By David Strehle (@David_Strehle)
It has been an interesting preseason for the Philadelphia Flyers, and GM Paul Holmgren will have his work cut out for him to get his team’s 23-man opening night roster set as the 5:00 p.m. deadline rapidly approaches.
The Flyers are just under $1.25 million over the salary cap, and moves will be coming today for the club to have their roster in place.
Holmgren didn’t appear to be in any rush Sunday.
“Without giving away any details, secrets, we’ll know,” the GM said of the Monday deadline following Sunday’s practice. “That’s when I’ll make everyone aware of what we’re doing. I’m not trying to be secretive, but we’re still juggling things. I’m trying to decide what’s best.”
Rumors out of Colorado Saturday suggested Holmgren was exploring the possibility of sending a defenseman to the Avalanche in exchange for forward John Mitchell. One name that keeps coming up is that of Andrej Meszaros, the oft-injured blue liner with a $4 million cap hit. Colorado has more than $10 million in cap space and they’ve reportedly been attempting to move Mitchell, who has a $1.1 million contract.
While Mitchell is a serviceable forward, that move would amount to a salary dump for Philadelphia. And it would also create a bit more chaos around the forward position, unless someone like Adam Hall were included in the deal.
The GM said he speaks with other GMs around the league regularly, but he did not believe he would be making any trades.
“You talk all the time with other teams,” he said. “I don’t foresee doing anything [via trade].”
That’s where all the juggling he mentioned comes into play. When Chris Pronger is moved to LTIR, his $4.91+ million cap hit comes off the books. But the financial aspect of that transaction cannot officially take affect until 5:01 p.m.
So Holmgren has to maneuver players around, and it’s been suggested one of the waiver exempt skaters such as Brayden Schenn or Sean Couturier could be “sent” to the minors. That move would merely be on paper as of 5:00, because Philadelphia would be compliant with whichever player was “demoted” upon Pronger’s move to LTIR shortly after the deadline.
“We’ll figure out a way to be cap compliant,” Holmgren said, stressing the fact he’s been in contact with other clubs. “That’s part of the job.”
The shuffling will come with how Holmgren decides he wants his roster to look. He mentioned Sunday he wasn’t sure if he’d go with 13 forwards, eight defenders in addition to goaltenders Ray Emery and Steve Mason, or some other combination.
Most of the spots have been filled, but there are still several players on the bubble.
Defenseman Bruno Gervais and Hall, who were both placed on waivers Saturday and cleared, appear to be headed in different directions. Gervais would seem pretty much a certainty to be headed to the Adirondack Phantoms, while Hall is somewhat in a state of limbo. He could fill one of the forward slots, but Scott Laughton’s inclusion complicates things for the 33-year-old Hall.
Peter Laviolette has said on more than one occasion he wants Laughton to play center, so with Claude Giroux, Vinny Lecavalier, and Sean Couturier taking the top three pivot positions, Laughton would seem destined to center the fourth line.
Holmgren had indicated after last season that Hall would not be brought back, but the fourth line center was the spot Hall was envisioned filling when the UFA was surprisingly re-signed to a one-year deal in July. Hall is excellent defensively and in the faceoff circle (an area the Flyers, outside of Giroux, struggled last year before bringing Hall into the fold), and on the penalty killing unit.
But one thing Hall does not bring is any offensive presence.
Secondary scoring was another downfall in the non-playoff finish, so maybe the organization’s thought process sees Laughton helping supply some more goal production from the fourth line.
As things stand, Hall and Jay Rosehill could split duties on Laughton’s wing.
Flyers forwards:
Scott Hartnell-Claude Giroux-Jake Voracek
Brayden Schenn-Vinny-Lecavalier-Wayne Simmonds
Max Talbot-Sean Couturier-Matt Read
Adam Hall/Jay Rosehill-Scott Laughton-Zac Rinaldo
Thirteenth forward: Adam Hall/Jay Rosehill
There is also some uncertainty on the back line. 6′ 8″, 245-pound Hal Gill was brought into camp on a PTO contract, but his status with the club is not known. The team is enamored with the 15-year NHL veteran’s size and especially his physicality and nastiness, an aspect that has been lacking on defense since the loss of Pronger.
Once Marc-Andre Bourdon cleared waivers last week and was placed on LTIR likely to be sent to Adirondack or placed on LTIR, that will leave Philadelphia with (excluding Pronger, including Gill) eight blue liners still in camp.
Gill cannot be signed to a contract at this time for two reasons: Pronger and Bourdon cannot be moved to LTIR until 5:01 p.m. — so Gill would make 25 players — and the club is still in excess of $1.2 million above the salary cap limit.
That’s the reason rumors cropped up regarding moving a defender, and specifically one making a lot of salary like Meszaros.
Even though he did not have the best showing in camp — but then again, not many on the blue line looked very good — as of right now it appears Erik Gustafsson has locked up the seventh spot.
With Gervais likely headed to the AHL, the Flyers defense:
Kimmo Timonen-Braydon Coburn
Mark Streit-Luke Schenn
Nicklas Grossmann-Andrej Meszaros
Erik Gustafsson/Hal Gill
Just a side note — Philadelphia remains the only NHL team to have more money invested in their blue line than they do at forward.
There are all kinds of scenarios that could come about today, but one thing is for certain. The Flyers will have their opening night, 23-man roster set and the club will be at or below the $64.3 million salary cap as of 5:00 p.m. today.
At that time we will all know the 2013/14 opening night version of the Philadelphia Flyers, who open their season Wednesday night at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Holmgren update on Voracek injury
Jake Voracek skated with the team early Sunday, then left the ice just before line rush drills began. Brayden Schenn took Voracek’s spot on the right side of the top line.
Voracek left the September 24 home exhibition game against the New Jersey Devils after being tripped by Bryce Salvador and crashing into the goal post. The team had listed Voracek with an “upper body injury”, and the 24-year-old Czech’s status was cloudy heading into the season opener.
That is until Sunday when Holmgren gave the media his prognosis, and it’s a good one for the Flyers’ fortunes.
“That was the plan going in,” Holmgren said of the strategy with last year’s team goal-scoring leader. “I believe he was out there 35-40 minutes, then take him off the ice and hold him back a little bit. He’s doing fine. I have no doubt in saying he will be playing on Wednesday.”
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