TB Beat Reporters Believe Stamkos Will Sign With Lightning By Weeks End

As quickly as the Stamkos-to-Philly trade rumors were brought up, they were just as quickly shot down.

Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull), the catalyst of my previous update, tweeted this at about 1:40 P.M.:

TB writers expect Stamkos to sign with Lightning later this week.

One of those writers was Erik Erlendsson (@erlendssontrib), who writes for the Tampa Tribune. Here's what he had to say via Twitter:

OK people, Stamkos is not being traded, so please stop with the "I heard" or "somebody posted'' because there are no trade talks.

Until next time....

Report: Flyers Could Trade For Steven Stamkos

And just when we thought any chance of Steven Stamkos coming to the Flyers was relinquished, this happens. Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that an NHL source said the Flyers will send the Tampa Bay Lightning a trade package in the event they can't re-sign Stamkos:

Well, it's still highly doubtful, but an NHL source told The Inquirer that the Flyers will put a trade offer together for the Tampa Bay superstar if the Lightning feel they cannot sign him.

It's likely Tampa would be interested in Brayden Schenn and Sergei Bobrovsky -- among others -- and high draft picks.

Report: Flyers Violate CBA With Max Talbot Contract

TSN’s Gord Miller is reporting that the Flyers appear to have violated the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with their five-year contract to Max Talbot.

Briefly, according to Article 50.7 of the CBA, a player cannot have their salary decrease from year to year by more than half the amount of their first two year’s salaries. In the reported Talbot contract, he has a salary of $2.25 million in the second year, but sees his salary decrease from $2.25 million in the third year to $1 million in the fourth year. That $1.25 million decrease is more than half the amount of the lowest salary during the first two years.

While this is clearly a problem, it is relatively easy to fix. If true, the NHL will void Talbot’s contract and make him a free agent again. At which point, the Flyers can simply offer him another five-year, $9 million contract, but this time have him make $2.5 million each of the first two years, and $2 million the third (rather than $2.5 million the first, $2.25 million each of the next two.) Same cap hit, same length, same dollar amount, same two-year bookend.

It appears as though the NHL has discretion to penalize the Flyers through either fines or loss of draft picks, but for something as minor as this, we will probably never hear about it.

While the error has very little practical effect, if true, this blunder has to be embarrassing for Assistant General Manager Barry Hanrahan, GM Paul Holmgren, and Owner Ed Snider.

Vokoun Signs With Washington; Proves Flyers Overpaid for Bryzgalov

So the Washington Capitals signed Tomas Vokoun to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. For those keeping score at home, that’s eight years and $4.166667 million less than the Flyers paid for Ilya Bryzgalov. It also means the Capitals saved $1.333333 million by trading Semyon Varlamov to Colorado for a first round pick, and either a second or third round pick.

For the second straight year, there was no market for UFA goaltenders. The highest cap hit given out to a goalie who reached unrestricted free agency belongs to… Mike Smith at $2 million per year over two years. The only other goalie scheduled to be a UFA to get a $2 million cap hit was Dwayne Roloson in Tampa, who signed a one-year, $3 million deal on June 29th.

Some will argue that the reason there is no market is because the Flyers took the best goalie off the market prior to free agency. This is a decent argument, except for the fact that Vokoun has a higher career even-strength save percentage than Bryzgalov as well as a higher total save percentage. Further, when there was only one elite goaltender left, wouldn’t that make the market crazier? With all those teams desperate for the only elite goalie left, wouldn’t they be bidding against each other?

No, because the sad truth is that there was no market for goalies. When Mike Smith gets the biggest UFA contract for a goalie, there is no bidding war. If the Flyers let Bryzgalov get to July 1st, who else would be bidding on him? Colorado? Let Colorado overpay him and go get Vokoun then.

The Flyers ignored all of this and signed Ilya Bryzgalov to the only contract for longer than two years, and the only contract worth more than $4 million. Not by a little, mind you. No, they went nine years and $51 million. When there are two teams who want an elite goalie and two elite goalies on the market, it’s pretty hard to overpay by seven years (a 350% overpay) and $47 million (1175% overpay). And yet the Flyers pulled it off.

This is remarkable if for no other reason than all we heard for the past week and a half is “this is a business.”

I have no doubt the Flyers are run by shrewd businessmen. I have no doubt that Ed Snider knows how to run a successful business. But the blatant disregard for market forces isn’t good business, and the UFA goaltending market continues to baffle the Flyers.

NHL Free Agency: Dan Carcillo and Brian Boucher Out

Free-agent and fan favorite Dan Carcillo has signed a one year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, and goalie Brian Boucher has ended his second stint with the Flyers by signing a 2 year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes for $1.9 million total.

Although Carcillo hardly put up great numbers, his trade mark mustache and grittiness made him a quick fan favorite in Philly, a town known for its blue collar attitude. Carcillo had his best season with the Flyers in 2008-09 with 12 goals and 10 assists, last year he only had 6 points and was a minus 14 in 57 games, being a healthy scratch several times.

Boucher went 18-10-4 last season with the Flyers with a 2.42 GAA and a .916 save percentage. Boucher was also somewhat of a fan favorite with the oft heard "Bouuuche" chant when he was playing well. However he couldn't step up and take the number one spot last year despite several chances.

The Flyers have also signed free agent defensman Andreas Lilja and agreed to a contract extension with Jakub Voracek who they acquired in the Jeff Carter trade with Columbus. Terms not yet dislosed for either deal.

Jagr Signs With Flyers: Why Do Pens Fans Think It's Such A Big Deal?

Jaromir Jagr Turned Down More Money To Come To Flyers

Penguins fans have reacted to to the news of Jaromir Jagr signing with the Flyers with shock, anger and a bit of resentment. After being told his “heart” was in Pittsburgh and that he was interested in on last hurrah in the city where he made his name, it’s understandable that they felt a bit jilted when he spurned them for who they see as their biggest rival.

However, Pens fans have taken solace in the narrative that tells them “it was all about money.” Jagr is a just a greedy modern athlete that only cares about money and the sole reason he went to Philadelphia was for the extra million the Flyers offered him.

That may be comforting to Pens fans, but according to Jagr himself, it’s just not true. In fact, he says he took less money to come to Philadelphia.

Before I start talking, it surprised me when you said money - there were a lot more teams with a higher offer than Philadelphia. I didn’t think I was going to go there, but after the conversation with the coaches and Chris Pronger, I started to like it and I also like that there is something to this from their side, and that was important to me.

What he says really brought him to Philadelphia was the fact that they were simply the best fit.

