Panthers Also Add Kris Versteeg Via Trade With Philly

The Florida Panthers sure are active today and general manager Dave Tallon is not ready to call it a day until he reaches that salary floor and/or adds every single player he had in Chicago on his team in Florida. The Panthers swung a trade with Philadelphia that brings winger Kris Versteeg to Florida in exchange for a second round pick in either 2012 or 2013 (Florida chooses which one) and a third rounder in 2012.

Versteeg, 25, is entering the final year of a deal that will see him earn $3,083,333. He is eligible for restricted free agency next summer.

Aside from being yet another guy that Tallon had in the Stanley Cup mix over in Chicago, Versteeg is a nice 20-goal, 40-50 point producer who should help provide some scoring depth for Florida. Though he was still an offensive asset splitting time between Toronto and Philadelphia last year, he didn't seem to be as comfortable and accountable as he was as a member of the Blackhawks. Perhaps reuniting with Tallon and playing for a team that seems to be going the same way Chicago did will provide Versteeg a nice change of scenery.

Jaromir Jagr Gets Over Pens, Signs With Rival Flyers

Well, it didn't take long for Jaromir Jagr to find another team to call home in his NHL return after the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings took themselves out of the mix. Instead of going home to Pittsburgh, he will apparently being heading to their closest rival - the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers' official Twitter account announced the news about an hour and a half into free agency that general manager Paul Holmgren inked Jagr to a contract. TSN's Darren Dreger is reporting the deal is worth $3.3 million for one year.

So, clearly for somebody that was willing to take less money than he could get by staying in the KHL, he wasn't necessarily willing to take less than the highest offer. That has to be a swift kick in a no-nos to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who reached out to their former franchise winger in an effort to close out his career where it started and get No. 68 lifted to the rafters to hang forever next to No. 66. Instead, Jagr may have burned a bridge or two with the club he won two Stanley Cups with alongside mentor Mario Lemieux by going to the team hated by them the most.

Is the opening of NHL free agency ever not interesting?

Flyers Dump Richards, Carter To Sign Bryzgalov

To say the Philadelphia Flyers went through a massive overhaul on Thursday would be an understatement. General manager Paul Holmgren was certainly busy just one day ahead of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, dealing away two of his franchise's key players while signing their long-awaited savior in net to a long-term, high money contract.

Former 40-goal scorer Jeff Carter was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for winger Jakub Voracek, a first round draft pick (8th overall) and a third rounder. The Flyers followed this move up by dealing captain Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings for forwards Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds, as well as the Kings' second round selection. With the money saved by dealing those two, Holmgren was able to sign Ilya Bryzgalov - whose rights were acquired by Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago from Phoenix in exchange for a third round pick, Matt Clackson and future considerations - to a whopping nine-year, $51 million contract that will see him donning the black and orange into his 40s.



There are certainly two schools of thought to this for Philadelphia. On the one hand, they were able to develop enough cap space to sign a top-level talent at the position that has been their downfall for numerous seasons. And in dumping salary, they were also able to acquire a good deal of young talent that could surely help the Flyers down the line. On the other hand, the Flyers just dealt away a combined 59 goals and 132 points from last season - not to mention Richards' strong leadership and two-play, as well as Carter's legitimate 40-goal ability.

The big issue at hand for Philadelpia was to gain enough flexibility under the salary cap to sign Bryzgalov. He was reportedly seeking a long-term deal somewhere in the neighborhood of $6-7 million a year. And even with cap going up to around $64 million for the upcoming 2011-12 season, that would still require Holmgren to shed some salary off the team's $59,626,551 payroll. While it was assumed Richards and Carter were made available based upon their contracts - Richards entering the fourth year of a 12-season deal at a $5.75 million annual cap hit and Carter about to start his 11-year extension that would provide a $5,272,727 cap hit annually, it was never figured that Holmgren would actually deal both of his team's 2003 first round draft picks.

