers' Lineup
Lecavalier is not the player he was about five years ago but, at age 33, is still a quality second-line center. He represents an upgrade over Danny Briere in several areas, while being the younger of the two players and coming at a lower cost on the salary cap.
The Flyers wanted to add some size and skill to their forward corps, and Lecavalier adds both (although he doesn't often play a physical style). He is good on faceoffs, averaging roughly a 51 percent winning percentage over the last five years. That's an upgrade, too. Lecavalier is OK defensively. He's better than Danny defensively but is no Selke candidate. The addition of Lecavalier means that Brayden Schenn will become a full-time left wing, but at least he won't be constantly switching positions and can settle in at one spot.
From a hockey standpoint, my only real short-range concerns related to Lecavalier are about how well he'll fit Peter Laviolette's system. He's not really an up-tempo player, especially at this point of his career. Additionally, Lecavalier has been known to disappear at times during his career -- he will take some mental holidays for entire games.
All in all, however, there is plenty to like about Lecavalier's addition to the lineup.
very good read but i don't think they get thomas for 3 million a year. If I am the flyers, i am looking for a team that needs to get to the floor of the cap and try to trade with them. Again i will state i don't see why you trade Coborn. he played the most minutes of any Flyer d man last year.
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Bobrovsky being offered to teams by the Blue Jackets. Told he wants $6 mil per. Columbus in market for a goalie.
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@Real_ESPNLeBrun
Blue Jackets very close on a new deal with goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.
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Im pumped that Buffalo got 2 of those... Could have/should have had Fucale in the 2nd when they traded with Carolina.
I dont mind the S. Morin pick. A little bit of a project, but he could be fantastic in 2-3 yrs.
Flyers were lucky to have Hagg fall to them in the 2nd Rd.
Buffalo had a monster draft(pun intended). Gotta believe Flyers would have taken Ristolainen had Buff not taken him just before.
T. Myers, Zadorav, Ristolainan. Wow.
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Schneider to the Devils is interesting. Didnt see that coming.
No way I'd give him that many years.
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if they give him 5 years i would fire Holmgren right away.
I am still mad that he didn't trade up in the draft.
so apparently the flyers are also thinking about Timmy Thomas
For the Flyers, I think they should step out of the "go get it" mode and work on building again for 2-3 years down the line, while getting rid of the old, amassing picks/prospects, while keeping their own. It is what the Sabres are doing and I fully support it. The days of being able to build a team through FA is over. Long Term contracts have killed that, as well as teams becoming very careful of re-signing their most valuable pieces, while trading the less valuable.
Instead, I could see them making a dumb trade for Ryan, signing LeCavalier and Thomas, having no defense, and having it blow up again, only this time there arent buy-outs.
Short contract, decent money.
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David William Naylor @TSNDaveNaylor 1m @DarrenDreger just read from his text live on #TSNDrive ... He asked a Flyers source "Did you guys get Lecavailier?" Answer: "Yes" #Flyers
Sigh, if true, the length better be reasonable.
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Source says 5 year $4.5mill for Lecavalier.
The Cap hit is fine, the length sucks.
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Holmgren has some more work to do.
Coburn will be gone. I expect a goalie here by Friday afternoon.
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so who do they trade now. I have mix feeling about this signing. he will do well with helping the young guys but we still need some defense and a goalie.
Tim thomas is not going to sign here for nothing so i think we go for nabokov or emery.
Bob just signed a new contract so I don't see him coming here.
it's a bad deal. $4.5 cap hit for 5 years for a 33 year old on the downside. Homer is like a little kid in the candy store with 2 dollars to spend who tries to pick up every item to buy. is there even a plan with this franchise?
Last year they were one of the worst teams in the league due to defensive depth, not because they needed to trade Briere for Lecavalier or Bryz for a 39 year old who just took a year off. Nabokov and Emery are rough as well.
Pronger getting hurt completely derailed the franchise
exactly, which was my point about it being a bad deal. on it's own the money doesn't seem bad but it's a waste of a $4.5 million dollar cap space when you are already up against it and have bigger holes.
the flyers franchise for some reason gets a huge pass in this town. they get killed far less than the eagles or phils for their stupid moves. 38 years and counting now.
to be honest the flyers are really still 4 million under the cap when you count pronger contract not counting. the positive i see with this signing is that he can help the younger players on the team. even Giroux will benefit from this signing.
I am still not a fan of the length of the contract but at the same time he can help alot on this team. the main thing I don't like is the no trade clause. I will also like to see the d if they stay healthy cause they are not as bad as they were last year.
they are not 4 million under the cap yet because they can't put Pronger on Long Term IR until October according to the rules. at the current moment they are actually over the cap. see article listed below. and as the article also states once again they are overloaded at center.
http://www.csnphilly.com/hockey-philade ... -year-deal
Lecavalier will help this team immensely. He replaces Briere, better #'s, cheaper salary.
He's 33, far from the downside of his career. His #'s last year were very solid.
Moves will be made to get a goalie to split time with Mason and to bolster the D.
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If they have to dump a dman, I sure as hell hope it's meszaros and/or grossman...and not coburn.
I like lecavalier. Don't love the 5 years, but it sounds like they will be able to absorb the contract.
this is a good read....
Apart from the five-year length of the contract that free agent Vincent Lecavalier has agreed to with the Flyers, there is really not much to criticize about the deal. The deal makes sense from a hockey standpoint and is not nearly as crippling to the Flyers' salary cap as the knee-jerk naysayers -- and there's a legion of those -- would like you to believe.