When I looked, for me, a centerman, a good player like Briere or Giroux, who are right handed, have a right-handed shot. I like to play power play on the right side, and I think because they’re right-handed, they like to play on the other side.

I think it would be a problem if I would play in Pittsburgh with Crosby or Malkin, left handed, and have to play on the other side, when I’ve played all my life on the right side, I don’t think I would be able to play there.

And really, this would seem to make more sense than the old “he just went for the money” line. Which, by the way, even if that was the reason so what? But after that has spanned 20 years in which he was given the largest contract in NHL history, it’s hard to imagine that the extra million is really the only thing that mattered to him. And if you believe what he says that there were better offers on the table, then clearly the extra million wasn’t important.

But if it makes Pens fans feel better, we can always just pretend. Boo greedy athletes and their money!

For a full transcript of Jagr's conference call, check out Broad Street Hockey.

NHL Rumors: Dreger Reports Flyers "In The Mix" For Brad Richards

If you’ve been following the NHL Free Agency Frenzy on TSN/NHL Network, you will have seen a stream of teams at Newport Sport Management in Toronto going into the office of Brad Richards’ agent to make presentations to him in an attempt to recruit him to their team. The Kings, Maple Leafs, Sabres and Rangers have all been going hard after him.

One of the teams you would not have seen was the Flyers. However, TSN’s Darren Dreger is now reporting that the Flyers are “in the mix” for Richards.

“This may take a lot of digestion for Brad Richards and company because Philadelphia, I’m told, is in the mix. Believe it or not. They’ve found a way back into the mix. And the Calgary Flames are preparing to make a large pitch to Richards.”

Given the Flyers cap situation, it does seem like a longshot. Plus, there’s always that chance that this is simply a negotiating tactic from his agent to scare up a few more dollars from the teams he’s currently talking to.

Flyers Trade Kris Versteeg To Florida Panthers For Draft Picks

The Flyers have dealt Kris Versteeg, who spent only a few largely disappointing months in Philadelphia, to the salary needy Florida Panthers for a second round pick in 2012 or 2013 and a third round pick in 2012.

As Broad Street Hockey points out, “the Flyers traded a first rounder and a third rounder for him at the deadline. Just saying.”

So the Flyers essentially paid the difference between a first and second round pick for not a lot of value in a playoffs run. What the move does do is free up around $3 million in cap space. That’s expected to in part be used to pay Wayne Simmonds, who is currently a restricted free agent and came over as part of the Mike Richards trade.

So that makes the exodus this year Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Ville Leino and Kris Versteeg. The significant names coming in have been Jaromir Jagr, Maxime Talbot, Ilya Bryzgalov, Braydon Schenn, Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds.

NHL Free Agency: Ville Leino Signs With Buffalo Sabres

Ville Leino is now a former Flyer. The 27 year old Finland native signed a 6 year, $27 million deal. The TSN crew met the news with some shock at the size of the deal given what Leino is as a player, but that is the nature of free agency. Teams overpay if they want a guy, that’s nothing new.

Leino was a guy we noted a few days ago probably wouldn’t be as big a loss as people think. In fact, ESPN’s Neil Greenberg had him on his list of the top potential free agent busts.

Leino was the beneficiary of the hockey trifecta — puck luck, good linemates and very soft minutes. His shooting percentage of 16.2 percent was good for fourth among forwards playing at least 40 games last season. Fifty-eight goals were scored by his most frequent linemates, Daniel Briere and Scotty Hartnell, and he saw almost two-thirds of his starts occur in the offensive zone against the weakest competition that opposing teams put on the ice. General managers will recall Leino’s impressive 2010 postseason in which Philadelphia advanced to the Stanley Cup finals, but without teammates such as Carter and Richards to handle the tough minutes, it’s likely his production level drops to single-digit goals.

Still, good for Leino, who has spent a couple years being pretty well underpaid for the value he was providing to the Flyers. So he certainly deserves to be overpaid for a while if anyone does.

If you’re a fantasy hockey player though, it might be wise to sell high on Leino, who will likely see his 19 goals and 34 assists drop in Buffalo.

NHL Free Agency: Max Talbot Talks About Leaving Penguins For Flyers

Newest Flyer Maxime Talbot was a guest on TSN this afternoon to talk about his leaving the Pittsburgh Penguin and signing with the rival Philadelphia Flyers. He was asked whether this was a form of treason?

“Yeah I guess it is. But I think it was the right thing for me to do. It was the best team in my feeling that I could go with. I had players from there calling me telling me how great it was to go there and that they were ready to win.”

And how awkward will be lining up against his former team for the first time?

“Yeah well with Jagr as well, it’s going to be tough. It was tough to leave in the first place because my heart has been with the Pens since they drafted me and I never thought I would play for another team in my life. But this is a new challenge for me in Philly.”

Finally, he was asked whether he had spoken with some of his Penguins teammates over the past couple weeks about his likely departure?

“Yeah, you try to get the most information as you can and make the best decision for your career and yourself. I had a lot of talks with [Sidney Crosby] and [Marc-Andre Fleury] recently and it’s never an easy thing to do, but I never thought I would ever play with another team in my life.”

NHL Free Agency: Flyers Snatch C Max Talbot From Penguins

The Flyers angered Penguins fans by signing one of their all time favorite players in Jaromir Jagr. But at 39 years old, and being out of the NHL for a few years, it was a more of a nostalgic anger for the Penguins.

However, this latest signing will anger Pens from from an on the ice perspective. The Flyers have agreed to a 5-year, $9 million deal with free agent C Maxime Talbot, who scored the game winning goal that won the Pens the Stanley Cup.

After the Flyers traded away Richards and Carter, the Flyers were expected to be out in the market for a third line center to take on those tough minutes lost. Talbot would certainly seem to fit that bill. He’s a good penalty killer with a strong work ethic that can be a plus defensive presence.

It’s a long deal at 5 years, but the money really isn’t crazy. He’s not a big point producer, but should be a valuable role player for the Flyers going forward.

NHL Rumors: Flyers Sign Defenseman Andreas Lilja

Andreas Lilja, formerly of the Anaheim Ducks, has signed a contract with the Flyers. According to TSN, Lilja's deal is years at $1.7 million. In 52 games last season, Lilja had 1 goal, 6 assists, and was a minus-15. Not very good numbers.

His cap hit is expected to be around $566k.

[Update by JasonB, 07/01/11 2:02 PM EDT ] Lilja played 52 games for the Anaheim Ducks last season. At 6-3, 220 he brings some size and a veteran presence to the back end of the Flyers defensive corps. He hasn't played all that many games over the past few seasons, but the Flyers aren't likely looking for 82 games out of him anyway.