NHL's Salary Cap Set To Rise Again To $64 Million

It seems almost baffling now that we lost the entire 2004-05 season because players and owners could not agree on the financial state of the league. While players obviously wanted their share of the pie, owners relentlessly contended that the league could not continue in its then-situation of economic peril if player costs were not reduced. And thus, a much debated salary cap was instituted that called for team payrolls to not exceed $39 million for the 2005-06 campaign.

But according to the collective bargaining agreement, that figure could rise each year based on league-wide revenue. And every year since the lockout, that's exactly what has occured. Now, coming off the 2010-11 season in which the cap was at $59.4 million, teams and player agents have been informed that they should expect another $4.6 million addition. According to TSN, the salary cap will be $64 million - a staggering $25 million increase over the course of six years.

The salary floor will move to $48 million.

This will naturally be welcomed news to all high payroll teams that desperately need that extra cushion. The Philadelphia Flyers immediately come to mind as a squad that needs to ink recently acquired goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov before he can go unrestricted on July 1, but will have a hard time squeezing his salary in based on the reported $6-7 million per season he is reportedly seeking. The New York Rangers, who are juggling whether or not they can buy out Chris Drury or wish to do the same with Wojtek Wolski, will also benefit from an extra $5 million their pockets to pursue pending-free agent center Brad Richards.

Teams That Can Benefit Most From Adding Antti Niemi

It’s not common for a player to go from Stanley Cup Champion to unrestricted free agent in the fashion that 26-year old Finnish goaltender Antti Niemi did. Though he sought a salary believed to be in the range of $3-4 million a season on a long-term deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, he also filed for salary arbitration and accepted the possibility of making less. Unfortunately for him, General Manager Stan Bowman did not accept the very fair offer of $2.75 million given to Niemi by the arbitrator because of the ‘Hawks’ tight salary cap situation. Instead, they signed Marty Turco to a one year, $1.3 million deal and sent Niemi to the unrestricted free agent market one year earlier than he otherwise would have been eligible.

Now it is time to see if the offseason spent playing hardball by Niemi and his agent, Bill Zito, will result in a more fruitful situation for the 42-regular season game NHL “veteran.” Although no exact list of interested teams has come to light, let’s take a look at some teams that could most benefit from adding Niemi into their goaltending corp.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Over the years, the Columbus Blue Jackets have worked hard to get out of the basement and actually become a playoff contender. Two years ago, they realized that goal by making the postseason for the first time in the franchise’s 10–year history. The team’s ability to get there was due, in large part, to the play of then-rookie goaltender Steve Mason, who received the Calder Memorial Trophy for his phenomenal play throughout the season.

Unfortunately, Mason’s sophomore season included a slump and he didn’t play near to the level of his first year in the league. As a result, the Blue Jackets went back to the outside looking in on the playoff picture. Some doubt now exists over Mason’s ability to backstop this club into a perennial contender.

Of course, there is hope that he can find his game next season. That would truly be the best case scenario for Columbus, since his rookie play was far better than anything Niemi will offer. But if Mason’s career goes the way of Andrew Raycroft, it’ll be hard to hand over the keys to the car to him too much longer. The Blue Jackets may need to seek a more consistent net presence, which will be not Mathieu Garon either.

Niemi would provide an upgrade from what Mason offered a season ago and would be a suitable replacement. The Blue Jackets likely wouldn’t get rid of Mason and would figure out a way to work Niemi’s playing time around spotting Mason 20-25 games through the season, as well. It would just leave Garon as the odd man out. And his $1.2 million salary can either be dealt or very easily buried in the AHL, where he would spend a season in Syracuse before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch disagrees with this notion, and feels that Columbus is pretty well set with Mason and Garon. But as Bruce Ciskie of Fanhouse points out, it all depends on the confidence the Blue Jackets have in Mason. After last year, you have to wonder …

Flyers Deal Gagne To Tampa Bay For … For … Not Too Much

 

With a payroll reaching over the salary cap and a few more players left to be signed, the Philadelphia Flyers needed to gain some cap relief. The player they chose to turn to was left wing Simon Gagne, who spent the entirety of his 10-year NHL career with the Flyers and had one year remaining on his contract that pays $5.25 million. On July 2, he reportedly agreed to waive his no-trade clause. That claim was later disputed by Gagne, but he understood the situation the Flyers were in and knew the writing was on the wall for an end to his tenure in Philadephia.

