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Cleary Over Youth? Your Call

September 10, 2013, 1:37 PM ET [26 Comments]
Tim Panaccio
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
There's a lot to like about adding a Dan Cleary to your roster.

Veteran experience. A Cup. A "glue guy" as GM Kenny Holland would call him.

But here's the rub for Flyers fans as I read the Twitter and internet comments: At age 34, is a three-year deal a year too long?

Another young Flyer player won't be on the roster. Personally, I would have preferred giving him a 1-year contract and see what happens. But I also know the Flyers felt that the only way they could get him was to cave and go three years.

My guess is Detroit was not willing to match the term length. I know the Flyers entire personnel department are very keen these days about giving their youth a chance to play. I can't imagine GM Paul Holmgren didn't hear a single "wait a minute" from others on this deal before doing it.

Cleary comes in on a PTO, then the contract kicks in once the regular season starts and the Flyers can LTIR Chris Pronger.

Before this came about, I had Scott Laughton and Tye McGinn on my roster of 14 forwards. Now McGinn goes back to the Phantoms, less a trade of some kind.

So the question of the day is ... Would you rather have seen the Flyers go with youth or are you okay with signing a guy who will be 37 in the last year of his deal?

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