Lilja likely fills the role veteran defenseman Sean O'Donnell who signed a one year deal with the Blackhawks. Given how old O'Donnell was, this actually is the Flyers getting younger.

Flyers Sign Jakub Voracek

It seems the Flyers are on a trend of overpaying players. After giving a 39-year-old Jaromir Jagr a $3.3 million contract, the Flyers have signed newly-acquired Jakub Voracek to a 1-year, $2.25 million contract.

Sam Carchidi tweeted about the Voracek's contract:

Surprised it's so high.

NHL Free Agency: Flyers Sign Jaromir Jagr

The Flyers have made a bit of a shock today with the signing of free agent winger Jaromir Jagr. The 39 year old was expected to sign back with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he started his career and played over 800 games. Obviously though, those negotiations broke down at some point and the Flyers pounced.

Jagr has been out of the NHL for three years playing Russia with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League. He’s played very well over there scoring over 20 goals per year, Considering he was only playing around 50 games, that’s a good haul.

The reports on him are that he is in good shape and is working harder than he did in his younger days, however pundits feel that he’s really most effective in the first 20 seconds of a shift and can tend to wear down over the course of a :40-45 second shift. However, he still has fantastic hands, a great shot and should be an asset on the power play unit. He could very well end up on a line with Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk.

Darren Dreger reports that Jagr’s deal is for one year and $3.3 million.

Jagr has now basically completed the tour of the old Patrick division by signing with the Flyers after playing for most all of their biggest rivals. First the Penguins, then the Capitals and finally the Rangers. If he'd only been a Devil... Penguins fans are shocked and seemingly feel betrayed the Jagr would spurn Pittsburgh for Philadelphia.

Jaromir Jagr's Contract: 1-year, $3.3 million

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dredger is reporting that Jaromir Jagr’s deal with the Flyers is for 1-year and worth $3.3 million.

Flyers Sign Jaromir Jagr

Per Paul Holmgren, the Flyers have agreed to terms with free agent winger Jaromir Jagr. The contract is apparently much higher than previously discussed.

Chuck Gormley believes it's a one-year deal worth $2.3 million.

NHL Free Agency: Former Flyer Sean O'Donnell Signs With Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed defenseman Sean O’Donnell to a one year deal worth $850K. It’s a pretty minor move, but PIerre McGuire reaction would have made you think the Hawks just signed the love child of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.

This is exactly what he said upon hearing about Chicago bringing in O’Donnell.

“Wow, Chicago is hitting home runs today. This is a huge, gigantic pickup.”

Oversold a bit don’t ya think PIerre? A one year deal for guy who is a bottom pair defenseman that will probably be a healthy scratch on a lot of nights? Oh and the other “home run” the Balckhawks hit today was a 1 year $500K deal for Jamal Mayers, a fourth line center.

So watch out for the Hawks everyone! Sean O’Donnell is town! This is gigantic!

In other former Flyers news, Scottie Upshall has signed a 4 year $14 million deal with the Florida Panthers.

Report: Flyers Sign Michal Handzus

According to Frank Seravalli of the Daily News, the Flyers have signed free agent and former Flyer Michal Handzus.

Dave Isaac of Philly Sports Daily says Handzus’ agent has not been in contact with the Flyers regarding a contract yet.

Ville Leino Will Hit Free Agent Market

Welp, it looks like Ville Leino will test the waters in free agency after rejecting the Flyers' generous offer of $12 million for four years. There goes the wrench that I talked about in my previous update.

Read more here: SB Nation

NHL Free Agent Frenzy Begins

It's here. The start of NHL free agency will take place in less than one hour from now and teams everywhere are gearing up to make some moves. Now that Steven Stamkos is out of the picture for the Flyers, they can focus their attention elsewhere.

Ryan Bright of Philly Sports Daily has some ideas of what the Flyers will do as well as a preview of how the lines will be structured this upcoming season.

Of the options available, the most talked about is 32-year-old forward Erik Cole, who won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes and Flyers coach Peter Laviolette in 2007. Cole made $2.9 million against the cap last season, while scoring 26 goals and 26 assists in 82 games. At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, Cole is a sizable veteran power forward. With the young wingers on the roster for the Flyers this upcoming season, the leadership and a gritty style that Cole possesses could go a long way.

Erik Cole is someone I could deal with as a Flyer. Sure, Jamie Langenbrunner (35-years-old) and John Madden (38-years-old) are probably great guys, but do the Flyers really want players with that type of age?

Regardless of their roster, come Friday afternoon, the Flyers will undoubtedly be buyers. It’s just a matter of who, where and what happens with Leino.

This is an important point. Ville Leino holds the key so to speak. If the Flyers can't re-sign him, they'll have to go after a winger to take his place and that could throw a wrench in the whole "depth-building" plan.

Head on over to Broad Street Hockey and follow along the NHL Free Agency Discussion Thread.

Flyers Will Not Offer Steven Stamkos A Contract

The dream is over almost as soon as it began. After a few days of rampant speculation that the Flyers might make a run at restricted free agent Steven Stamkos, the word has been put out to all the beat writers that an offer will not be made.

So no going straight back to cap hell, no giving up their next four years worth of first round picks, but also no 21 year old 50+ goal scorers either. The Flyers instead turn their attention to signing their own RFAs Jakub Vorcek and Wayne Simmonds, possibly working out a new deal to bring Ville Leino back and heading into the free agent market with a few bucks to spend.

The Flyers might not be major players for Stamkos or Brad Richards, but they’ve got enough cap space to fill some holes with veteran help. Broad Street Hockey says they expect the team to bring in a free agent defenseman as early as tomorrow.

Some other possible names are Jamie Langenbrunner and Erik Cole, who played with Peter Laviolette in Carolina.

If Stamkos Pursuit Fails, The Flyers Need a Plan B

Today has been a slower day than expected as far as Steven Stamkos news goes. CSNPhilly's Tim Panaccio broke silence this morning at around 11:30 A.M. In his latest article, Panotch discusses possible contingency plans for the Flyers if they fail to sign Stamkos.

As you know, if the Flyers send Stamkos an offer sheet and he signs it, the Lightning have about a week to match the deal. Free agency starts Friday so the Flyers may not be able to afford waiting a week to hear back. Panotch has more:

Until the Flyers decide whether to pursue Stamkos, it’s hard to move on to other areas of free agency, which begins noon Friday, July 1.
 