His future, like all the other left wings still sitting on the free agent market, hinged largely on the decision made by Ilya Kovalchuk. So, when Kovalchuk decided on Monday afternoon to remain in New Jersey, it appeared as if a whole new market opened up for Gagne. The Los Angeles Kings’ failed pursuit of Kovalchuk would have instantly made them a serious player for Gagne, as they reportedly already had interest in him.

But just a few minutes after Kovalchuk’s re-signing with the Devils was announced, a trade involving Gagne was also made. He was acquired by the Tampa Bay Lighting for defenseman Matt Walker and a 2011 fourth round draft. And just like that, as if he didn’t already look like one, General Manager Steve Yzerman became one of the smartest GMs in the league in just the few short months he’s held the position with the Lightning.

Flyers Bring Zherdev Back From Russia

 

The last time Nikolai Zherdev was in the National Hockey League, it was two seasons ago for the New York Rangers. The Rangers acquired the former fourth overall selection from the Columbus Blue Jackets, who deemed him a disappointment within their organization. The Rangers would soon learn why Columbus was more than eager to dump Zherdev on them for a steady stay-at-home presence in Fedor Tytutin that had contrarily developed so well within the Rangers organization. For as capable a goal scorer as he is, Zherdev is as inconsistent as they come and never showed a true passion or committment to the game in the NHL.

That's why it came as a shock a few days ago when Puck Daddy's Dmitry Chesnokov reported that the Philadelphia Flyers signed Zherdev (which was initially disputed.) It was even more shocking when that report turned into an official agreement on Friday. General Manager Paul Holmgren inked the 25-year old to a one-year deal for $2 million.

Rangers Keep Christensen; Lose Shelley And Replace With Boogaard

Glen Sather started the free agency bonzana off with a solid pickup in backup goaltender Martin Biron. Since then, he's resorted back to being one of the worst general managers in the league.

Before going down that road, he did avoid one disaster by actually re-signing Erik Christensen to a two-year deal at $925,000 per season. That's only a $175,000 raise per year than what he made last season, but it's also more than the $750,000 (which is on par with what he made a year ago) he turned down in a previous offer. Christensen has generally been a journeyman, or was on the verge of becoming one, in his five NHL seasons. But after a waiver pickup by the Rangers from Anaheim, he emerged as the team's top center and perfect linemate for Marian Gaborik. In 49 games, he scored eight goals and 26 points - a stark improvement over the zero points he had with Anaheim over the course of nine games. Because his numbers aren't astronomic as a result of being fairly inconsistent, he wasn't going to get into the millions. But for the times that he does produce and is on his game, he's basically the best player on the ice and deserves a roster spot in New York.

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Shelley apparently didn't deserve a roster spot, or at least that's the way Sather saw things. A near-trade deadline acquisition by the Rangers for a fifth round pick from San Jose, Shelley stepped in as the lead enforcer (though Brandon Prust did more fighting) in place Donald Brashear and played a crucial role on a very effective fourth line for the Rangers down the stretch. And he actually scored some goals - two to be exact! That's a big deal for him.

It wasn't a big deal to Sather. He offered Shelley a one-year deal for $825,000, watched Shelley reject it and then let the man walk over to Philadelphia (maybe not literally, but it's possible) to sign a three-year deal with the Flyers for $1.1 million per season. So it's okay to sign Donald Brashear for $1.4 million per year, which the Rangers are still on the hook for next season. But to up the ante on Shelley a bit and pay the most productive and intelligent enforcer the team has had in a while (Colton Orr wasn't as good in the offensive scheme like Shelley was last year), that's a no go? Incredible. And now, he's with a division rival, that is nasty enough as it is.

