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.