For instance, if the Flyers decide to submit an offer sheet, then monies set aside for free agency get placed on hold as the Flyers wait to see if Tampa matches the offer. That could take seven days while other free agents sign elsewhere.
 
If the Flyers don’t get involved with Stamkos and decide to go another direction, then what they will be looking for is a center who can play both second and third line.

Other possible free agency targets for the Flyers include Brad Richards, John Madden, Michal Handzus, Erik Cole, and Jamie Langenbrunner.

If the Flyers indeed sign Stamkos, they will have to move some salary to make it work:

Remember, too, if the Flyers get Stamkos, that triggers an immediate domino effect on the rest of the  roster. Holmgren would have to move at least $5 million in salary. The likely candidates are: Scott Hartnell ($4.2 million), Kris Versteeg ($3.08 million), Andrej Meszaros ($4.0) and Matt Carle ($3.43 million).

With all of this information in mind and only one day to go, it seems unlikely Stamkos will be a Flyer so the top brass might want to focus on a solid plan B.

As always, things can change drastically so stay tuned for updates.

Gormley: Offer Sheet For Stamkos "Will NOT Come" Today

Chuck Gormley of the Cherry Hill's Courier Post tweeted late this afternoon:

I am told the Flyers will NOT send an offer sheet to Steven Stamkos at any time today.

This could be do to the Flyers' inability to make a decision. CSNPhilly's Tim Panaccio reported that a source within the Flyers told him this:

We have not made a decision.

For now, we wait.

The Flyers Could Go All-In To Force a Fold From Tampa Bay

Okay, while everyone else in the city of Philadelphia is putting their two cents in about Stamkos, here's mine. I'll attempt to break it down for you.

The Flyers can exceed the $64.3 million cap limit by 10-percent ONLY in the summer, which allows them to hit $70,730,000. That's a huge amount of money considering their current payroll is $56,018,095.

Anthony SanFilippo of The Delco Times with more:

The Flyers would love to be able to go after him and have discussed a possible offer sheet that could cripple the Lightning and force them to trade him to the Flyers.

First, they have to make sure they can put together a contract offer that not only would force Tampa into submission, but would be manageable enough on the Flyers end to be able to move other pieces around to make sure they could work within the confines of the cap.

Secondly, they have to make sure their offer is the best offer. There are a lot of other teams interested in signing Stamkos to an offer sheet and many of them are in a better cap situation to offer a maximum allowed deal, which would better the Flyers.

I have the feeling that this attack will be more surgical than the one on Osama Bin Laden's compound if it's to succeed. A lot of things will have to fall into place.

SanFilippo goes on further and says if the Flyers were to send Stamkos an offer sheet, it would be 12-years and worth around $115 million (roughly $9.6 million per year). Given the extended "summer" cap, this is manageable.

Still, though, CSNPhilly's Tim Panaccio suggests that Lightning Owner Jeff Vinik will go deep in his pocket to retain Stamkos. Panaccio tweeted that a source told him this:

"Vinik is a billionarie and will match any amount ... exercise in futility."

If, in fact, Vinik does not match any offer sheet, the Lightning may try to trade Stamkos to get some return (I say send them Hartnell!). This is why today is such an important day in all of this. If the Flyers send Stamkos an offer sheet today, the Lightning will be able to counter it tomorrow before the deadline Friday.

It's worth a shot. If I'm the Flyers, I establish a price that is high enough to make Tampa think, but low enough to where they aren't over-over-over paying for Stamkos.

Would The Flyers Be Wise To Let Ville Leino Walk?

Steven Stamkos To Flyers Rumors: Yet Another Perspective

It’s been interesting to see how split the local beat writers have been over this Steven Stamkos story. As we pointed out earlier, Frank Servalli and Sam Carchidi basically filed reports that directly conflicted each other with one insisting that the team will make a run at Stamkos and the other insisting that they won’t/can’t.

Today, Anthony SanFilipo of the Delco Times weighed in and seems to land somewhere in the middle. He believes the Flyers are interested and will make a run, but he doesn’t seem to think that they believe they can actually get him. Here’s his prediction.

My prediction is the Flyers will make an offer, because that is their aggressive style, as will other teams. However, I believe Tampa matches and clears out some other salary – like Ryan Malone – to keep Stamkos. The Flyers will then turn their attention elsewhere and find a handful of solid, character-oriented guys – with skill mind you – to fill out the roster.

Steven Stamkos Rumors: Anything Can Happen

If there's anything Flyers fans have learned in the past couple of weeks, it's that anything can happen. Some knew Jeff Carter would be out, but who saw Mike Richards being dealt? I know I sure as heck didn't.

Now, as Friday's deadline quickly approaches, there are rumblings that the Flyers could go after superstar Steven Stamkos. Some writers say it could happen and some say it won't happen.

Frank Seravalli of the Daily News has been adamant that the Flyers will offer Stamkos a contract:

A source close to the situation told the Daily News that the Flyers' brass spent yesterday afternoon crunching numbers and mulling over whether to send an offer sheet to Stamkos' agents.

The offer sheet, which would still allow Tampa Bay first right of refusal, would be expected to be a deal of around 13 or 14 years and north of $100 million, which would put Stamkos on the Flyers' payroll for a manageable cap hit if the Lightning chose to not match the deal.

That could change at some point today.

 On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Philadelphia Inquirer's Sam Carchidi says there's no chance the Flyers nab Stamkos.

Two sources connected to the Flyers dismissed the rumors on Tuesday.

"Not happening," one club executive said.

"I think we're blockbustered out," said Peter Luukko, another club executive, referring to the bombshell trades that sent Mike Richards to Los Angeles and Jeff Carter to Columbus last week.

Flyers Say Goodbye To Dan Carcillo

The Flyers extended their restricted free agent qualifying offers today to Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds and Jonathon Kalinski. The one notable name that did not receive an offer was Dan Carcillo, meaning his time here is all but assured to be up.

While Carcillo does remain pretty popular with Flyers fans, the fact is that his presence on the ice often did more harm than good. Plus, the Flyers acquired a guy in Wayne Simmonds that is able to play Carcillo’s “role” much better.

The reaction that best summed up my feelings on Carcillo came from @FlyersAvery on twitter.

I’m so upset that I will no longer be able to watch Carcillo take undisciplined penalties, play uninspired, and lose every fight

Ironically, Carcillo’s Flyers career ended with him suspended. You might remember he earned that two game suspension for some type of off ice altercation with a linesman in the Bruins’ series. So he will be serving that with another team.