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With Shelley gone, it was naturally time for Sather to play the "Replace the Enforcer" game, ala Brashear for Orr, Shelley for Brashear, ??? for Shelley. That replacement comes in the form of Derek Boogaard from the Minnesota Wild. The 28-year old, who has yet to play more than 65 games in a season and has not scored a goal in FOUR YEARS (has two total - both scored his rookie year), was granted a four-year contract for $1.65 million a season. That is undoubtedly worse than the Brashear signing.

Now, Boogaard is understandably not being brought in for his scoring prowess. But at least Shelley is able to create some chances and net a puck every once in a blue moon. Boogaard has no offensive upside and is a much less regarded fighter than Shelley. And he's $550,000 more expensive per year for an extra year.

I sure hope Donnie Walsh isn't drinking from the same fountain at The Garden, or there's zero chance LeBron James is a Knick.

Armstrong To Leafs, Niittymaki To Sharks, Auld To Montreal, O'Donnell To Flyers

 

~ Penguins fans probably would have love to have him back, but the winger most compatible with Sidney Crosby that was dealt to Atlanta in the Marian Hossa trade is now heading to Toronto on a three-year, $9 million deal. That's right, Colby Armstrong is the second top-six forward acquired by Brian Burke in the past two days (Kris Versteeg being the first.) He made $2.4 million last year, so this represents a $600,000 raise and is pretty equal to the output he provides. Armstrong is a gritty two-way player with 20-goal potential.

~ The San Jose Sharks cut the line on Evgeni Nabokov because they wanted to seek cheaper options than the $5- to 6-million he will probably find somewhere in free agency. Well, they found one, and it comes in the form of ex-Flyer/Lightning netminder Antero Niittymaki. He is on board for two years at $2 million per, which drastically lower than what Nabokov likely would have cost. But I do fear in this case that the Sharks will get what they pay for. Niittymaki is good and posted 21 wins with Tampa last year in 49 games played. But he's still just a better-than-average backup and will fail to win over 40 games a season like Nabokov did three years in a row if asked to shoulder a heavy load in San Jose.

~ Forget Dan Ellis, people. His lacking French-speaking skills won't be necessary. The Montreal Canadiens went another route for their No. 1A/2 goalie next season with Alexander Auld. Auld, who was a waiver acquisition for the Rangers late last year, is a more-than-adequate backup who will push Carey Price. Auld is there for one year at $1 million, which is by far a cheaper rate than what St. Louis will now have to dish out for Jaroslav Halak.

~ Apparently the Philadelphia Flyers need an army of defensemen, because they have quite a few and just added another. Veteran Sean O'Donnell is coming to Philly on a one-year deal worth $1 million, plus games played incentives. He's a good stay-at-home defender and worth it at that price. But the signing still begs the question, why? Or ... who's being dealt?

Lightning Deal Mezsaros to Flyers, Extend St. Louis Four More Years

Free agency might be about signing players, but trades are sure to go down, too. One was struck between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Philadelphia Flyers, where new GM Steve Yzerman moved defenseman Andrej Meszaros and the four years, $18.5 million remaining on his contract to the Flyers for a second round pick.

A decent all-around defenseman, the Flyers might not be thrilled with the fact that he hasn't as physical a player as his size would indicate. But being unable to re-sign Dan Hamhuis, Meszaros isn't a terrible No. 2 play. The second rounder might be much and the $4 million cap hit is not great one for Philly, though.

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One player is sent away by Yzerman, another is kept for a longer period of time. In his second big move of the day, Yzerman signed right wing Martin St. Louis to a four-year extension that, added with the one year remaining on his current deal, will have him donning the Bolt until 2016. TSN's James Duthie tweet that the extension is worth $22.5 million over four years, which averages out to $5.625 million per season. St. Louis will earn $4 million next season with a $5.25 million cap hit.

Even with Steven Stamkos emerging as the Lightnings' top offensive threat, St. Louis is a key piece to their scoring puzzle. He is a former 48-goal scorer who still possess 30-goal ability (was just one off the mark last season.) And skating with Stamkos has granted him great setup opportunities, as well, boasting a career-high 65 assists last season.

