With youngsters like James van Riemsdyk and Claude Giroux and playoff upstart Ville Leino, the Philadelphia Flyers do not have a shortage of players that could possibly have a breakout season in 2010-11.

But perhaps the player that appears to have the best chance of scoring the biggest breakout season is free agent acquisition Nikolai Zherdev.

While the 25-year-old winger has already had NHL seasons of 27 and 26 goals, it is the general opinion of the hockey world that Zherdev has only scratched the surface of his immense potential.

Drafted fourth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Zherdev’s work ethic and desire have been questioned over the course of his five NHL seasons.

Fears of GMs were so strong that after his contract expired with the New York Rangers following the 2008-09 campaign, he fielded no legitimate NHL offers for last season.  And this after maybe his most complete year, as he finished with a plus rating (+6) for the first time in his career.

After Zherdev played for Mytishchi Atlant of the Kontinental Hockey League in 2009-10, Philly GM Paul Holmgren rolled the dice and inked the 6′ 2″, 203 pound right winger to a one-year deal.

And it just might be a perfect fit.

The Orange-and-Black are loaded with defensive-minded forwards, so if Zherdev decides to take the occasional offensive gamble, it shouldn’t hurt the team in their own end.

With the opportunity to play with the likes of centers Mike Richards, Giroux, Danny Briere and Jeff Carter, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Zherdev could top the 30-goal plateau.  Especially with the likelihood that he may see extensive time on the Flyers top power play unit.

Projection:  35 goals, 35 assists, 70 points

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

It’s hard to believe that just two short months after rescuing his Philadelphia Flyers from postseason elimination in such heroic fashion, Simon Gagne will no longer be wearing the Orange-and-Black.

It’s now official, Gagne is an “ex”-Flyer, a salary cap casualty of GM Paul Holmgren’s summer shopping spree.

After adding wingers Nikolai Zherdev and Jody Shelley, the dealing of a high salaried player became a necessity, as Philadelphia sat at around $2.5 million over the upper salary cap limit.

The deal sends Gagne and his $5.25 million salary to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Matt Walker and a fourth round draft choice.

The 30-year-old Walker stands to make $1.7 million for the next three seasons, so Holmgren has about $1 million in cap room at the moment.

Gagne is an unrestricted free agent after the 2010-11 campaign, Holmgren may have just wanted to ensure that he got some type of return for his high-scoring left winger.  Maybe the thought of losing Gagne for nothing next year prompted the deal, but it seems that things could have been handled a little better.

A week or so after rumors that Gagne had waived his no-trade clause and that Holmgren was in discussions with the Los Angeles Kings, the 30-year-old left wing told RDS.ca that he had not, indeed, waived his NTC.

Drafted 22nd overall by the Flyers in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Gagne was always an honest, hard-working, two-way winger.  He never sacrificed his work at the defensive end of the rink in order to put up bigger offensive numbers.

But he did put up excellent numbers.

In his best injury-free seasons, Gagne has four times potted more than 30 goals, including twice with more than 40 (his career-high of 47 was in 2005-06).  Over the course of 10 full NHL campaigns, he has averaged 66 games played, 26 goals and 52 points.

The only blemish on Gagne’s career has been his history of injuries.  He has missed significant time in four different seasons.

His worst injury was a concussion in the 2007-08 season, in which he ended up appearing in just 25 contests.

Last year, it was a double sports hernia in November that required surgery and limited Gagne to just 58 regular season games.

But in every season that he missed significant time, he has always come back with a solid season.

And through it all, Gagne was always the good soldier.  Never one to complain, he gave his all to the organization.

This past postseason is a classic example.

After blocking an Ilya Kovalchuk point shot in Game four of the opening round against the New Jersey Devils, Gagne was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture of his right foot.

He had surgery, and was on crutches and out of commission for nearly two weeks.

But Gagne returned ahead of schedule as his Flyers were facing an 0-3 series deficit to the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

What transpired over the next week was nothing short of miraculous.

As Game four slipped into overtime, Philly were just a goal away from a series sweep and elimination at the hands of the Bruins.

Instead, Gagne redirected a Matt Carle pass behind Boston netminder Tuukka Rask to give the Flyers life for another day.

In Game five in Boston Gagne scored two more goals, leading the Orange-and-Black to a 4-0 victory.

After falling behind 3-0 in Game seven, Gagne capped a furious and improbable Flyers comeback, scoring the series-winning goal midway through the third period.

For those of us who were lucky enough to have witnessed the historic coming back from the dead, it is something that will forever be etched in our memories.

And Gagne will be at the forefront of any recollection.

Up to this point in his career, a Game six overtime game-winner against his new team, the Lightning, was the defining moment in Gagne’s NHL career.

But there is no doubt that when any fan of the Flyers is asked years from now what they remember most about Gagne, it is a good bet that every single person will name the Boston series.

I would like to personally say thank you, Mr. Gagne.  Your honor, loyalty, and service to the Philadelphia Flyers’ organization is much appreciated, and I wish you nothing but the best as you enter a new phase of your career in Tampa Bay.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

Atlantic Division Draft Review:

Coming to Los Angeles, two Atlantic Division teams did not have first round picks.  The New Jersey Devils sent their pick to the Atlanta Thrashers in the Ilya Kovlchuk deal, and the Flyers traded their pick to the Anaheim Ducks in the Chris Pronger deal.

One trade worked; one did not.

In this article, I will review the first-round pick or top pick for each of all five Atlantic Division teams, and late-round picks that may be gems.  I will release each of the other five divisions over the next few days.  I would love to hear feedback about what you think, or if you have a question about your favorite team please email me at MMurangi@nhlhotstove.com .