Flyers Trade Darroll Powe To Minnesota Wild For 3rd Round Pick In 2013

The Flyers have made yet another trade, although this one won’t make nearly the headlines of the other two they pulled off last week. This time they shipped center Darroll Powe to the Minnesota Wild for a third round pick in the 2013 draft.

That brings the Flyers Ivy league graduate contingent down to nil… It also means one less good skater that was useful on the penalty kill. In fact, the only Flyer to log more minutes on the penalty kill last year was Blair Betts and even that was only by a slight margin. Powe never put up many points, but is certainly the kind of role player that most every team likes to have.

The team also announced today that it had signed Andreas Nodl to a new two year deal that will pay him $845K per year. He’s a fairly similar player to Powe with maybe a little more upside. Nodl is two years younger than Powe and will likely be expected to play Powe’s role next year.

New Flyers Braden Schenn And Jakub Voracek Happy To Be In Philadelphia

Jeff Carter was certainly not happy about the fact he was traded and not only yet to make a public statement about it, he actually has yet to even speak with anyone in the Columbus organization. The same can’t be said of the young players the Flyers netted in return for Carter and Richards. They seem quite excited to be here.

Braden Schenn from CSNPhilly

“It’s a thrill, a little bit shocking to be here … I’m thrilled to be part of the organization and history there. I’m going into a great organization that’s close to winning [the Stanley Cup] and that’s what I’m excited for.”

Schenn says that he actually tries to model his game after Mike Richards. As for Jakub Voracek, he says he’s happy to be here and is working hard this summer to improve.

“I was pretty happy,” Voracek said. “I hear only great things about the Flyers organization and it’s an honor to play there. I’m pretty excited. I’m basically starting a new life and this team has a chance to win the Stanley Cup every year. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

“That’s why you play hockey – to win the Cup and it’s a big challenge and I’m pretty excited for it,” Voracek said. “It’s fun to go from a team that only make the playoffs one out of 10 years to, like you said, a team that makes it basically every year. It’s exciting and it’s something that’s new for me and I’m going to try and help as much as possible.”

In the very near future, whether or not the Flyers contend for the Cup or make the playoffs in the future will rest partly on the shoulders of these two players and how they develop.

NHL Draft 2011: Sean Couturier Reacts To Being Drafted By Flyers

With the 8th overall pick in the 2011 NHL draft, the Flyers took center Sean Couturier. The 18 year old was actually born in Phoenix, Arizona when his father was playing minor league hockey there. However, when his dad retired the family moved to Bathurst, New Brunswick and he ended up playing for the Canadian national team.

Couturier says he’s honored to be a Flyer.

“I’m really happy to be part of the Philadelphia Flyers. It’s a great honor. I mean, it’s a wonderful day. They have a lot of history. I mean, it’s a great team, big guys. I’m looking forward to being part of it.”

He says that he had never even heard from the Flyers until yesterday, but when they acquired the 8th pick and called him soon after, he knew there was interest there.

“Actually my first meeting was yesterday,” he said, “so it felt pretty special knowing they just moved up. I knew they had a lot of interest, but like you said, anything can happen in the draft. I didn’t really know what to expect.”

Couturier says his goal is to earn a spot on the roster, but knows he has a lot of work to do before he’s ready.

“For sure my main goal is going to be to try to make a spot on the roster. We’ll go from now and work hard, keep working hard during the summer and improve myself and be ready for camp. Once I get there, I just want to show what I’ve got.

Personally I’ve got to get stronger overall physically and improve my explosiveness, my skating. But there is still a lot of work to be done. We’ll see in training camp."

Scouting Reports: Sean Couturier As Big, Two-Way Center Comparable to Jordan Staal

With their first top-10 pick in five years, and their first pick in the first round since 2008, the Flyers selected center Sean Couturier of the QMJHL. Central Scouting ranked him the sixth best skater in North America, and he was listed as the second best as of the halfway point of this year.

Couturier is often compared to Jordan Staal as a shutdown type center, capable of facing the opposition’s best. The list of accolades for Couturier includes 2011 World Juniors silver medalist, QMJHL MVP in 2011, QMJHL leading scorer in 2010, and the first 17-year old to lead the QMJHL in scoring since Sidney Crosby in 2005.

The NHL.com scouting report on Courturier says:

“At his size, he’ll be hard to pass up in the draft. He possesses a very good work ethic and he’s out there for every important faceoff. He’s very responsible in the defensive aspect of the game — a rare quality for such a young player in junior hockey."

After trading both Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, it seems like the Flyers have drafted their replacements. Courturier is a two-way player who can also score, just like the former Flyers’ duo.

For more on Couturier, check out In Lou We Trust’s thorough report, his Elite Prospects page for stats, and the NHL.com story on his being drafted.

2011 NHL Mock Draft: The Draft Is Relevant For The Flyers Again

Up until yesterday at about 3pm, the Philadelphia Flyers had no first round pick in tonight’s NHL draft and therefore really weren’t a part of any mocks. Then this happened and all of a sudden they hold the 8th overall pick, which was previously property of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

So the Flyers went from a bit player in the draft to a notable one and will have a chance to pick up an important contributor for down the line. In his final mock, Gare Joyce of ESPN has the Flyers taking Mark Scheifele, C, Barrie Colts (OHL). Scheifele has good size at 6-2, 182 at 18 years old. Here’s what Joyce had to say.

Look for the Flyers to target Scheifele here. He’s big — a Philly requirement — and while he may lack the high-end skill that Carter possesses, he might give the Flyers a hotter motor than Carter showed, particularly in their playoff ouster to the Bruins. Scheifele also provides the Flyers with an heir apparent to Danny Briere down the line. One alternative to Scheifele: If Strome or Zibanejad somehow slips to No. 8, the fall stops here.

Scheifele seems to have all the size, speed and skill that you look for from a top prospect. However, the one knock against him has been his consistency. Scouts say that on some nights he dominates and others he can disappear. That has led some to question his “fire.” However, in the World U-18 Championships, he seemed to answer some of those questions.

Again from ESPN’s scouting

Scout’s take: Size, speed, skill combination is very attractive, and Scheifele answered his critics with his performance at the World U-18 Championships this past April. His execution and ability to make plays at top speed makes him a potential star when he grows into his body. From the first time I watched this kid play, I felt there was something special about him and his skating. On the fourth game in four nights, he went out and showed me a true battle-level, which speaks volumes for his desire to be better.

The NHL draft begins tonight at 7pm on Versus.

