Flyers Deal Parent to Nashville for Rights to Hamhuis
NHLHS Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent David Strehle takes a look at the Flyers’ acquisition of the rights to defenseman Dan Hamhuis and what it means to the Philly blue line heading into the 2010-11 season.
Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren had said that he wanted to make improvements to his club during the offseason, and he got a start on his to-do list on Saturday afternoon.
With less than a week until the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles, the Flyers and Predators swapped defensemen, with Philly sending Ryan Parent to back to Nashville for the rights to pending unrestricted free agent Dan Hamhuis, along with a conditional draft pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
This is a familiar scenario between the two teams, as Holmgren had acquired the rights from Nashville to two pending free agents in the 2007 offseason when he picked up the rights to defenseman Kimmo Timonen and forward Scott Hartnell. Holmgren promptly signed each, locking them in with five-year deals.
He now must sign Hamhuis before July 1st or face the risk of losing the defenseman, as he would be able to test the free agent waters.
Holmgren said: “Our intention is to get him signed prior to July 1, and that is what our aim is at this point in time. The sooner that we get going on trying to get this done, the better.”
Give Predators GM David Poile credit as he garnered some kind of a return for Hamhuis, a player he more than likely would have lost for nothing when the free agency period opens in less than two weeks.
By re-acquiring the 23-year-old Parent, a defenseman that he had drafted 18th overall in the 2005 Entry Draft and dealt to Philadelphia in the Peter Forsberg trade in 2007, Poile has one less slot to fill on his blue line for the upcoming season.
Parent was supposed to turn into a top-four, shutdown defenseman, but injuries and inconsistency have greatly slowed his development.
Parent has played in just 102 games over the past three seasons with the Flyers, scoring one goal and adding six assists. He was tied with fellow defenseman Lukas Krajicek for a team-worst plus / minus at a -14.
As he appeared to lose confidence, the play of Parent was bad enough during the playoffs that he played in just 17 postseason games, scoring one goal and recording a -1.
But as Philadelphia continued to march towards the Stanley Cup Finals, Parent was used more sparingly. He only saw 41 seconds of ice time in game one of the Finals, and still managed to finish a -1.
After that performance, Oskars Bartulis was inserted into the lineup in Parent’s place.
The 27-year-old Hamhuis is a player that Holmgren coveted and nearly acquired at the March trade deadline. Parent was rumored to be the return in trade discussions at that time, also.
Hamhuis is a consistent, physical player that would be greatly welcomed on the Philadelphia defense. And unlike the oft-injured Parent, Hamhuis has averaged 80 games per NHL season.
Along with being a top four, shutdown guy in Nashville, Hamhuis has also been a much more consistent offensive contributor than Parent, averaging over five goals and 21 assists in his six seasons.
With contract negotiations for restricted free agent rearguard Braydon Coburn, Holmgren would have the option of moving Coburn if he can sign Hamhuis to be in his top four with Chris Pronger, Matt Carle, and Timonen.
But if Coburn is re-signed the Flyers blue line, once one of the team’s biggest liabilities, would become a tremendous strength.
If he can sign Hamhuis, Holmgren would have another piece in his attempt to build the Flyers into a team that can win two more games in the postseason and lay claim to the organization’s ultimate goal, Lord Stanley.
It should be an eventful week leading up to the Draft, as Holmgren not only will try to secure Hamhuis’ services, but also get his starting goaltending position resolved.
Stay tuned…
David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia
