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Scott Hartnell Contract: Did The Flyers Resign Hartsy On The Cheap?

When the Philadelphia Flyers signed forward Scott Hartnell to a six-year, $28.5 million contract extension on Monday afternoon, some called into question whether the veteran forward should have accepted the deal.

With one-year remaining on his current contract, Hartnell stood to earn a sizable raise upon hitting the open market as an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

Via CSN Philly:

Some agents feel he sold himself well short of pending free agency after the 2012-13 season.

"Everyone is asking what the [bleep] he just did," said one agent.

This sentiment was further substantiated on Tuesday night, when it surfaced that unrestricted free agent Shane Doan was offered a four-year, $30 million contract from the Buffalo Sabres.

While Hartnell potentially could have earned more money on the open-market, the 30-year old made it clear that he was more interested in the security of a longer-term deal with a full no-movement clause. Not to mention that he received an annual average raise of $550,000.

"I don't think my value would have changed that much in a year," Hartnell said when asked about the early signing. "I'd be another year older.

"If you look at this deal, it's basically a seven-year deal. I still have one year left on my [current] contract. I think I got a lot of years left, a lot left in the tank."

So the question remains; did the Flyers get Hartnell on the cheap?

Travis Hughes of Broad Street Hockey took an in-depth look at the situation in order to determine whether the team truly did get Hartnell at a bargain price. You can check out his analysis, here.

You can read more about the Philadelphia Flyers at Broad Street Hockey. For more on the NHL draft and additional news, notes and analysis around the league during the season and offseason, be sure to check out SB Nation's dedicated hub page.