An Inside Look At Wayne Simmonds

Apparently, Wayne Simmonds was a huge fan favorite in LA because of his toughness and ability to make plays (hey, Philly likes those kinds of players, too!). I searched to find out just exactly what he brings to the table and so far, I like what I see.               

Check out this vid:

Ilya Bryzgalov Happy, Mike Richards Sad

The Flyers' Newest Players, By The Numbers

Whoa. That's all I have to say about today's events. With all of the Sixers rumors being thrown about, it almost felt good to get some valid news. When the smoke cleared, the Flyers came away with three players: Brayden Schenn (center), Wayne Simmonds (left wing), and Jakub Voracek (right wing).

Paul Holmgren wanted to get bigger on the wing and he got what he wanted. Between both Voracek and Simmonds, the average height is 6-foot-2.

Here is a statistical breakdown of each of these players' NHL seasons:

Jakub Voracek

Voracek is a very promising prospect with a huge upside. His goal numbers aren't great, but you have to remember that this kid started playing pro hockey at 19. That's pretty impressive. He's only going to get better with Laviolette's coaching.

Brayden Schenn

Talk about a fresh pup. The fact that Schenn has only played nine NHL games and Paul Holmgren is counting on him to step up worries me. However, the word among beat writers and scouts is that Schenn is a good catch with--just like Voracek--a ton of upside.

Wayne Simmonds

Simmonds is a fan favorite in Los Angeles and should be the same in Philadelphia. He's a tough, physical winger. If the Boston Bruins taught the Flyers anything in the playoffs, it's that toughness and size wins championships.

Flyers, Ilya Bryzgalov Reportedly Agree To Nine Year $51 Million Deal

The other shoe, at least one of them, has just dropped. Minutes after the news that both Jeff Carter and Mike Richards were traded away, it is now being reported on NHL Live that the team has agreed to a nine year, $51 million deal with goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.

The Flyers traded for the rights to negotiate with Bryzgalov two weeks ago and until today, the question was how they would find the cap space to sign him. Obviously that question was answered with the trades of Richards and Carter.

The deal for Bryzgalov is a monster. Funny enough, the reports from the negotiations seemed to suggest that the Flyers wanted a 5 year deal and Bryz wanted 7 years. He gets nine… The deal spreads his cap hit to about $5.67 per, but at this point the breakdown is unknown. At 31, the deal wouldn’t expire until he’s 40. So it remains to be seen whether there’s any real intention of him playing the full deal out.

It’s going to be a new Flyers team anyway you slice it. The new “core” is clearly Bryzgalov, Claude Giroux, James van Reimsdyk and probably Braydon Schenn as well. And certainly, the Flyers feel like they’ve answered their long standing goalie question.

Blockbuster: Flyers Trade Mike Richards to Kings for Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds

On the heels of trading Jeff Carter to the Blue Jackets, the Flyers shipped out Captain Mike Richards for Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds.

While the Carter trade was not a surprise – it had been rumored for weeks – the trade of Mike Richards was completely unforeseen. While one trade can be seen as clearing cap space for Ilya Bryzgalov, trading both of your 2003 first round picks – which make up the core of your team – signifies something completely different.

This isn’t about getting a goalie, this is about a complete organizational rebuild. A month ago, we wrote that the argument over a big-name goalie was about the makeup of the team. Trading your franchise cornerstones, who were contracted through 2020, is a complete reworking of your team.

While neither trade was poor – Brayden Schenn is going to be a legit star in this league while both Voracek and Simmonds are top-9 talent – the act of trading your two most recognizable faces is a risky move. Ed Snider ordered Paul Holmgren to get a goalie, and Holmgren took the opportunity to start from scratch.

Barely over a calendar year after being two wins away from the Stanley Cup, the Flyers have traded their two franchise players. They’re starting over, and they’re building around Ilya Bryzgalov.

[Update by JasonB, 06/23/11 5:07 PM EDT ] The Flyers have announced that they've also received a 2nd round pick from LA.

Report: Flyers Trade Jeff Carter to Columbus, Get Jakub Voracek and Draft Picks

According to multiple sources – including TSN’s Bob McKenzie and DelcoTimes writer Anthony SanFilippo – the Flyers have traded Jeff Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets for restricted free agent winger Jakub Voracek and Columbus’ first and third round draft picks.

This trade had been rumored for a while now, and it appears to finally have happened. While the Flyers do get the #8 overall pick in tomorrow’s draft and a former #7 overall draft pick in Jakub Voracek, the team loses their best offensive forward, an elite two-way NHL forward, and a key member of their “core” that Paul Holmgren continuously pledged to keep together.

What does this mean? It means Ilya Bryzgalov will be a Flyer next year. And it means he’s going to cost a lot of money against the cap.

More to come…

Reports: Flyers Have Deal With Bryzgalov for Roughly $7 Million Per Year

According to Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet, Ilya Bryzgalov is seeking a seven year, $50 million contract from the Flyers. In response, Elliotte Friedman of CBC stated that he “heard [the cap hit] will be around $7 million”.

Now, obviously these are rumors. But two journalists from separate news organizations have stated that the Flyers are ready to offer Ilya Bryzgalov a $7 million contract that runs to the end of the decade. This would make Bryzgalov the highest paid goalie in the NHL (behind NY Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist at $6.875 million) and one of the top-20 highest paid players in the NHL. Simply put, that’s a huge contract that will be very difficult to earn.

If true, what that move means for the Flyers roster is yet to be determined. But it certainly means the Jeff Carter rumors are back on the table, even with the $4.6 million increase in the salary cap. It also means that the Flyers will need to make difficult decisions about what those salary dumps are worth in a trade market, after tipping your hand.

Whether or not Bryzgalov is worth $7 million depends on your perspective. Ed Snider thinks he is, therefore a lot of people will agree. But as J.P. of Japers’ Rink pointed out, Bryzgalov hasn’t been that much better than his backups in Phoenix over the last three years. In terms of even-strength save percentage over those three years, Bryzgalov stopped 0.92587% while his primary backups stopped 0.92589%. Yes, the primary backups to Bryzgalov in Phoenix (Jason LaBarbera and Mikael Tellqvist) stopped a higher percentage of even-strength shots.

Obviously, there are caveats to that fact. Bryzgalov played a lot more minutes, faced a lot more shots, and almost certainly faced a lot stiffer competition. That doesn’t mean LaBarbera and Tellqvist are as good as Bryzgalov. However, it does show that the Coyotes defense was quite good, since they can show Jason LaBarbera as an above-average NHL goalie – and an elite NHL backup – on the level of Bryzgalov.