Here is the review:

New Jersey Devils – Total picks: 5;  Highest round: 2nd (38th overall); Breakdown: 2D, 2G, 1RW.

The Devils used their second-round pick on defenseman Jonathon Merrill.  Merrill played well in the WJC, but did have some problems that  resulted in a mid-season suspension.  He bounced back, and is now a solid, stay-at-home blue liner.  Merrill will continue to hone his craft at the University of Michigan in the fall.  The two goaltenders picked, Scott Wedgewood and Maxime Claremont, came into the season with a chance to crack the top 10 in the rankings, but both struggled during the year.  The Devils have taken a goaltender in the last nine drafts in a row as they search for the heir apparent to Martin Brodure. Keep an eye on Joe Faust, a kid who would have been in the top 40 if he was three inches taller. GRADE C

New York Islanders – Total picks: 6; Highest round: 1st (5th overall); Breakdown: 2D 1G 2C 1RW 1LW.

If you rate this draft on talent, the Islanders would be in the top 5 in the league., but with the talent comes tons of question marks.  Top pick Nino Niederreiter is a  top-notch goal scorer and projects to be a top notch power forward on the power play.  Second-round pick Brock Nelson will take his time in his development at North Dakota.  The sleeper of the group is Kirill Kabanov, a very talented Russian with a lot of baggage.  Kabanov could have been a bonified top 10 pick.  If he pans out, this could be the best draft class of any team in the league.  Keep an eye on 3rd round pick Jason Clarke, a Shattucks and St Mary’s kid, who is a very talented  center.  Garth Snow went with forwards with his top four picks this time around.  Next year, expect him to try and restock the blue line.  GRADE A

New York Rangers – Total picks: 6; Highest round 1st (10th overall); Breakdown: 1D 1C 3RW 1LW.

The Rangers have a young, talented blue line and a lack of scoring on the parent club.  With scoring being a great need for the Rangers coming into the draft, every expert had them taking a forward, but after the run of the players the Rangers had high on their board, they took the fastest mover on the draft board in blue-liner Dylan McIlrath,  by far the toughest kid in the draft.  He is the type of blue line shut-down guy every team needs.  He has some skill, will pitch in 20 points a season, and will beat the hell out of everyone.  In the second round, the Rangers took Christian Thomas, the son of former NHL’er Steve Thomas.  He had a slow start as a rookie, but exploded for 41 goals this past season.  Ranked 69th by central scouting, the thing that dropped him was his size.  The Rangers then addded Andrew Yogan in the 3rd round, who will be a solid depth  forward, should be a star in the AHL, and will see some limited NHL time.  Keep an eye on 5th-rounder Jason Wilson, a great 2 way winger with some scoring touch.  GRADE C

Philadelphia Flyers – Total picks: 6; Highest round: 3rd (89th overall); Breakdown: 2D 1C 1RW 2LW.

The Flyers traded their top two picks, and watched Anaheim choose So-Cal born Emmerson Etem with the pick they sent them at the draft last year for Chris Pronger.  Philly went safe will almost all there picks, and used there 3rd round pick on Michael Chaput, a tall skinny center from the QMJHL’s Lewiston Maineiacs.  He has a ton of upside, and is a solid, fluid skater, but will need to add weight to play in the NHL and may be 4 years away.  Keep an eye on 7th round pick Brendan Ranford, a good, solid winger with a touch of scoring.  He is one of the best penalty killers in the draft, but fell to the 7th round due to his size.  He was rated 111th by central scouting, and his uncle is Bill Ranford, a Stanley Cup-winning goaltender with the Edmonton Oilers and the current goaltending coach of the Los Angeles Kings.  GRADE D

Pittsburgh Penguins – Total picks: 6; Highest round :1st (20th overall);  Breakdown: 2D 3RW 1LW.

If there is one need the Penguins have, its scoring wingers.  Pittsburgh used their first-round pick on Southern California native Beau Bennett, a scoring winger who put up 120 points in only 56 games.  Some would say that the talent that Bennett played against was not as solid as the talent in the WHL.  He is not NHL ready, and will attend The University of Denver this fall.  He should be a solid 2nd line winger for years in the NHL, but will need to score to stay in the league.  Bryan Rust is another solid winger out of the US development program.  He put up solid numbers in the WJC and will join the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame this fall where he will focus on bulking up for the rigors of the NHL.  Keep an eye on 4th round pick Tom Kuhenhackl, a RW out of Germany.  He will join Windsor this season after playing in Germany, and is a very gifted scorer.  He might be the gem of the class.  The Penguins took the best player available with all their picks, and overall, it was one of the most solid drafts top to bottom the Penguins have had in years.  GRADE A

Up next will be the Central Division.

Mike Murangi
NHLHS Entry Draft Correspondent
mmurangi@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @Draft_Mike

The Philadelphia Flyers have officially signed Nikolai Zherdev. Per club policy, terms were not disclosed (via flyers.nhl.com)

When word got out via Teemu H. (@euroflyers) and Puck Daddy’s Dmitry Chesnokov (@dchesnokov) on Twitter that the Philadelphia Flyers were in the process of signing former-NHL right wing Nikolai Zherdev, it seemed a curious move by GM Paul Holmgren.

First of all, without being able to move any contracts, Holmgren will have massive issues in maintaining his salary structure within the guidelines of the upper cap limit.

