FLYERS 'CAP HELL' IS GREATLY EXAGGERATED
In recent days, there have been any number of dire-sounding articles written about the Philadelphia Flyers' cap situation, both for the 2015-16 season and beyond. While it is true that the team is currently not in ideal cap shape, the situation is not disastrous by any means.
Here are six reasons why the Flyers are not in nearly as bad of cap shape for 2015-16 and especially for 2016-17 as some are making it out to be:
1) The current working figure that the Flyers are roughly about $360,000 to $583,000 (depending on the source) under the salary cap heading into the 2015-16 season -- assuming they make no trades -- increases by $625,000 if
Brandon Manning is waived and assigned to the Phantoms rather than the Flyers carrying eight defensemen on the opening night NHL roster. Most years, the Flyers have needed to use long-term injured reserve allowances to get cap compliant for opening night. That is not the case this year.
2) The Flyers do not have to rush into a trade of a veteran defenseman. They can wait and see what happens around the league during training camp and the preseason -- injuries are inevitable -- at which time the trade market is likely to pick up again.
While it may be tough to move
Andrew MacDonald due as much to the remaining length of his contract (five seasons) as his cap hit ($5 million), the Flyers probably could find a trade partner with interest in
Luke Schenn ($3.6 million, unrestricted free agent next summer).
Despite
Mark Streit's age, there absolutely is a market for his services. He is coming off a season in which he ranked second in the NHL in power play points by a defensemen and placed in the top 10 in total points. The former Islanders captain and current Flyers alternate brings an element of calm leadership to any team and has a reasonable two seasons left on his contract at a $5.25 million cap hit. Although he's unlikely to be dealt by opening night, Streit is a desirable asset at the 2016 trade deadline (if the Flyers are out of playoff contention) or during the offseason heading into the final year of his contract.
Likewise, the Flyers recent resigning of
Michael Del Zotto to a two-year, $3.875 million cap hit deal does not necessarily mean that he will spend the entire length of the contract with the team. Having a second year on the deal at his current cap hit could actually increase trade value if Del Zotto has a decent season.
3) When people fret over the cap hit on
Jakub Voracek's next contract, they often neglect to calculate it as essentially a raise on his current $4.25 million cap hit. Let's say Voracek commands an $8 million cap hit starting in 2016-17. To get to that figure, the team would have to come up with $3.75 million of additional cap space for next season in top of re-investing his current cap space on the same player.
4) The Flyers will have
Sam Gagner ($3.2 million) and Luke Schenn coming off the books next summer as unrestricted free agents. That is $6.8 million of open space. It remains to be seen whether any of
Evgeny Medvedev ($3 million),
Michael Raffl ($1.1 million) and/or
Ryan White ($800,000) fit into the team plans beyond next season. Their contracts represent another $4.9 million worth of cap space to plan for the 2016-17 season. Of those three players, Raffl currently seems to be the most likely to be re-signed beyond the 2015-16 season.
5) While it is true that both
Sean Couturier and
Brayden Schenn are restricted free agents in the summer of 2016, it is equally true that next season is crucial to both players' earning potential on their next deal. Now is the time for one or both to have a true breakout NHL offensive season.
If they reach the next level in their offensive games, the Flyers' chances of returning to the playoffs increase significantly and the team will do what it needs to do to lock them up. If not, the worries are unfounded about what their next contract will cost the Flyers because they will not get big raise, long-term deals. One or both could be traded or the players could get modest raises on shorter-term deals.
5) A big part of the benefit of the organization's increased focus on drafting and developing their own talent -- especially on defense -- is the prospect of replacing expensive veteran players with talented young players who are still on their entry-level deals. Once players such as
Ivan Provorov,
Travis Sanheim,
Samuel Morin,
Shayne Gostsbehere and/or
Robert Hägg start to graduate to the NHL level -- not necessarily all at the same time but gradually over the next few years-- and players such Medvedev, Schenn and/or Streit move on elsewhere, there will be enormous salary cap benefits for several seasons if the prospects develop as hoped.
6) Thus far, the Flyers have shown no inclination to use buyout options on players such as
R.J. Umberger and
Vincent Lecavalier. Come next June, however, the time may be right to exercise that options if the team truly is hurting for immediate cap relief. At their age, a buyout is calculated as two-thirds of the remaining salary due. Of the two, Umberger is the better buyout candidate as long as he is healthy (teams cannot buy out injured players).
Umberger, who is coming off hip and abdominal surgery, has two years left on his contract. Take that deal one future year out, and he will have $4.5 million left on the deal. Lecavalier, who appears to have no interest in retirement (at least until after the 2016-17 season) or a mutual termination, will have $6 million owed as of next June. Lecavalier's buyout term next summer would still be four years, whereas Umberger's would be two years.
As a frame of reference, had Flyers bought out Umberger this year, they'd have carried a $1.6 million cap hit (roughly a $3 million cap saving) for two seasons but also a $1.5 million cap hit in 2017-18 and 2018-19. A buyout next summer would mean only year of a cap penalty (2017-18) beyond the length of the contract.
If things turn out that Umberger is still not a healthy player -- training camp and the preseason will be telling in that regard although the player self-reports that he now feels fine -- the Flyers may also end with a long-term injured reserve allowance option on him should they need space over and above the salary cap ceiling to replace his spot on the roster.
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TODAY IN FLYERS HISTORY FROM FlyersAlumni.org
1995: The Flyers sign veteran shutdown center
Joel Otto as a unrestricted free agent. The longtime Calgary Flames forward agrees to a three-year, $2.3 million contract.
1998: The Flyers sign veteran checking center
Marc Bureau as an unrestricted free agent. Bureau signs a three-year contract worth $1.1 million per season.
2013: The Flyers sign center
Sean Couturier to a two-year, $3.5 million contract extension.
FLYERS AND FLYERS ALUMNI BIRTHDAYS
Current Flyers/Phantoms forward
Nick Cousins was born July 20, 1993. Former Flyers defenseman, NHL head coach, NHL assistant coach, scout and Phantoms head coach
Terry Murrray was born July 20, 1950. The perpetually underrated
Murray Craven, one of the team's best all-around players from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, was born July 20, 1964.
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FLYERS ALUMNI FANTASY HOCKEY CAMP
The Flyers Alumni will host a fantasy hockey camp from August 21-24 in Atlantic City, open to anyone age 21 and older. Instructors and Alumni participants will include
Bernie Parent,
Brian Propp,
Ian Laperriere,
Todd Fedoruk,
Andre "Moose" Dupont,
Dave "the Hammer" Schultz,
Joe Watson and
Bob "the Hound" Kelly.
Participation costs $3,000 apiece and you can
register a spot online. Over on the Flyers' Alumni website, there is
more information on camp-related activities and on-ice schedules.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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