Flyers trade Pitkanen

The Philadelphia Flyers are reporting that defensemen Joni Pitkanen and forward Geoff Sanderson have been traded to the Edmonton Oilers for defensemen Jason Smith and forward Joffrey Lupul. Smith, the captain of the Oilers is a solid defensemen that brings toughness, character and experience to the Flyers. Lupul is a finesse player coming off a poor year statistically with only 16 goals, but has a lot of skill and potential, showing some of his potential production with 28 goals in the 2005-06 season.

Flyers secretly shopping Pitkanen?

After being drafted fourth overall in the 2002 NHL draft by the Philadelphia Flyers , Joni Pitkanen was expected to be a star in the NHL almost immediately.  But after showing good numbers in his first couple seasons in the NHL, Pitkanen’s 2006-07 season could be the one that defines, as well as ends his career with the Flyers.

From bad to worse: Flyers miss out on number one overall

It has been reported by multiple media sources, that despite the having the league’s worst record in the NHL, the Philadelphia Flyers will choose second overall in the 2007 NHL entry draft. They lost out to the Chicago Blackhawks, who beat the odds to jump from the league’s fifth worst team to choose first overall. This is a depressing thought for Flyers’ fans, who’s only consolation from the Flyers’ record breaking bad season, was the first overall draft pick. Luckily for the Flyers however, there is no clear cut number one overall pick to choose. This years draft lacks an official top tier stand out, much like Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin were in their drafts, but is still loaded with talent at the top. Because of all the talent available high in the draft, falling to number two is not the nightmare it may have been in years prior. The Flyers could very likely still get the player they targeted the entire time. The draft will be held in Columbus, Ohio, on June 22, 2007.

John LeClair Back in Orange and Black?

According to the Camden Courier Post, former Philadelphia Flyers’ great John LeClair was at the Flyers’ practice facility Friday, undergoing a physical for what could be a contract signing with the Flyers. The signing would most likely not be an active one, but would allow 37-year old LeClair a chance to retire as a Philadelphia Flyer.

Flyers Acquire Biron as Deadline Nears

The Philadelphia Flyers continued their dealing on Tuesday Feb 27, acquiring 29 year old Buffalo goaltender Martin Biron, for the Flyers’ second round draft pick in the 2007 draft. The Flyers, who have had struggled in goal all season aimed to secure their goalie ranks in an attempt to recover from their atrocious 2006 season as quickly as next year.

Flyers’ Captain Forsberg Traded

After being told by Philadelphia Flyers’ owner Ed Snyder to decide his fate by February 18th, The indecisive Flyers’ captain Peter Forsberg was declared a healthy scratch in the Flyers’ February 15th game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, despite contributing in the pre-game skate. This is a screaming indication that the Flyers have all but completed a deal with a team for Forsberg, which is heavily rumored to be to the Nashville Predators for two prospects and a 1st round draft pick in the 2007 entry draft. One Nashville player rumored to be involved in the trade for Forsberg, is quick playing solid defensemen Ryan Parent, who’s surname will surely fit in Philadelphia. Though this is speculation at best, more draft picks could be added, as well as a possible NHL ready player. The trade has to be approved by league offices in Toronto which could be the cause of the information delay.

Update: ESPN is reporting the Philadelphia Flyers have officially completed a trade with the Nashville Predators for Peter Forsberg. The trade consists of Peter Forsberg to Nashville for agitating forward Scottie Upshaw, shut down defending prospect, Ryan Parent, a first round draft pick, and a conditional 3rd round draft pick in the 2007 draft. Regardless of the trade, Forsberg is a free agent at the end of the season, and could possibly re-sign with the Flyers at that time.

New Style Flyers’ Need Old Style Hockey To Improve

The legacy of the Philadelphia Flyers is not one of star players or charismatic coaches. It is not made up of 50 goal scorers or Stanley Cup runs. The Philadelphia Flyers legacy is built on the backs of nameless grunts who would never tolerate losing because they despised it. This mindset was engrained into the fabric of Philadelphia Flyers hockey, and no matter which generation of players played in the orange and black, they were endowed the nickname “The Broad Street Bullies”.