Also, some would say that Zherdev and the Flyers are not a good mix…at all.  The 25-year-old native of the Ukraine has never had any questions regarding his abilities.  He is one of the most talented hockey players in the world.

The doubts are in reference to a lack of concern for the defensive end of the ice, and his commitment and willingness to compete at a high level on an every-night basis.

A year removed from the NHL, Zherdev played for Mytishchi Atlant of the Kontinental Hockey League in 2009-10.  The team consisted of such ex-NHLers as Jiri Novotny, Jan Bulis, Oleg Petrov, Oleg Kvasha, among others.  And Zherdev finished third in club scoring with 13 goals and 39 points in 52 contests.

The fourth overall selection in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Zherdev had been an enigma thoughout his five seasons in the NHL with both Columbus and the New York Rangers.

Over the course of 365 NHL contests, Zherdev has recorded 99 goals and 239 points.  He has scored 20+ goals in three different seasons, with his career-high of 27 coming during the 2005-06 campaign.

But his mix of skill and nonchalance has driven coaches crazy.

In Columbus he clashed with then-head coach Ken Hitchcock, who is all about defensive responsibility, as many of the players that were here during Hitch’s tenure as head coach of the Flyers will attest.

When he was dealt to the New York Rangers prior to the 2008-09 season, he got to play for Tom Renney, and later John Tortorella after Renney was fired.

But as was announced today, Zherdev has (finally) inked the one-year deal, believed to be worth between $2-3 million.

Zherdev has teased his former teams with flashes of what he could be if he reached his full potential.  And that’s where Philadelphia head coach Peter Laviolette comes into the picture.

Laviolette could be the perfect coach with which to extract the best from Zherdev moving forward.  His up tempo style fits right in with Zherdev’s skating abilities, and could be just what is needed to keep the 6′ 2″, 197 pound winger involved in the game.

Laviolette’s patience was a big key in helping struggling winger Scott Hartnell get his act together during Philly’s postseason run to the Finals.  The coach had a talk with Hartnell after game three of the Boston Bruins series, telling him that he needed more from him.  He kept Hartnell in the lineup, and was rewarded with arguably Hartnell’s best play of the entire season.  Hartnell was one of the best Flyers’ forwards in the Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks.

So we know the downside of signing Zherdev.  But what about the upside?

Simply put, Zherdev represents something that has not been present on the Orange-and-Black in years, a true game-breaking sniper on the right side.

Laviolette has had to move Danny Briere, Jeff Carter, Claude Giroux, Darroll Powe all natural centers, to man the wings.  Zherdev is a natural right wing and is more comfortable with the position than the transplanted centers.

Having another natural winger will allow those players to more at their more familiar position.

And with many wingers currently on the roster cut from almost the exact same mold, limited offensively and strong defensively, Zherdev’s offense is a welcomed addition.

Affect on Gagne

But it may mean the end of the line for Simon Gagne in a Flyers’ uniform.

Last week it was reported that Gagne had waived his no-trade clause, and there were rumors of trade talks with the Los Angeles Kings.

But yesterday, Gagne told RDS.ca that he never waived his NTC.

This led to speculation that Gagne may be waived if a trade is not readily available for the 30-year-old winger.  Darren Dreger of TSN reported as much via Twitter.

There is no doubt that the cap space that Holmgren had available to him has disappeared, and depending on the amount of Zherdev’s pact, are almost-certainly over the limit.  And there is still the matter of unsigned RFA Daniel Carcillo and UFA Arron Asham.

But is moving another natural winger like Gagne and his $5.25 million contract the best course of action?  It would seem that with the glut of centers (Mike Richards, Carter, Giroux, Briere, Betts, Powe), maybe dealing a pivot would be the better choice.

Holmgren is far from done in his summer of re-tooling his club, but it seems that with every move he makes, two more are needed.

Stay tuned…

Taking a Flyer: Coincidentally, Flyers defensive prospect Denis Bodrov also saw action in 12 games for Mytishchi Atlant last season before being brought over to North America, where he finished the year with the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

As the National Hockey League’s free agency period officially opened up today, there was no mystery as to what Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren was hoping to acquire.

Defensemen, and possibly a goaltender.

And right at the strike of noon, TSN’s Bob McKenzie broke the news that Holmgren had made his first acquisition of the day, defenseman Andrej Meszaros of the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2012 second round draft pick.

The 24-year-old, 6′ 2″, 223 pound Slovak gives the Flyers another physical presence other than Chris Pronger.  Having played the last two seasons for a bad team in Tampa, the 2004 first round pick of the Ottawa Senators will welcome the chance to win immediately.

Meszaros has four seasons left at $4 million annually.

Next up, Philadelphia announced that 25-year-old, 6′ 5″, 220 pound restricted free agent Braydon Coburn had been re-signed to a two-year, $6.4 million deal.

Holmgren obviously rewarded Coburn for his play in the postseason as compared to his performance during the regular season, and is expecting that kind of play to continue over the next two years.

Then came word of another defenseman signing, this time former Los Angeles King Sean O’ Donnell.  Another large body at 6′ 2″, 237 pounds, it became quite clear that Holmgren feels that a big, punishing defense is key in a seven-game playoff series.

Though he will be 39 years old at the beginning of the 2010-11 regular season, O’ Donnell is nothing if not durable.  Over the course of the past four campaigns, the member of the 2007 Stanley Cup-winning Anaheim Ducks has missed just seven games, while playing a hard-nosed style.

Holmgren actually did sign a forward, as Jody Shelley was signed to a three-year, $3.3 million contract.  The 34-year-old, 6′ 3″, 225 pounder will fill a third / fourth line wing spot, which spelled the end of the line for UFA Arron Asham in Philly.