At 35 years old, this should be the final contract of St. Louis' career.

Flyers Bringing Back Leighton For Two More Years

They explored the possibility of bringing in Evgeni Nabokov and they made a failed play for Marty Turco. But at the end of the day, the Philadelphia Flyers chose to stick with the man they already had. General Manager Paul Holgren got Michael Leighton's signature on the dotted line of a new two-year, $3.1 million contract that will see the 29-year old netminder remain the club's No. 1 option between the pipes. He will earn $1.5 million next year and $1.6 million in 2011-12, with an annual cap hit of $1.55 million.

Generally a journeyman goalie before hitting Philly, Leighton emerged as a playoff hero for the Flyers as he backstopped them to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1998. Being pulled twice in against the Chicago Blackhawks during that series placed some doubt on the organization about whether it was wise to bring him back as its starter. But after looking into Nabokov, who is determined to test the free agent market, and having a three-year, $6 million offer turned away by Turco, the Flyers stuck with the immediate option.

Leighton is undoubtedly a cheaper option, which was key for the Flyers since they didn't want to shed too much payroll on a netminder. But there is still some speculation that the Flyers might not be done looking for options between the pipes, even with two other goalies already signed - Brian Boucher and Johan Backlund. TSN's Bob McKeznie believes Martin Biron could find his way back into Philadelphia, or that the Flyers could take a shot at dealing for Tim Thomas from Boston if they're willing to part with a high-priced talent on their own roster. That would mean Leighton would either become a backup option for the Flyers, or be part of a package going elsewhere in a trade.

Trading For Savard, Carter Emerges As Top Option For Center Help In Light Of Weak UFA Class

When the San Jose Sharks re-signed Patrick Marleau to a four-year deal, they took the most highly-coveted unrestricted free agent center off the market before it even opened for business. Before that, the Montreal Canadiens took the second most sought after UFA center Tomas Plekanec out of play with a new six-year contract.

With those two players off the board, few high-end options exist for teams in need of help at center. Sure, there are second-tier options like Saku Koivu, Olli Jokinen, Peter Mueller and Matt Cullen. But none of them have the potential to have as much offensive, and even defensive in Plekanec's case, influence on an organization like the two guys just extended by their current organizations.

In order for team's to rectify situations down the middle, they might have to look toward the trade market for more high-end options. Two players that might very well be up for grabs are Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins and Jeff Carter of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Philly Seeking Nabokov's Rights, Chicago Gets Ladd's Qualifying Offer In On Time

 

~ The Philadelphia Flyers do not currently have a No. 1 goaltender and weren't able to draft one over the weekend (not that anybody they would have selected on Friday or Saturday would have filled the spot right away, anyway.) However, after the draft was completed, General Manager Paul Holmgren reportedly struck a tentative deal with San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson for the negotiation rights to goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. The deal hinges on the Flyers' ability to reach an agreement with Nabokov before free agency on July 1. If that is done, then Philly will fork over a seventh round draft pick to San Jose in 2011.

The likelihood of this trade actually going through are slim, however. TSN has reported that Nabokov informed the Flyers that he would like to test the market. And according to CSNPhilly, Wilson even mentioned that complications do exist for the Flyers to actually complete a deal with Nabokov, which the site speculated could include the 35-year old's entire career having been spent on the West Coast. But neither genral manager involved here elaborated on the issue all that much.

The Flyers are familiar with the process of trading for negotiation rights and sometimes it works out for them, i.e., Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell. But other times it does not, such as what just went down with Dan Hamhuis. And while the team does stand a strong chance at getting Nabokov, the fact that he only needs to wait four days to find out his value over the entire market (and maybe even the KHL) doesn't make it look good on the Flyers' end to get this thing done before noon on Thursday.

~ Former Chicago Blackhawks and current Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon is not so great with tendering qualifying offers in time to restricted free agents. Stan Bowman isn't so bad, though. On Sunday, he beat the Monday deadline for Andrew Ladd's qualifying offer at a price of $1.65 million.