It also shows that Ilya Bryzgalov is not a $7 million goalie. Unless you value 65 game goalies at roughly $5 million, regardless of how much better than the $1.25 million backup they are.

[Note by JasonB, 06/22/11 2:27 PM EDT ] For what it's worth, Tim Panaccio is reporting that the Flyers are denying these reported figures.

Before Rejoicing About Ilya Bryzgalov, Wait for the Complete Picture

Acquiring Ilya Bryzgalov alone is a good thing. But everything that has to be done in order to afford Bryzgalov is not yet known. Until that time, skepticism reigns.

Report: NHL Salary Cap Will Be $64 Million for 2011-12

According to both CapGeek and TSN, the NHL will announce that the salary cap for 2011-12 will be $64 million, up from $59.4 million last season.

This is good news for the Flyers, especially in their quest to sign Ilya Bryzgalov. As it stands, the Flyers have only $430k in cap space with 18 players signed. With the increase, the Flyers will now have over $5 million in space. In an attempt to sign Bryzgalov, the Flyers will be giving most of that cap increase to the unrestricted free agent.

With the larger increase, the Flyers will be able to keep more of their high priced players that were rumored to be on the way out, such as Jeff Carter, Ville Leino, Kris Versteeg, and Matt Carle. The team will likely still have to move someone – and still be unlikely to sign Leino – but the $4.6 million cap increase makes the squeeze less painful.

Report: Flyers Talks With Bryzgalov Go Well

According to several reports with knowledge of the situation, the contract talks between Ilya Bryzgalov and the Philadelphia Flyers have gone well and it seems likely he will be starting goaltender next season.

The Flyers flew Bryz into town Thursday and after talking about a deal, the team took the netminder and his wife for a tour of the city yesterday. Paul Holmgren said in a statement that he and Bryz’s agent plan to speak again next week.

It’s worth noting that even if the two sides agreed to a deal, they couldn’t announce it until June 30th anyway. That is the date the new salary cap for next season will take affect. At that point, the team will also have likely have to deal one of their current players to make room.

The Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi feels like a deal will get done.

After talking to those familiar with the negotiations, I think Bryz will be the #Flyers’ starting G next season.

Tomas Vokoun Says The Flyers Have Contacted Him

Ilya Bryzgalov is not the only high-name, high-priced goalie on the Flyers radar this summer. According to an Edmonton Journal translation of a Czech newspaper, pending unrestricted free agent Tomas Vokoun has been contacted by the Flyers, as well as Bryzgalov’s former employer, the Phoenix Coyotes.

According to the Edmonton Journal, Vokoun "has heard from Philadelphia". Further, the Journal quoted Vokoun as saying:

“I would not be displeased if I got a good offer from Floria and accepted it. But if I happen to get an offer from a team that might have a chance to challenge for the Stanley Cup, now, that might be irresistible.”

When asked which team might have a change to challenge, Vokoun oddly stated Colorado. Either way, it is clear that Philadelphia fits into that category as well.

However, a Google Translation of the article reveals something entirely different:

“I still remain calm, as it still does not solve I can not. Now is the only option: to get an offer from Florida. No one else can not offer me anything. Time is 30 June, then I know,”

First, if the Edmonton Journal report is true, the Panthers may have a grievance with the NHL against the Flyers for contacting one of their players. But beyond that, it would be good to know that the Flyers aren’t backing themselves into Bryzgalov’s corner, allowing him to beat every last dollar and year out of them.

But if the Google Translation is correct, and that is the article the Edmonton Journal is citing, Vokoun says nothing about receiving offers or calls from other teams. That certainly clouds the situation.

Either way, the gap between Bryzgalov and Vokoun is small (a 0.001 difference in both even-strength save percentage and total save percentage for their careers), but it may surprise you to know that Vokoun is better than Bryzgalov in both categories.

It would be prudent of Paul Holmgren to keep tabs on Tomas Vokoun, since he’s just as good, likely looking for less money, and is certainly looking for fewer years.

What to Make of the Ilya Bryzgalov Trade

The Flyers made a surprising move last week in acquiring Ilya Bryzgalov's rights from the Phoenix Coyotes and now have a little over two weeks to sign him before the free agency period starts.

Flyers To Meet With Ilya Bryzgalov Thursday

The Flyers swung a trade for the negotiating rights to goalie Ilya Bryzgalov last week and tomorrow will begin the push to try and actually sign him. Sam Carchidi of the Inquirer reports GM Paul Holmgren, coach Peter Laviolette and goalie coach Jeff Reese will meet with Bryzgalov and his agent for the first time tomorrow.

Carchidi reports that the Flyers are optimistic about getting a deal done with the netminder. After a recent phone call with Bryzgalov, Paul Holmgren said he “sounded pretty excited.”

He’ll probably “sound pretty excited” if Holmgren ponies up a five-year $30 million offer… That has been the number floated around as what Bryzgalov is looking for. Of course, bringing in the goalie means that a few key contributors will have to be on their way out…

To sign the goalie and fit him under the salary cap, the Flyers will probably not be able to re-sign winger Ville Leino – and figure to move one of their high-priced players, such as defenseman Matt Carle.

Ilya Bryzgalov Would Like To "Bring The Stanley Cup Back To Philadelphia"

Ilya Bryzgalov, speaking through his agent, released the following statement regarding his rights being traded to the Flyers.

I am pleased the Flyers thought enough of me to make the trade with the Coyotes. Philadelphia is a great city, a great organization and a great team with a rich history. I am looking forward to meeting with Paul Holmgren to discuss the possibility of us working together for many years to come. I would very much like to have the opportunity to play for the Flyers and be a part of the team Paul has assembled and to work with Paul and Mr. Snider to see if we can achieve the ultimate goal. I believe the Flyers are right there and I would love very much to be a part of the team that brings the Stanley Cup back to Philadelphia. It would be a great honor. And it’s time!"

Via Dmitry Chesnokov

Flyers Trade For Ilya Bryzgalov Doesn't Mean He'll Be A Flyer

The Flyers pulled off a trade today for Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. However, in something that is unique to the NHL, the trade was for a player whose contract has essentially expired. Bryzgalov will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, which means all the Flyers got in this trade were exclusive rights to negotiate with the goalie for the next few weeks.

Flyers GM Paul Holmgren says they will try to work out a deal before Bryzgalov becomes a free agent.

"We're going to give it our best shot.  Obviously we gave up an asset to get a chance to get in early so we have every intention of trying our best to get a deal done."