Weeks ago when it was speculated that Asham may be allowed to walk and sign elsewhere, it was thought that the Flyers would be looking for a fourth-liner that could chip in with more offense than “Ash”.  While Shelley is plenty tough, he will fill the penalty box much more than the net, as he has managed just five goals over the past three seasons.  Asham scored 24 in the same time frame.

There was talk that UFA netminders Chris Mason or Dan Ellis could be headed to Philadelphia, but Ellis was inked to a two-year pact by Tampa Bay, and Mason was later signed to a two-year deal to man the crease for the Atlanta Thrashers.

With the Michael Leighton signing yesterday it appears that he will be battling Brian Boucher and Johan Backlund for the starting job in training camp.

That is barring a trade of a roster player for a number one goaltender, or at least moving a current high salaried roster player to clear cap space with which to sign a starter.  The most mentioned names in this scenario are that of Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco.

The most likely candidates to be moved if Holmgren opts to go this route are forwards Scott Hartnell ($4.25 million annually for three more years), Simon Gagne ($5 million per year for one more season), or the outside possibility of Danny Briere ($6.5 million per year for the next five seasons).  Any deal involving Hartnell or Gagne would require the waiving of a no-trade clause, and the same would apply to Briere and his no-movement clause.

But if the team has made the decision to make the attempt to move either Hartnell or Briere, this may just be the best time to do so.  Hartnell was arguably the best Flyers forward in the Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks, and Briere led the entire NHL in postseason scoring.  The performances of both erased forgettable, and even dreadful regular seasons.

With 21 players under contract, Philly has less than $578,000 left under the cap, and this with wingers Daniel Carcillo and Darroll Powe yet to be signed.

After a busy opening day of shopping on the free agent for Holmgren, one gets the feeling that he is far from done with the retooling of his club.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

*Contract figures were obtained via CapGeek.com, as usual the most-reliable source for NHL contract numbers.*

Goaltender Michael Leighton was brought back into the fold yesterday as he signed a two-year, $3.1 million deal.

While GM Paul Holmgren now has his two netminders from the end of last season under contract and in place (Brian Boucher is signed through 2010-11), there is much speculation as to whether or not the reigning Eastern Conference Champions are done with the crease position.

Aside from doing nothing, there is a growing sentiment that there are two highly probable routes that Holmgren will choose between when the clock strikes twelve noon.

Build a stronger defense and go for a B-tier goaltender

With Leighton re-signed, one school of thought is that Holmgren will go after one of the premier defensemen available, presumably former Ottawa Senator Anton Volchenkov.  The 6′ 1″, 227 pound rearguard plays a very physical style, and is well-suited for head coach Peter Laviolette’s type of game.

Once opposition teams got through Chris Pronger’s shifts, there wasn’t a whole lot of physicality to the rest of the Flyers defensemen’s games.  Volchenkov would change that in a big way.

After already inquiring into the contract demands of UFA goaltenders Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco and realizing their camps are both going for the huge pay day, Holmgren could turn his attention towards Chris Mason or Dan Ellis.

Mason won 30 games last season with the St. Louis Blues and will make any team that signs him a much better club moving forward.  Highly under-rated, the 34-year-old earned $3 million last year and should be in line for a modest raise.  This would put him in the area that Philly is looking to spend.

The 30-year-old Ellis won 15 games last year with the Nashville Predators, mostly in a backup role to Pekka Rinne.  His rights were traded to the Montreal Canadiens earlier in the week, and as of Thursday morning, no deal had been announced.

Ellis would be a great fit in Philadelphia for both sides.  As it would appear that the Habs have a more defined role in mind for him as the second string to Carey Price, the Flyers have already told Leighton that he will have a chance to compete for the starter’s position for next season.  That role is not being given to him and he was not signed as the incumbent.

This course of action is not bad at all, but can only work if restricted free agent Braydon Coburn is also re-signed.

And with the money saved on moving down a tier in the goaltender pay scale, there may be enough leftover to also sign a couple other free agent defensemen.

It was obvious that there was a tremendous drop off after the top four of Pronger-Matt Carle and Kimmo Timonen-Coburn.  It got to the point that Laviolette had no confidence in his third pairing of Lukas Krajicek (also an UFA as of today)-Ryan Parent (since traded to Nashville).  Things got so bad in the Stanley Cup Finals for Parent that he saw just 41 seconds of ice time in game one, sported a -1 rating, and was a healthy scratch the rest of the series.

Parent’s replacement was Oskars Bartulis.  The 23-year-old Latvian blue liner is a nice seventh defenseman but not a top-six,  at least not at this point of his career.

Candidates to fill the five and / or six spots are Kurtis Foster and Zbynek Michalek, both 28 years old.

At 6′ 2″, 210 pounds, Michalek is especially interesting because he would give the Orange-and-Black a right-handed shot from the point, something they did not possess last season.

Foster, 6′ 5″ and 230 pounds, was a nominee for the Masterton Trophy this past season, as he worked his way back from a horrific injury while playing for the Minnesota Wild in early 2008.  Last year in his first full season back and playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Foster was the best Bolts defenseman, leading the Lightning D-men in goals (8) and setting a career-high for assists (34) and points (42).

Leave the defense “as is” and go after one of the high-priced netminders

Holmgren could just re-sign Coburn and Krajicek, and then set his sights on Nabokov or Turco.

The problem with this scenario is that much of the hopes will be thrown onto one player in net, and it also sets up the top two blue line pairings for nearly 30 minutes of ice time per game.