Forsberg’s Upcoming Free Agency Not A Worry For The Flyers

The NHL season is right around the corner for the Philadelphia Flyers, who have spent the past month solidifying their future. Finalizing deals with coach Ken Hitchcock and Simon Gagne, put at ease the Flyers’ faithful who were pained to see in the off season, these deals linger undone. With these contract issues put to rest for a few years, the Flyers attention is slowly turning to their new captain Peter Forsberg, whose contract with the Flyers expires after this season.

Gagne Contract Status Still Uncertain: Should Flyers Fans Be Worried?

In the old NHL, the Flyers, specifically Bobby Clarke, would have picked up an A-list free agent to make up for the possible loss of Peter Forsberg to injury. With training camp just around the corner, this off season was a first for Flyers fans who are still getting used to the NHL’s new salary cap.

Unfortunately, the new NHL limits spending which leads to the number one question Flyers’ fans are asking coming into the new season: “Why haven’t the Flyers signed Simon Gagne? And is it time to panic?” The initial reaction is that the ownership is being cheap; not throwing out the big bucks for a legitimate star, but that is far from the truth.

In the old NHL there is no doubt that the Flyers would pay Gagne, believing that he deserves a big pay day coming off a team-leading 47-goal season. In the new NHL this problem is a little more difficult to solve. Gagne’s agent Bob Sauve is looking for a deal around 3 years/$15 million, similar to the contract one Alex Tanguay, a 30 goal scorer for the Calgary Flames (whom Suave is also an agent for) signed. This deal would provide Gagne with roughly $5 million a year, which creates some tricky arithmetic.

The NHL salary cap is at $44 million and the Flyers currently have roughly $40 million against it, leaving only 4 million maximum to spend on Gagne. This doesn’t mean the Flyers will be unable to sign Gagne, but what it does mean is that the Flyers’ roster needs some finagling and questions need to be answered to acquire the money under the cap to ink Simon.

It has been rumored that Antero Nittymaki is going to be the Flyers’ weight-bearing goalie this season, which will leave Robert Esche disgruntled since he has great distaste for sitting on the bench. Dealing Esche could be a way to relieve pressure on the salary cap but the problem with putting a goalie on the market so early on in the new season is that goalie value is extremely low. Teams want to see what they get out of their young talent and have confidence in their current situations. The value for goalies rises during the season as injuries mount and the season goes on because the team’s confidence in their net minder drops. Relieving Esche’s contract may become more likely as the season progresses but a deal early on in the season might not be out of the question if Clarke hears a good offer.

Keith Primeau is also a contractual question mark. Lately Primeau has been practicing and looking like his old self. “He looks like a man ready to play,” says coach Ken Hitchcock. Regardless of a few post-concussion relapses he had, Keith seems to be playing well, though he could be one game time hit from another long injured reserve trip or possibly early retirement. If Primeau cannot recover fully and decides to retire, his $3 million dollar contract will be lifted from the Flyers salary cap, leaving enough room to sign Gagne.

If Keith does make a full recovery however, it will leave the Flyers’ roster very forward heavy even with the experimentation of Sami Kapanen playing consistent defense. The excess of forwards should force the Flyers to make a move to get rid older players with relatively big contracts such as Petr Nedved and Turner Stevenson; but finding a buyer for them would require Clarke to put on an award winning performance that would be nothing less than artful and magnificent.

The Flyers expect Gagne to be in camp on time and to not start a hold-out like Colorado Avalanche restricted star Marek Svatos has stated he would do if not signed. Holding-out hasn’t become a habit among NHL players yet, but with a salary cap, roster situations could soon go the way of the NFL and any player unhappy with their current contract will put pressure on the organization to make a deal by skipping out of training camp.

With the recent success of a similar restricted free agent in Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins signing a 5-year 23.75 million dollar contract, Gagne’s camp, along with Flyers fans, should be optimistic that a deal will be made before Simon becomes a unrestricted free agent — regardless of the trade rumors swirling about involving Gagne for Peter Forsberg’s childhood friend and Swedish teammate Markus Nasland in Vancouver.

The situation may look dire from a fans point-of-view but it’s just going to take some stalling by Bobby Clarke, the lowball offers the Flyers already put on the table, and some ironing out of salary cap issues, that in time, will paint a clear picture of how Clarke will free up Gagne’s cash.