Ladd will likely want more in a new contract that than and he should have no problem doing so if he chooses to seek salary arbitration. The 24-year old former Carolina Hurricanes first round pick scored a career-high 17 goals last season and added 21 assists for 38 points. He added three goals and three assists in 19 playoff games en route to a Stanley Cup Championship with Chicago.

Hamhuis' Rights Get Dealt Again

TSN's Bob McKenzie reported Friday night prior to the 2010 NHL Entry Draft that contract negotiations between the Philadelphia Flyers and recently acquired pending unrestricted free agent Dan Hamhuis were "not at all close." It appears they were far enough apart for the Flyers to give up just one week after gaining his rights from the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Ryan Parent. Shortly after the completion of the first round of the draft on Friday, the Flyers moved Hamhuis' rights to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third round selection in next year's draft.

Although the Flyers would have loved to get Hamhuis inked, they essentially gained a conditional seventh rounder (acquired with Hamhuis from Nashville) and a third rounder next year for Parent, who was largely underwhelming in his four seasons with Philly.

The Penguins may have just acquired their replacement for Sergei Gonchar, who is still in talks with General Manager Ray Shero but is probably pricing himself out of the Penguins' budget by seeking somewhere between $5 to 6 million per year on a three-year deal. Hamhuis is not quite as offensively gifted as Gonchar, but is a solid all-around defender with physical ability and the occasional scoring touch.

Predators Deal Arnott, Right To Hamhuis

The Nashville Predators made two cost-cutting deals Saturday afternoon with a couple of Eastern Conference contenders. The first of those saw them ship the rights to pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Dan Hamhuis and a conditional draft choice in 2011 to Philadelphia in exchange for Ryan Parent.

This trade was an indication of just how badly the Flyers wanted Hamhuis on their blue line, and how little faith or little desire the Predators had in retaining him based on the contract he is likely to demand. Philadelphia has targeted Hamhuis for quite some time, even creating speculation last season that they were looking to acquire him in a trade deadline deal. And they managed to gain a 12-day window for sole negotiation opportunity with him. This is not the first time Philadelphia has utilized this strategy for bringing in pending free agents, especially not with Nashville in particular. In 2007, the Flyers acquired the rights to defenseman Kimmo Timonen and forward Scott Hartnell in exchange for a first round selection pick in that year’s draft just 13 days prior to the opening of free agency. Both players were signed almost instantly.

Hamhuis just finished off a contract that earned him $8 million over four years. He made $2.5 million of that last season and counted as a $2 million cap hit annually during its duration. Now, it’s believed Hamhuis could be seeking a deal worth about $4 million per season, which is a bit too rich for Nashville’s blood.

Leighton's Future With Flyers Undecided

Although I'm sure it wasn't their intention, the Philadelphia Flyers proved this year that a team in the NHL does not necessarily need an elite-level, high-priced goaltender to take a run at the Stanley Cup. The Flyers had a rotating door of goaltenders this season and managed to make it all the way to the finals with the work of two goalies - Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton. Leighton received most of the starts and was the hot hand the Flyers rode all the way to the end once he took over for Brian Boucher, who started the postseason for Philly but relinquished the starting role upon getting injured during the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
At the price of about $183,000, Leighton was clearly a steal for Philadelphia. They were able to cought up that pro-rated portion of his salary after claiming him off re-entry waivers from Carolina in December. That's a very light price to pay a goaltender that manages to backstop a team all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. With Leigton heading into the summer free-agent eligible once July 1 rolls around, one would believe that general manager Paul Holmgren would make it a priority to get him inked for 2010-11 and immediately grant him the team's No. 1 spot.
That is not necessarily the case, though. According to the Associated Press via ESPN.com, there's some hesistation. Holmgren is not ready to commit to Leighton because he's not entirely sold on Leighton as a starter to this point. When questioned about his view on Leighton as a starter, Homgren replied:

"You can't argue with his record and numbers when he had an opportunity to play."