Holmgren was not happy that Pronger played so much, especially during regular season contests midway through the season.  But in Laviolette’s defense, the Flyers had dropped to 14th place in the East and risked the prospect of missing out on the postseason altogether.

With the first route explored, the 35-year-old Pronger and Timonen could tire, especially in the playoffs.  Any scenario that saves wear and tear on their best rearguards bodies would be preferred.

And add in the fact that this option also sets up for monumental failure and disappointment if that one player that you put your hopes in suffers a long-term injury.  You will know exactly what I’m talking about if you look back at the Flyers’ injury situation between the pipes last year.

As improbable as it is that it would happen again, stranger things have happened.

And so begins the free agent frenzy at noon today.  It remains to be seen which direction Holmgren will take as he sits at the fork in the road between spending a large portion of his remaining cap money on defense or a goaltender.

But then again he probably considers this situation as a luxury, since he hasn’t had any cap space with which to deal with for a couple of seasons.

Here’s to hoping that you spend wisely, Paul.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

With very limited options at his disposal as he headed to Staples Center in Los Angeles for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft last week, Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren knew that he would have to come up with some creative ways to improve his club.

The Philly GM said that he would be making some adjustments to his team and the roster would not be the same when the 2010-11 season commences.

With no picks until the 89th overall selection in the draft, there were no assets to be dealt for immediate help.  As a matter of fact, Holmgren’s early round picks in this draft were moved in an attempt to upgrade the team in the past.

Philadelphia’s first round selection was traded to the Anaheim Ducks (#29 overall, used to take Medicine Hat center, Emerson Etem) last offseason in the Chris Pronger deal.  The difference that Pronger made to the Flyers’ defense was astronomical, especially in the postseason.

Philly’s second round pick (#59 overall, used by the Minnesota Wild to select right wing, Jason Zucker) had been dealt two years prior, when the Flyers sent defenseman Denis Gauthier and the pick to the L.A. Kings for minor leaguers Patrik Hersley and Ned Lukacevic.

On Draft day, high end picks are one of the most marketable commodities when looking to make a deal.  Without those picks, Holmgren was forced to be creative in looking for a couple of tweaks to his lineup before training camp opens.

Defense

With the acquisition of Dan Hamhuis’ rights blowing up in his face as no deal could be reached to sign the pending UFA defenseman, Holmgren looked to deal his negotiating rights.

Holmgren did have offers for the rights to Hamhuis, and ended up dealing those rights to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third round draft choice in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.  It was a curious decision by Holmgren, as the Flyers play their Atlantic Division arch-rivals six times per year, plus possibly meeting in the playoffs.

And with Pittsburgh likely to lose long-time rearguard Sergei Gonchar to free agency, it was odd that Holmgren basically helped Penguins GM Ray Shero find a replacement for his top four.

Or was it?  Maybe Holmgren thought that by doing so, he would tie Shero up in trying to get Hamhuis inked to a deal, while Holmgren concentrated on the defenseman that he truly covets, Anton Volchenkov.

Volchenkov is a hard-hitting, tough as nails competitor that would solidify the Philadelphia blue line for years to come.

Signing the 28-year-old, 6′ 1″, 227 pound first round selection of the Ottawa Senators from the 2000 NHL Draft may just be Holmgren’s top initiative.

If Holmgren does get Volchenkov, the train of thought goes that he can then be a little more selective in his choice for his revolving wheel of goaltenders for the upcoming season.

Goaltender

Holmgren also attempted to come away from Draft weekend with a top-notch netminder.  He reached a verbal agreement with San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson to send a seventh round selection in the 2011 Entry Draft if he was successful in signing pending UFA Evgeni Nabokov.

But as the weekend passed with no word of an agreement between the two sides, it was reported that no deal would be reached.  It appears that Holmgen wanted Nabokov to take an incentive-laden “over 35″ contract, but Nabby doesn’t turn 35 until July 25th.  By the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Nabokov would have had to be 35 by June 30th to qualify for this type of pact.

Nabokov’s agent, Don Meehan, said it wasn’t in his client’s best interest to sign any deal before Thursday, and with what Nabokov is likely to command on the open market as of Thursday, Philadelphia took itself out of the running.

Holmgren then inquired about Marty Turco, another of the mid-30s goalkeepers scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.  It was reported by Tim Pannaccio of CSNPhilly.com that the Flyers offered Turco in the neighborhood of $2 million to come to Philadelphia.

But Turco is another goaltender that will command a larger pay day.

So where does that leave the Flyers?

If Holmgren does turn his attention towards signing Volchenkov, look for the Flyers to adjust the focus of their goaltending attention.

With a potential top two pairings of Pronger-Matt Carle and Kimmo Timonen-Braydon Coburn / Volchenkov, the Orange-and-Black would have one of the top defensive units in the entire league.

This would allow them to set their sites on more-affordable netminders, and the group that would be likely to be targeted would be Chris Mason, Dan Ellis, Antero Niittymaki, and yes, Michael Leighton.

The above-listed goaltenders are all above-average, but will probably be in a much-lesser pay tier than that of Nabokov and Turco.

Besides the possibility of obtaining Volchenkov and re-signing Lukas Krajicek, other interesting UFA options at defense include Andy Sutton, Andreas Lilja, Jason Strudwick, and Sean O’ Donnell (39-year-old for maybe one season).

With less than two days left before the clock signals the opening of free agent season, there are still many more question marks than answers.