*UPDATE – 09/06/06
Gagne and Clarke continue to be at odds over a multi year contract. Gagne’s agent Bob Sauve has made it clear Simon will holdout of camp or maybe longer if a deal is not reached. Gagne and his agent have clearly stated he would like to remain a Flyer regardless of whether he holds out or not. The more time Gagne misses out of camp the more likely it will be that he gets moved to a team with adaquit cap space — though the Flyers DO NOT want to take those actions, it is a growing possibility.

*UPDATE – 09/11/06 
On Monday both Gagne and the Flyers agreed to a five-year, $26.25M deal which averts a major problem as Gagne will now show to camp.  It still seems likely the Flyers will have to move some players to relieve money against the cap.

Photo by Getty Images

Edited by L. Olivia Piotti

Where In The World Is The NHL’s Next Star?

Has anyone seen Evgeni Malkin? The Russian phenom went missing from his Russian Super League team Metallurg Magnitogorsk after leaving for their training camp in Finland and never arriving at the teams’ destination. What makes this disappearing act interesting is that Malkin is under contract for one more year but desperately wants to play in the NHL, particularly with the team who drafted him in 2004; the Pittsburgh Penguins, to prove himself at the highest level of hockey.

Contracts in Russia can be voided at a simple two weeks given notice, so the real reason the Russian Ice Hockey Federation won’t let go of the young talent is money, in particular a transfer payment. In June of 2006, Russian hockey refused to sign a transfer deal with the NHL that was approved in 2005 by the International Ice Hockey Federation. The deal was for hockey teams to have to pay a flat transfer fee agreed upon in the deal to the team of the player sought after internationally. Much like the way international soccer works, teams can not trade player for player, but rather they can trade a player for a hefty transfer fee.

The difference between hockey transfer fees and the way international soccer works, is that the transfer fee for Malkin or any international player was at a measly $200,000. Transfer fees in soccer are made on a player to player basis, so the transfer fee will be more expensive according to the level of athlete pursued and this is what is causing the problem in Malkin’s case.

Russian hockey believes they should be getting a lot more for Malkin than what they are being offered, since he is a potential superstar. By not signing the transfer agreement, they are disallowing Russian hockey players to leave to play for the NHL. This is where the story gets interesting.

Russian news sources said that Malkin disappeared with his passport and Canadian visa and they speculate that the Pittsburgh Penguins may have been in cahoots with Malkin in leaving for North America. Since there is no transfer agreement in place, Russian hockey is suing the NHL for what they believe is stealing a player. This lawsuit is almost identical to the one over Alexander Ovechkin which was decided by a U.S. court in favor of the NHL.

Regardless of these international theatrics, the 20-year-old Malkin is worth the trouble the NHL and Pittsburgh Penguins are going through to acquire him. He was drafted second overall behind Alexander Ovechkin in the 2004 NHL draft and is the highest rated prospect outside of the NHL currently. He was ranked the fourth best prospect in the world in 2005 behind Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Dion Phaneuf who were all Calder Trophy nominees for the NHL’s best rookie. Malkin is 6′3, 186 lbs and has incredibly good vision and passing ability, he plays both ends of the ice and has a great locker room personality. Assuming he joins the NHL for the 2006-2007 season, he will be highly regarded as the frontrunner to win the Calder Trophy.

Former NHL and current Metallurg Magnitogorsk’s coach Dave King coached the young French Canadian Mario Lemieux as a prospect at the 1983 World Junior Championships, and is the current coach for Evgeni Malkin. King compared Malkin’s talents with a young Lemieux “Both Malkin and Lemieux, when he was young, had the ability to steal the puck at any time and be gone. It’s something you don’t teach.” King also compares Malkin’s physical 6 foot 3 frame with Lemieux’s 6 foot 4, and says Malkin has the ability to take over a game completely, much like Mario could when he was young.

In the upcoming seasons, the influx of young talent like Malkin’s will continue to pour into the NHL, and with the news of the Carolina Hurricanes ticket sales surging after a Stanley cup win, more teams will try harder to acquire the talent needed to make a winner, and the Penguins are almost there.

Edited by L. Olivia Piotti

Photo by Jeff Gross / Getty Images