Of course, if you followed the Flyers' activities last offseason that quote might sound familiar. Last year, the Flyers traded Ryan Parent to Nashville for the rights to negotiate with defenseman Dan Hamhuis.  If you've been watching the Stanley Cup Finals, you may have noticed Hamhuis wearing a Vancouver Canucks jersey. Back when the Flyers had him for a couple weeks, this is what Holmgren had to say.

"Obviously, our intention is to get him signed prior to that date, and that is what our aim is at this point," said Holmgren, who has had preliminary discussions with Hamhuis' agent, Wade Arnott. "The sooner we get going on trying to get this done, the better."

The Flyers never came to a deal with Hamhuis and ended up flipping him to the Penguins for a 3rd round pick. The Penguins didn't sign him either.

In the end, you would have to think that it would make more sense for a player to just wait a couple weeks and hit free agency rather than sign a deal with a team that just traded for his rights. Of course, there's always the chance that the market isn't what he expects, but it would seem unlikely that there would be a major drop in dollars from what the Flyers would offer right now and what a guy like Bryzgalov would get from the open market.

Apparently Bryzgalov likes the idea of being a Flyer and likes the city of Philadelphia. But then again... so did Hamhuis.

"I spent some great years with them and it is a great organization to be a part of," he said. "I've heard nothing but great things about the city of Philadelphia and the Flyers."

Just to be clear, this isn't mean to be predictive. Hamhuis and Bryz are different guys in different situations and we don't know how this trade will turn out. It's just meant to say that at this point, the Flyers really haven't done anything beyond buy themselves the right to talk to a guy a few weeks before everyone else can. They don't have themselves a goalie yet.

Thanks to @FlyersFaithful for the find.

Flyers Acquire Rights to Ilya Bryzgalov

For the second year in a row, the Flyers have traded for a pending free agent’s negotiating rights. Late on Tuesday, the Flyers sent Matt Clackson, a third round pick, and a conditional pick to the Phoenix Coyotes for the right to speak with free agent goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.

After rumors swirled that the Flyers were interested in acquiring Bryzgalov, the team finally did. Now, the biggest hurdle will be the goaltender’s demands. It has been reported that Bryzgalov was seeking a multi-year contract with a raise from his $4.5 million salary last year. If true, the Flyers will be hard pressed to offer him a contract that fits under the cap.

As it stands, the Flyers have $58.97 million committed to 18 players for next year. Depending on how much the salary cap goes up – which could be as much as $5 million, though estimates are closer to a three or four million increase – the Flyers will have to get creative.

Over at Broad Street Hockey, I already showed that Ilya Bryzgalov would not be much of an improvement in net, and that was even before accounting for the pieces that would have to be subtracted in order to afford him. But here we are, with the Flyers giving up (another) third round draft pick just to speak to a goalie for three weeks. Maybe they can’t sign him and swap his rights for a draft pick, maybe they sign him for dirt cheap, but maybe they are forced to trade Jeff Carter. Stay tuned.

Report: Ilya Bryzgalov Interested In Flyers, Lightning And Capitals?

Broad Street Hockey found an interesting report out of Russia that claims Ilya Bryzgalov is not interested in playing in his homeland as was previously reported. According to the report, the Flyers are among the teams he is interested in.

Sport-Express reports: Bryzgalov NOT talking to SKA at this moment, is looking at Philly, TBL and Washington. No further details.

A very rough translation of the Russian news site from which the report comes lists the Flyers as “favorites” for Bryzgalov’s services, along with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals.

This is not the first time that it’s been indicated that Bryzgalov would be interested in playing in Philadelphia. CSNPhilly’s Tim Pannacio cited a source last month who said that the goalie would “relish” the idea of being a Flyer and that the team had previously had discussions with the Coyotes about him in the past.

We’ll continue to follow the Flyers offseason pursuit of a goalie as it unfolds…

Flyers Rumors: Could Tim Thomas Be In Orange And Black Next Year?

Jay Greenberg of ESPN wrote a speculative piece yesterday on the Flyers goalie situation next year. He says that Boston Bruins netminder Tim Thomas could be a surprise option, even if the Bruins win the Stanley Cup this year. It certainly wouldn’t be unprecedented for a team coming off a cup to get rid of their goaltender, after all the Blackhawks did that very thing last season with Antii Niemi.

Plus, Boston is in an interesting position. They’re up against the cap, Thomas is due $5 million next season and they’ve got young Tukka Rask on a cap friendly deal through next season. Plus, Thomas is 37 years old. With Rask’s deal up next year and Thomas signed for into 2013, the team will have to make a choice about one or either potentially this year. Greenberg says that the Flyers were offered Thomas last year in exchange for Jeff Carter, but the deal was rejected.

There’s little doubt that Thomas is an elite goalie and has been fantastic in these playoffs so far, but do the Flyers want to fork over significant assets to the Bruins and $8 million in cap space over the next two years for a goalie that will be 39 when his contract is up?

With guys like Ilya Bryzgalov and Tomas Vokoun set to hit free agency, it would seem as though a deal for Tim Thomas would be far-fetched.

Flyers Goalie Search Rumor Roundup: Bryzgalov And More

The Flyers set an NHL record by pulling their goalie seven times in eleven playoff games. Team chairman Ed Snyder said it's "Something I never want to see again." So not surprisingly, this offseason is likely to be dominated by the Flyers search for the mythic "#1 goalie." So we will have this dedicated stream to keep you up to date on all the news, rumors and baseless speculation about the netminder situation as the offseason wears on.

First and foremost, the strongest report yet is about Phoenix goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who is set to be a free agent this summer and will be turning 31. CSNPhilly's Tim Panaccio cited a source who said that Bryzgalov would "relish" the idea of playing in Philadelphia and that the team has had discussions with the Coyotes about him in the past.

The question is whether the Flyers would need to swing a trade for the veteran before he hits free agency or whether they could wait until he walks from Phoenix. It's likely that the Coyotes will try to get something for him. Other free agents the Flyers could have interest in include Tomas Vokoun and Evgeni Nabokov (who may or may not even be a free agent).

Chuck Gormley of Delawareonline says he doesn't think the Flyers will limit themselves to the free agent market.

There are whispers that they may make a pitch for Buffalo's Ryan Miller, the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist, Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff, Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom or, yes, New Jersey's Martin Brodeur.

Some of those names may seem farfetched... and I agree. Gormley said that Kiprusoff and Backstrom are the most realistic possibilities. However, it should be noted that Kiprusoff will be 35 and has three more years on a deal that's going to pay him upwards of $6 million per. That would be a rough proposition for a team already against the cap.