But in another 48 hours, hopefully we will have a much-clearer picture as to which direction Holmgren and his Flyers will be headed.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

For the Philadelphia Flyers, NHL Entry Draft day is usually a very busy time.  Last year GM Paul Holmgren pulled the trigger on the Chris Pronger deal with the Anaheim Ducks, and the previous year moved forward R.J. Umberger to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a first round pick (Luca Sbisa, who ended up being dealt to Anaheim in the Pronger trade).

Yesterday was much different.  It was a day full of rumors and conflicting reports from well-connected, much-respected members of the hockey media community regarding the status of Holmgren’s contract talks with impending UFA defenseman Dan Hamhuis, acquired a week ago today from the Nashville Predators for defenseman Ryan Parent.

The first word of the day that made the rounds was from a Vancouver sports radio broadcast.  The report was that analyst Pierre McGuire was reporting that the Flyers and Hamhuis’ agent were very close to signing a four-year, $20 million pact.

This was a strange rumor, as talk had been that Hamhuis’ camp was searching for a four-year, $16 million deal.

As no announcement of a deal was made, Tim Panaccio of the CSN-Philly.com reported that Hamhuis’ rights would not be dealt at the Entry Draft, and that if no deal was reached by next week, only then would Holmgren consider dealing those rights.

After a few hours of nothing new being reported on a contract agreement, word came from TSN analyst Bob McKenzie that the Flyers and Hamhuis were not close at all on any deal.  McKenzie said he was actually hearing that the Vancouver Canucks may be interested in dealing for Hamhuis’ rights.

But after Vancouver traded for Florida Panther defenseman Keith Ballard just prior to the commencement of the Draft, it was obvious that they were not going to make any deals to acquire Hamhuis’ rights.

There were reports early on that Holmgren had been in discussions with Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero, and later with San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson.  As Pittsburgh’s draft spot at number 20 was approaching, there was speculation that Holmgren was attempting to acquire the pick.

But as Shero picked center Beau Bennett with that selection, it appeared that the Flyers would not be making a move at all on the day.

Just as the first round reached its conclusion, it was announced that Philadelphia had traded Hamhuis’ rights to arch-rival and divisional foe Pittsburgh for a third round selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

The deal makes sense for the Penguins.  They are about to lose number one defenseman Sergei Gonchar to unrestricted free agency,  as Shero does not want to give the 36-year-old rearguard a guaranteed third year on any new deal.

The deal also makes sense for Hamhuis.  One of the biggest sticking points reported between Hamhuis and the Flyers was that Hamhuis was worried about his role with the club, should he sign.  With Pronger and Matt Carle being the first defensive pairing and the second consisting of Kimmo Timonen and (RFA) Braydon Coburn, it appears Hamhuis had reservations about just how much quality playing time he would receive with the Orange-and-Black.

One of the remedies for that situation that was rumored was Holmgren moving Coburn upon signing Hamhuis.  But that is now a moot point.

From a Flyers’ perspective, the choice to move Hamhuis to a destination of such a key enemy is a curious one, at best.

Not only do the teams play each other six times during the regular season, but Philadelphia has also lost to Pittsburgh in the playoffs in two of the past three years.  With Jaroslav Halak and the Montreal Canadiens doing the Flyers a big favor by unceremoniously dispatching the reigning Stanley Cup Champions in this past postseason, the team was spared a potential meeting with the Penguins for a third  year in a row.

There were reports that several teams had made offers for Hamhuis’ rights, but Pittsburgh’s offer was the best.  Wouldn’t it have been a wiser decision for Holmgren to take a little less and keep “Hammer” out of a position to possibly do damage to his own team’s cause in the very near future?

Flyers to Acquire Rights to Nabokov?

There has been much talk about the direction that Holmgren will go in his quest to fill the vacant Philly crease for the 2010-11 season.

Reports earlier in the week had Flyers’ GM talking to Michael Leighton’s agent, Mike Liut, about a possible re-signing of the pending unrestricted free agent netminder.  The train of thought is that Leighton would be brought in as a backup to whomever Holmgren acquires as his starter.  But that option may not be so attractive for Leighton, as he showed a lot in the starting role since his acquisition by the Flyers.

Reports also surfaced this past week that Holmgren will show great interest in UFA Marty Turco next Thursday.

After the conclusion of round one of the Draft last night, word was that Holmgren had spoken to Sharks’ GM Wilson about trading for the rights to pending unrestricted free agent Evgeni Nabokov.   The goaltender will turn 35 years old next month, and even though he has never had tremendous success in the postseason, Nabby has won 40+ games in each of the past three regular seasons.

Something could come of this on the second day of the Draft on Saturday, as there is now only five full days until free agency officially gets under way.

And as we saw with the Hamhuis situation, it is not always an easy task to get a deal done in such a short period of time.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

For the Philadelphia Flyers it is a seemingly never-ending search, a generational attempt to find that one franchise netminder with which to call their own.

Through the years, we have seen the likes of Tommy Soderstrom, Dominic Roussel, Garth Snow, Jean-Marc Pelletier, Maxime Ouellet, Brian Boucher (in his first stint with the club), Roman Cechmanek, Antero Niittymaki, and Robert Esche anointed as the heir to the throne.

And when the younger guys have failed, then-GM Bob Clarke would delve deeply into the other end of the spectrum.

Sean Burke (twice) and John Vanbiesbrouck come to mind as two of Clarke’s desperate attempts to get the much-needed net presence to man the crease for the Orange-and-Black.

But all that ended up doing was handsomely rewarding an aging, unrestricted free agent for their previous performances with other teams, but not doing much in the way of helping the Flyers’ cause.

