STATUS QUO (FOR NOW) FOR FLYERS
While much of the NHL got caught up in the first day of Free Agent Frenzy 2014, in which more than a half-billion dollars got spent leaguewide, the Philadelphia Flyers were forced to be spectators due to their lack of cap space. Apart from re-signing goaltender Ray Emery and making a pair of two-way contract signings (forward Blair Jones and goalie Rob Zepp) geared more toward the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms than the parent club, the Flyers stood pat for now.
In a media conference call yesterday evening, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall was philosophical about the team's situation.
"To be honest with you, July 1 is one of those days where we all can get carried away. I look on my board here and look at our team, and we’ve got a good team. Sometimes on this day, you make some of the poorest decisions you make, and quite honestly we didn’t have to think it through that hard," he said.
Hextall added that there is nothing new to report on the Vincent Lecavalier trade front other than that no deal is imminent. The general manager claimed he would be comfortable at this point if Lecavalier was still with the Flyers come training camp in September. However, he also didn't deny that efforts to find a trading partner are ongoing.
Although the Flyers are about $1.24 million over the $69 million salary cap ceiling for next season, teams are allowed to exceed the cap by 10 percent. That figure includes Chris Pronger's salary, which has to be fit under the cap before the team is permitted on the first day of the season to designate him for long-term injured reserve.
Hextall said that the team is talking with some free agent candidates who are still on the market.
"We’ve got a couple guys we’re still looking at if we get them in the right range – one guy specifically – so, there’s still things you can do," he said.
Who could that one particular target be? The most widely rumored forward candidate has been veteran agitator Steve Ott. Other notable names still on the market include the likes of speedy but enigmatic former 30-goal scorer Devin Setoguchi, Radim Vrbata, Dustin Penner, Mikhail Grabovski, Lee Stempniak, Brenden Morrow, David Booth, Ray Whitney, Nikolai Kulemin and Mike Santorelli.
Hextall said the team would also ideally like to add an unrestricted veteran defensemen for depth. The remaining market includes the likes of Michael Del Zotto (what on earth has happened with him in the last two seasons?), Andre Benoit, Jamie McBain, Raphael Diaz, Paul Ranger, Chris Butler and aging veterans in their mid-to-late 30s such as Sami Salo, Derek Morris, Cory Sarich, Scott Hannan and Joe Corvo.
None of the still-available players are individual difference makers, but a few could be useful as complementary pieces. More and more, it seems that any significant changes to the Philadelphia roster this summer to upgrade team speed and/or two-way play will have to come via the trade market and not what's out there in free agency.
Otherwise, the key components of the team that takes the ice come October will be essentially the same one that played last season minus Scott Hartnell and plus R.J. Umberger. Thus far, the Flyers have mostly moved laterally; not forwards or backwards.
QUICK HITS
* Unrestricted free agent defenseman Bruno Gervais signed a contract yesterday with the Colorado Avalanche, where he will rejoin close friend Max Talbot. Although the signing of Gervais in 2012 did not work out well for the Flyers at the NHL level, Gervais was a positive presence as a veteran mentor for the young defensemen on the Adirondack Phantoms last season. He is a likable and classy player who will be missed by the Phantoms.
* Former Flyers player and assistant coach Mike Stothers was hired yesterday to be the head coach of the Manchester Monarchs, the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings.
* Now scouting for the Vancouver Canucks, former Flyers scout Inge Hammarström gave an interesting
interview to Gefle Dagbladet. As he has opined in the past, Hammarström said that he feels too many young Swedish players hurt their development by attempting to come over to play pro hockey in North America before they are physically ready.
Hammarström also said that he was high on Brynäs power forward Oskar Lindblom, whom the Flyers drafted in the fifth round of the 2014 Draft.
"Oskar is an extremely interesting player," said Hammarström. "Actually, I wish we had been able to pick him. He has an exceptional nose for the net. If he can just improve his skating speed, he can become very capable [as an offensive player] in the future."
Lindblom is not a slow skater per se, but can use more quickness to gain separation and win foot races to loose pucks. He has been working with a power skating coach this off-season to accelerate the process of refining his skating.
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The information below is repeated from yesterday's blog updates:
FLYERS SIGN BLAIR JONES
Per Flyers general manager Ron Hextall, the Flyers have signed 27-year-old forward Blair Jones to a two-way contract for next season. The former Lightning and Flames center has notched scored seven goals and 17 points in 128 career NHL games. He was signed to add some depth and size to the organization.
Jones has been a good two-way player at the AHL level and would be a top-six player in the Phantoms lineup. In the NHL, he's been more of a fourth-line forward.
FLYERS RE-SIGN EMERY
The Flyers have re-signed backup goaltender Ray Emery for one year, at $1 million. Last season, he made $1.65 million.
Emery and Steve Mason have a strong working relationship, and Emery is a battler despite some lateral mobility issues. At that price and given the rapid thinning of the UFA goalie market, the deal makes sense.
"I believe [a goalie relationship] is very important and I also believe Ray was a great influence on Mason's success last year," said Flyers goaltending coach Jeff Reese shortly after the deal was announced.
Added general manager Ron Hextall, "It’s an important thing. I’ve been on teams where the goalies don’t get along and sometimes it can divide the team and it’s not a good working relationship. I think with Ray and Mase getting along so well and kind of both knowing their roles, it obviously worked well for us last year and we expect the same thing this year."
For his part, Emery believes he can improve upon his 2013-14 season.
"I wasn’t happy with my year personally last year, but sometimes it’s not about personal success as much as it is having team success," said Emery. "I thought I fit in well with this team, so I’m looking forward to going back into a familiar situation. I think I’ll be better in my second year."
FLYERS SIGN DEL VETERAN GOALTENDER ZEPP
The Flyers have signed veteran goaltender Rob Zepp to a two-way contract. The 32-year-old will join rookie goaltender Anthony Stolarz with the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms next season.
Zepp has been a fixture in Germany's DEL for Eisbären Berlin. During the 2012-13 lockout in the NHL, he was a teammate of Flyers captain Claude Giroux and then-Flyers forward Danny Briere. The Canadian goaltender last played in North America a decade ago, and has played in Europe ever since.
"I've seen tape on Zepp, and he looks very polished," said Flyers goaltending coach Jeff Reese. "Nice having a veteran guy with a young guy. There is no rush for Stolarz. He needs to polish his game. That takes time. Again, no rush. Let him develop."
Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said that Zepp has been a late-bloomer in his career.
"He’s really developed into a really good goaltender. We’ve seen him a couple years at the World Championships and over in Europe, and he’s really developed," said Hextall. "He’s in his 30s, he’s not a young guy anymore, but he’s real hungry to come back over and give it a shot. We felt like he was a real good fit with us, giving us the type of depth – you think you’ll never get to your third goalie, but you see situations where teams do and it’s a little bit unnerving."
"We feel very comfortable with him if he’s got to come up and play games for us. We’re excited about it. We want to have a competitive team in the Lehigh Valley there, and Rob’s going to be a big part of it. Some of his knowledge, if in fact Anthony’s there – and that’s not a given - we’ll see how things work out through training camp, and if he needs playing time we’ve got other options, but if we feel he can play in the American league and that’s the best situation for him, I’m sure Rob will be a big help for him."
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