Not quite a ringing endorsement.
Additionally, while it's difficult to not be impressed by Leighton's strong play when he was on his game, it's also hard to turn a blind eye to his poor play when he wasn't on:

"I think we've got to be careful there in how we view him," Holmgren said.

Again, not exactly a strong vote of confidence from the general manager. But really, this level of uncertainty from Holmgren is not uncalled for. Leighton might be a playable NHL goalie that got really hot at the right time this postseason, but there's a reason he's largely been a journeyman goaltender through his career - playing for four teams in a six-year NHL career where he's seen action 20 or more games just twice. Frankly, Leighton is a good option at backup. But at 29 years old, it's hard to imagine he's suddenly blossomed into a 70+-game, 35- to 40-win goalie.
It's also not as if Leighton is going to come as cheaply to the Flyers as he did last season. Not only will he earn more than the measly sum ponied up by Philly last year, but he's also going to come at a higher pricetag than the $600,000 he earned overall. It's hard to speculate exactly how much he wants or what teams are willing to pay for him. But I doubt $3 million or more is out of the question as an asking price. That's not a lot for a true starter. But for a glorified backup goalie, it might not be worth it. And Holmgren must assess if it's worth the risk to throw that money out to guy in hopes that he can continue playing like he did when he was good during the playoffs.
Leighton is not the only one on the fence here, either. He wants to remain in Philly, but will go elsewhere if necessary. To him, the ball is in Holmgren's court:

"I enjoyed my time here, I enjoyed the guys and the organization," Leighton said. "It's kind of up to the team. I've still got to talk to Homer and talk it out."

The Flyers currently have Boucher locked up for one more season at $925,000, and recently re-signed 28-year old Johan Backlund to a two-year contract. Additionally, Ray Emery might get another look by the Flyers after suiting up for 29 games with them before left hip surgery took him out for the rest of the season. Emery's injuries were the reason the Flyers ended up snagging Leighton.
Perhaps the Flyers should hold onto their cash, let Leighton walk if he demands too much and pull their efforts into acquiring whichever Montreal Canadiens netminder goes on the block, a strategy the team tried to follow during the season. There's a lot more certainly in Jaroslav Halak and plenty of time to reverse the downward spiral Carey Price succumbed to.
Giving Leighton starter money for what could easily resort to the backup play he's exhibited through most of his career is not worth the risk. It might sound harsh, but Leighton-type goalies are a dime a dozen. And an out of the ordinary showcase during the playoffs, which included several instances of bad play as well, should not cloud Holmgren's judgment in assessing the future of his most pressure position at this point.

Kane's Sudden Score Clinches Blackhawks First Cup In 49 Years

Patrick Kane knew that 49 years had gone by since the last time the Chicago Blackhawks hoisted the Stanley Cup. He also might have been the only one that knew that streak was over. After taking a pass from Brian Campbell and moving the puck down the boards, Kane snapped a bad angle shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle and then skated around the net in celebration. There was no red light. No arena noise. No epic victory call from play-by-play voice Mike “Doc” Emrick. There was no reaction – except from the man responsible for bringing Mullet Mania to the Chicago. Kane’s shot went right through the legs of Philadelphia Flyers starter Michael Leighton and then disappeared underneath the bottom portion of the goal just four minutes and six seconds into the overtime session. A quick review by the officials and numerous replays for the fans made everybody realize what Kane knew right away – the Chicago Blackhawks were Stanley Cup Champions for the first time since 1961.

“I knew it went in right away,” Kane said. “What a feeling. I can’t believe it. We just won the Stanley Cup.”

Kane’s less-than-dramatic finish to the Stanley Cup Finals almost wasn’t necessary. For much of the third period, the Blackhawks carried a 3-2 lead acquired during the second stanza. But a late goal with 3:59 remaining in regulation by Scott Hartnell, who directed a deflection from Marian Hossa’s stick past Antti Niemi for his second score of the game, enabled to Flyers to prolong their improbable run into an overtime session.

But that’s where the resilience of these comeback Flyers ended. Kane made sure there would be no Game 7. He made sure there wouldn’t be another comeback. He made sure that Chicago would live up their hype and secure a championship the city and its fans sorely needed.