In my initial reaction blog posted last night, I explained why the team will not have a major problem in getting restricted free agents Claude Giroux, Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier signed to contract extensions even before considering the projected jump in the cap ceiling by as much as $6 million for the 2014-15 season.
Recapping the blog in a nutshell, the Flyers will have roughly $11 million in tagging space worth of expiring contracts next summer based on impending unrestricted free agents on their current roster -- with the likely-to-retire Kimmo Timonen's $6 million representing more than half of it.
The Flyers are NOT even in that much trouble getting back under the 2013-14 salary cap before Chris Pronger's $4.9 million long-term injury reserve allowance is eligible to be used. The club is currently $318,522 over the cap ceiling for next season, but getting compliant will not be all that difficult even with other additions yet to be made to complete the roster.
Philadelphia currently has 24 players under contract. Restricted free agent Erik Gustafsson and, by NHL-mandated rules regarding injured players, Eric Wellwood, are also both likely to be on the NHL roster come opening night, adding about $1.5 million more onto Philly's cap figure.
OK, so let's go through how Philly is likely to pare down the cap before addressing other needs. Start with the defense, where the team currently has nine contracted players, including Pronger.
One of Andrej Meszaros ($4 million cap hit, unrestricted free agent in 2014), Braydon Coburn ($4.5 million cap hit, partial no-trade clause) or Nicklas Grossmann ($3.5 million cap hit, partial no-trade) is likely to get dealt. When all is said and done, I still expect it be Meszaros who goes in a salary-dump for a low-end Draft pick. As a last-resort incentive to get another team to take a chance on Meszaros' recovery, the Flyers could even eat up to half of the oft-injured player's salary, gaining "just" $2 million of cap space if they can't get the entire amount.
The big obstacle with Meszaros getting dealt is his getting medical clearance -- which is expected this month -- and passing a physical with his new team so that a trade would not be nullified by the trading partner's choice. But he's a good and proven NHL defenseman when healthy, is still reasonably young, and happens to play a position where many teams need at least one addition. That's why clubs are hoarding their defensemen who are even half-decent, the salary scales for non-entry level defensemen are out of whack and the trading prices are generally inflated. There will be a club or two willing to gamble on a minimal trade return to take a one-year look at Meszaros.
If it is Coburn who gets traded, the Flyers will have to add another defenseman who is capable of absorbing all the ice time that Coburn currently plays. In the case of Meszaros, the team really hasn't even had him available to play in their lineup for much of the last year, anyway. At some point, Oliver Lauridsen may be ready to take over Grossmann's role at a lower cost, but that point isn't now. The Big Dane still needs some work in the AHL.
Subtract Meszaros and add Gustafsson after he signs, and the Flyers are back to having nine defensemen under contract. They will only carry seven, with Pronger on either IR or LTIR. One of Bruno Gervais ($825,000) or a now medically cleared Marc-Andre Bourdon ($612,500) will be the seventh defenseman and the other will be waived and sent to the Phantoms -- and both of their salaries fall within the threshold that the entire cap hit will come off if they are sent to the AHL.
Of course, the Flyers still need to acquire a goaltender (say, Tim Thomas in the ballpark of $3 million) to either back up or compete with Steve Mason. But if they find a Meszaros trade partner and drop Gervais by opening night, they have the money they need for a goalie and are still below the cap ceiling BEFORE Pronger goes on the IR list.
So don't worry about the Flyers getting within the cap in either 2013-14 or 2014-15. They may not be able to re-sign Simon Gagne at this point and Matt Read's impending UFA status next summer could push his market value beyond what the Flyers' want to spend on what is essentially a high-quality role player whose role is to play either wing or center as needed either on a scoring or checking line. But they are not nearly in the cap hell that some would have you believe.
My big concern has nothing to do with the salary cap: In order to get back into the playoffs, this team is going to have to cut its goals against average next season. Mark Streit will help them move the puck better and both he and Lecavalier should help them keep puck possession in the offensive zone longer. Even so, the Flyers' team defense remains suspect.
Lecavalier's Fit in Flyers' Lineup
Lecavalier is not the player he was about five years ago but, at age 33, is still a quality second-line center. He represents an upgrade over Danny Briere in several areas, while being the younger of the two players and coming at a lower cost on the salary cap.
The Flyers wanted to add some size and skill to their forward corps, and Lecavalier adds both (although he doesn't often play a physical style). He is good on faceoffs, averaging roughly a 51 percent winning percentage over the last five years. That's an upgrade, too. Lecavalier is OK defensively. He's better than Danny defensively but is no Selke candidate. The addition of Lecavalier means that Brayden Schenn will become a full-time left wing, but at least he won't be constantly switching positions and can settle in at one spot.
From a hockey standpoint, my only real short-range concerns related to Lecavalier are about how well he'll fit Peter Laviolette's system. He's not really an up-tempo player, especially at this point of his career. Additionally, Lecavalier has been known to disappear at times during his career -- he will take some mental holidays for entire games.
All in all, however, there is plenty to like about Lecavalier's addition to the lineup.
very good read but i don't think they get thomas for 3 million a year. If I am the flyers, i am looking for a team that needs to get to the floor of the cap and try to trade with them. Again i will state i don't see why you trade Coborn. he played the most minutes of any Flyer d man last year.
g signed for 8 year at over 8 million.
wow!