It’s a search that has been going on since Ron Hextall’s initial tenure in Philadelphia, which ended when he was dealt to the Quebec Nordiques after the 1991-92 season in the Eric Lindros trade.

It is coming up on the 20th season of that deal, and the Flyers have still not been able to find that one netminder to put between the pipes for the long haul.

Last season was a nightmare for the Orange-and-Black between the pipes, as the Flyers’ netminders were decimated by injuries, as they used seven goaltenders throughout the year.

Ray Emery, signed as a free agent out of the KHL prior to the season, would sustain two serious injuries that required surgery.  The hip injury that struck him in early March may even be career-threatening.

Boucher is signed for the 2010-11 season and Johan Backlund was recently re-signed for two more years.  But with Michael Leighton set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, the position is once again in a state of flux.

Philly GM Paul Holmgren, fresh off acquiring defenseman Dan Hamhuis from Nashville on Saturday, is set to tackle the ongoing goaltending issue.

Including bringing Leighton back, there are many avenues for Holmgren to explore.  Here are some of those options:

Unrestricted Free Agents:

Leighton – Picked up off the waiver wire by Holmgren in early-December, Leighton was a Godsend for a struggling team that could not find its way.  All he did was proceed to go 16-5-2 before succumbing to a high ankle sprain in March.  When he returned during Philly’s improbable postseason run, Leighton went 8-3.

The only problem was that he let in several goals of the “soft” variety in the Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Leighton has stated on the record that he wishes to return, and head coach Peter Laviolette has voiced his support for bringing Leighton back, but Holmgren has sounded a bit less-thrilled about Leighton returning after the loss in the Finals.  Days after the final loss on game six, Holmgren said that he still hadn’t seen the replay of Patrick Kane’s Cup-winning overtime goal.  He hasn’t seen the puck enter the net, and just couldn’t bring himself to see it.

Leighton’s agent Mike Liut has stated that he is seeking a deal worth between $2-3 million, which isn’t breaking the bank.

Leighton fingerprint:  Depending on how much is required to get Hamhuis signed and how much of the $8+ million surplus there is left to work with and given the fact that Leighton has proven to work well with his team, Holmgren may, indeed, be bringing Leighton back into the fold when all is said and done.

Marty Turco:  Turco has long been considered one of the top ten netminders in the NHL.  But the soon to be 35-year-old, nine-year veteran of the Dallas Stars saw a significant dropoff in play in 2009-10.

His six year streak of 30 or more wins came to an abrupt halt, as he struggled to a 22-20-11 record.

Taking a Flyer on Turco: Coupled with the salary that Turco most-likely will be demanding (he made $5.7 million last year) and his dropoff in play, a Turco signing would appear to be in the same avenue of the Vanbiesbrouck signing a decade ago.  I find this option very doubtful.

Evgeni Nabokov:  The San Jose Sharks have had a label of being “playoff underacheivers”, and Nabby has been front-and-center in the blame game.

The 10-year vet has been a workhorse for the Sharks in the regular season, registering 40+ wins in each of the past three seasons.

But it’s the postseason failures that most people will be looking at when considering Nabokov when July 1st rolls around.

Lowdown on Nabby:  Nabokov is in the same boat as Turco.  He will also be turning 35, and drew a salary of $5.375 million last season.  If he is looking for a big payday (i.e. a hefty raise), the chances that he will be wearing Orange-and-Black come training camp are slim-to-none.

Jose Theodore:  Theodore is another in this year’s 30-something, big contract netminders.  Theodore, who turns 34 in September, had one of his best regular seasons in the NHL last season.  His 30-7-7 record led the way for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals.  But after being given the nod over Semyon Varlamov as the starter in the postseason, the Capitals fell in seven games to the Montreal Canadiens.  The play of Habs’ goaltender Jaroslav Halak was the difference, as he outplayed Theodore.

The theory on Theo:  Theodore has overcome great personal tragedy and succeeded, but with his $4.5 million salary in 2009-10, he will be expecting another huge payday.  Given his age and asking price, it’s almost a sure bet that Holmgren will pass on Theodore.

Chris Mason:  The 34-year-old Mason had his best year in the NHL last season for the St. Louis Blues, reaching the 30-win mark for the first time in his career.  A late-bloomer, Mason has 20+ wins in three of his last four seasons.

The markup on Mason:  While Mason has shown no signs of slowing down, he is still 34.  Add in the fact that he made $3 million last season, and he will probably be looking for a significant raise.  This will probably be the last chance to make the big money for Mason, so it isn’t likely that he would take less for an opportunity to win.

Dan Ellis:  Drafted by the Dallas Stars in 2000, Ellis saw action in just one game (a win in 2003-04 season).

Ellis was signed by the Nashville Predators as a free agent in 2007 and had actually taken the starting job away from Chris Mason, posting a 23-10-3 mark during the 2007-08 campaign.  But in 2008-09 Ellis dropped to just 11-19-4, prompting the call-up from the minors of Pekka Rinne.  The rest, as they say, is history.

The Down low on Dan:  Ellis may be just what the Flyers are looking for…a netminder that just turned 30 and made just $1.75 million last season.  Depending on the salary neighborhood Ellis is hoping to move in to, he may be a good possibility.

Antero Niittymaki:  Originally drafted by Philly in 1998, Niitty was always the good soldier.  A fantastic goaltender and Olympic Silver Medal winner in 2006, he was never really given the opportunity to become the number one guy for the Flyers.  There always seemed to be another guy promoted or brought in and given the job…Boucher, Cechmanek, Esche, Martin Biron.  The only time that Niittymaki was given the bulk of starts for any stretch was during the Flyers franchise-worst 2006-07, in which they finished last overall in the NHL standings.  Niitty was given the reigns as the team played out the string, and his 9-29-9 mark was abysmal.