And it makes sense that Kane would be the guy to clinch the Stanley Cup for the Blackhawks. Sure, it could have been Hossa, who was just the third athlete in any of the four major American sports to appear in the finals in three consecutive years for three different teams. It also could have been Dustin Byfuglien, who was such a dominating force for most of the first three series and the final two games of the finals. But Kane, along with Conn Smythe Trophy recipient Jonathan Toews, were tasked with being the new blood of the organization.

Selected third (Toews) and first (Kane) overall in consecutive NHL Entry Drafts back in 2006 and 2007, respectively, these two young kids were the building blocks for a new generation in Chicago Blackhawks hockey. Long gone were the days of missing the playoffs and disappointing fans with high ticket prices and lacking home game broadcasts. This was a new era for Blackhawks hockey – one geared toward including the fans and making them proud to root for an organization poised for success. With Toews and Kane leading the way, this organization would be become a champion … eventually. Little did they know eventually would come this soon.

This was truly a team effort, though. Toews and Kane were integral pieces and there’s little doubt that Chicago would be heading toward 50 years without Lord Stanley had it not been for those two. But so many other players were key in this championship victory.

Niemi stepped into that unenviable role of rookie goalie in the NHL playoffs, and he shined. He wasn’t unbeatable, but he kept his team in games and made the big save when necessary. Byfuglien was a big, physical presence for the Blackhawks and netted a playoff-leading five game-winners. Hossa didn’t put up huge numbers, but he provided the invaluable experience of having played in the Stanley Cup Finals before. Patrick Sharp did contribute big in the stats department with 22 points, which ranks fifth among playoffs leaders. On defense, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook combined for a strong defensive pairing, while Niklas Hjalmarsson got himself noticed with a plus-9 rating and solid shot-blocking prowess.

Then there’s behind the bench, where Joel Quenneville guided his team efficiently through six-game series victories over Nashville and Vancouver, a four-game sweep past the No. 1 ranked San Jose Sharks, and then a six-game win over the Flyers. His decision to switch up lines in Game 5 by putting Kane, Toews and Byfuglien on separate units opened up the game and allowed Byfuglien specifically to get back on track and almost single-handedly pull his team within one win of the Cup.

For their efforts, the Flyers definitely deserve recognition here. They weren’t the Broad Street Bullies, but they had plenty of grit and spirit to their game. Entering the postseason as the No. 7 should have been a huge disadvantage. But they were not a typical seven seed and outplayed their ranking. The Flyers overpowered the New Jersey Devils, came back in miraculous fashion from a 3-0 deficit against the Boston Bruins and pretty much dismantled the No. 8 Montreal Canadiens without any problem. For a seventh seed to even get to the Stanley Cup Finals is impressive. To keep it as close as the Flyers did with the Blackhawks was even more so. But it all ended for them at home on one of the oddest Cup-clinching goals in league history.

I’m sure no Blackhawks fan will actually mind the anticlimactic way in which Game 6 ended. Nor will they mind that the championship soon to be paraded around their city in a few short days was actually captured by their beloved team on the road, in Philadelphia. After 49 years, you take it any way you can get it. And that abrupt goal might actually be a fitting conclusion to an entire postseason that provided plenty of surprises along the way.

Welcome ... Now Get Out Of My Crease!

Welcome one and all to the newest home for hockey news and opinion, provided by yours truly! With the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals nearing its finale and a long summer of drafting, free agent signing and trading up ahead, it's bound to be a good time. Look no further than this blog to be your one stop shop for all the going-ons in the NHL and around the hockey world.

Make sure to check back here after the Stanley Cup Finals conclude and either the Chicago Blackhawks or Philadelphia Flyers are crowned the new champions. It will be then that this blog is officially born!

In the meantime, the e-mail address is getoutofmysports@gmail.com. Don't hesistate to drop me a line now and in the future. Until then, enjoy the games and place your bets on whether the third time is the charm for Marian Hossa.

Now Get Out Of My Crease!