Notes on Niitty:  When Niittymaki was allowed to walk away as an UFA and Holmgren went to the KHL to lure Emery back from his exile, it continued a pattern of the Flyers looking elsewhere when they may have had their answer right under their noses.  Niitty was signed to a one-year, $600,000 contract by the Tampa Bay Lightning, then wrestled the starting job away from incumbent Mike Smith.  He finished with a more than respectable 21-18-5 record for a non-playoff team.  At $600k, the 30-year-old goalie could be the perfect fit to come back and take the starting job for Philadelphia.

Vesa Toskala:  Not nearly on the same level as either Turco or Nabokov over the course of his career, Toskala nonetheless had four consecutive 20+ win seasons with the San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs heading into the 2009-10 campaign.  But the 33-year-old Finnish goaltender fell off dramatically this past season, recording a 9-12-3 mark with Toronto and the Calgary Flames.

The Toskala total:  Despite a 129-82-5 record over eight NHL seasons, Toskala has largely spent most of that time as a backup.  In San Jose, he was second fiddle to Nabokov.  When given the reigns for a less-than great Toronto team, he managed a 62-54-20 record before being shipped to Calgary, where he was again backup, this time to Miikka Kiprusoff.

But if he is looking for a raise on his 2009-10 $4 million salary, he will be looking in cities other than Philadelphia.

The Unrestricted Free Agent Dark Horses (i.e. the rest):  Johan Hedberg (37-years-old, $1.087 million in 2009-10), Peter Budaj (28 in September, $1.25 million), Alex Auld (29, $1 million), Andrew Raycroft (30, $500,000), Patrick Lalime (36 in July, $1 million), Manny Legace (37, $500,000).

Trade Possibilities:

Los Angeles:

There have been a number of trade rumors that Holmgren could opt to take if he chooses not to go the route of unrestricted free agency.  One that is making the rounds is that he is interested in either Jonathan Quick or Jonathan Bernier from the Los Angeles Kings.

With the connection that Philadelphia and L.A. share, with L.A.’s GM Dean Lombardi and Assistant GM Ron Hextall being former employees before heading west, there may be some meat to this one.

Quick is 24-years-old and his 2010-11 salary will be $1.8 million, a nice fit for Homer’s cap room.  The 6′ 1″, 223 pound netminder is coming off a stellar season in which he put up a 39-24-7 mark, leading the Kings to the number six seed in the Western Conference and a playoff spot.

In his first NHL postseason, Quick’s Kings lost in six hard-fought games.

Bernier, who will turn 22 in August, will likely make a push in training camp to unseat Quick as the starter.  L.A. management is very high on the first round pick from 2006, and with good reason.

With 28-year-old Erik Ersberg as backup, the Kings may be ready to move either Quick or Bernier for the right return.

With the Kings having room under the salary cap, forward Jeff Carter may be a return being sought after by Lombardi and company.  They were rumored to be in the bidding for Ilya Kovalchuk prior to the Atlanta Thrashers moving him to New Jersey, and their desire to bolster their forward slots has been made known.  They could go the unrestricted free agent route and sign Kovalchuk, but they will need to dole out approximately $10 million annually.

Minnesota:

Josh Harding – The 26-year-old restricted free agent made $1.1 million last season, and may be moved to a team where he has a chance to be the starter.  With Niklas Backstrom signed for three more seasons, playing time will be scarce for Harding if he remains with the Wild.

Minnesota can always use help at the forward position, and even though forwards have been sacrificed to fit the team’s salary into the cap limit, the Flyers still have a wealth up front with which to deal.

There had been rumors that Philadelphia was ready to offer up Carter to the Montreal Canadiens for either Halak or Carey Price.  But with the shocking trade that sent Halak to the St. Louis Blues, any deal with Les Habitants appears to have been quashed, as Price will undoubtedly take the reigns in the Montreal crease.

Conclusion:

Holmgren will have a busy week ahead of him leading up to Friday night’s commencement of the Entry Draft.  He needs to get Hamhuis signed, and is rumored to be talking to several clubs about acquiring a goaltender via trade.

If nothing comes to fruition, he can fit an unrestricted free agent into his salary structure.

As mentioned above, Holmgren would do well to avoid any long-term deals with the aging, high-money netminders.  This would wipe Turco, Nabokov, Mason, Theodore, and Toskala off of Homer’s list.

The UFA options the Flyers may want to explore if a trade is not consummated are Ellis and Niitymaki.  Outside of Leighton, these two would seem to have the best fit, both age-wise and monetarily.

And if this is the route Holmgren chooses, whichever goalie he signs will be a hold-over until hopefully Sergei Bobrovsky (see previous story on him here) or Joacim Eriksson will develop and be ready as the long-term netminder this franchise has lacked for so long.

If possible, either Bernier or Quick from the Kings would be the best-possible move for Holmgren.  Both goaltenders are young, and could alleviate the constant state of flux in the Flyers’ crease.

Either one would be considered a franchise goaltender.

Whichever goaltender ends up between the pipes for the Flyers when the season opens will definitely benefit from the work being done by Holmgren to shore up the Philadelphia blue line.

By week’s end, we may just know the identity of that masked man.  And along with that move comes the opportunity for Holmgren to put his permanent stamp on the franchise.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

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