Should Flyers Pursue Streit?
As soon as news broke yesterday that New York Islanders captain Mark Streit will pursue unrestricted free agency in July, many people immediately started speculating whether the Philadelphia Flyers will pursue the 35-year-old offensive defenseman. Streit, who made $4.1 million on the cap in his last contract, is reportedly seeking a three-year contract in the neighborhood of a $5.5 million cap hit per season.
I realize why some folks think the Flyers should have interest. They are looking to add a mobile, puck-moving defenseman. Streit is undersized (5-foot-11, 191 pounds) but is good at carrying the puck and he's been a productive offensive contributor for much of his career, especially on the power play. Lastly, adding Streit would not cost the Flyers any trading resources. With Kimmo Timonen likely to retire after next season, the Swiss veteran could also assume the mantle of blueline elder statesman and first-unit power play trigger man in the first two seasons after Timonen's departure.
With all that said, I would not be in favor of the Flyers signing Streit either for the type of money or number of years that he's supposedly seeking. It's not that he's being greedy or his demands are out of line with the marketplace. In a weak market for unrestricted free agent defensemen -- most teams have locked up their desirable impending UFA defensemen in long-term contract extensions, which is a trend that is expected to continue in future seasons -- Streit is probably going to get a deal in the neighborhood of his asking price. I just don't want the team paying it to be the Flyers.
With the salary cap dropping next season, the Flyers find themselves in a position of shedding salary (likely via exercising a cap-compliance buyout of the remaining two seasons on Danny Briere's contract) simply to get in line with the new cap ceiling and be able to make some minor moves. Spending north of another $5 million on a blueline roster that currently has six defensemen, including LTIR-bound Chris Pronger, making at least $3.5 million on the cap would worsen an already bad cap situation.
Yes, I realize there is a chance that one among Andrej Meszaros (one year remaining at $4 million, does not have a no-trade clause), Braydon Coburn (three years remaining at $4.5 million, partial no-trade clause) or Nicklas Grossmann (three years remaining at $3.5 million, partial no-trade clause) could be traded this offseason to create some cap space. But given the injury concerns surrounding Meszaros and Grossmann and the fact that both Coburn and Grossmann would require a suitable replacement for their current roles, meeting both the financial and hockey needs of teams is easier said than done.
Streit is not as bad defensively as some made him out to be earlier in his career. That said, he'll never be confused with a shutdown defenseman, either. He's OK when spotted into favorable matchups. At five-on-five, Streit is basically a serviceable number five defenseman who is adept at triggering breakouts. Primarily, adding Streit to the Flyers lineup would further strengthen an already-strong power play attack by giving the Flyers the luxury to have to Timonen up top on one unit and Streit on the other. Forward Jakub Voracek, isn't about to be moved off his top-unit "point" role in the Flyers' umbrella setup.
Streit, who was minus-14 this past year at even strength, played a role on the Islanders' 21st-ranked penalty kill. He averaged 1:20 per game of penalty killing time per game. Ideally, he would be used sparingly in PK duty.
Streit will turn 36 in December. Signing him to anything longer than a one-season deal would trigger the NHL's dreaded over-35 contract rules. If Streit he were to suffer a serious injury, ala Pronger, he could not retire without cap penalty. I could live with a two-year deal for Streit as a bridge for the first year after Timonen's retirement but three years is way too long for an aging finesse defenseman who is something less than Timonen's equal as an all-around player even right now.
I just don't see a good fit between Streit and the Flyers. He can move the puck and that's an area of need. However, his primary value would be as a power play luxury on a team for which power play improvement is near the bottom of the list of urgent concerns. Is that worth tying up about $5.5 million for three years and taking on the risks associated with an over-35 contract? I say no. I'm sure some will agree and others will disagree.
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Shinkaruk vs. Domi
One of the frequent false assumptions about the Flyers is that the organization avoids undersized skill players in the NHL Draft. While it is true the team would prefer a big-framed player if all else is equal, they have shown a willingness since 2005 to go for whichever available player they believe has the highest upside.
One need only look at the first-round selections of sub-six-foot forwards Claude Giroux (2006) and Steve Downie (2005) and top-three round picks ranging from Nick Cousins (2011), Shayne Gostisbehere (2012) and failed offensive defenseman prospect Mike Ratchuk (2006) to see that the organization is willing to roll the draft-day dice on smaller-framed players if they feel the player's skills compensates for the lack of size.
The 2013 NHL Draft is notable for the presence of many skilled players who may not be imposing physical specimens but whose other talents could make up for whatever may be lacking in size. Two such players who could be viable selections with the 11th overall pick are Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) center Hunter Shinkaruk and London Knights (OHL) center Max Domi.
Shinkaruk, whom some scouts believe has NHL top-line upside as either a center or winger, boasts elite-caliber hands. His shooting skills were graded as an A-plus by Red Line Report and scouts with whom I've spoken have said in terms of pure finishing ability, Shinkaruk is as good as anyone available in the Draft. Although his offensive totals this season did not quite measure up to his staggering year as a 16-year-old (when he tallied 49 goals and 91 points in 66 games), he remains a dynamic one-on-one player with above-average skating skills. He is also skilled at hiding out from the traffic and suddenly emerging in prime scoring position.
The 5-foot-10, 181 pound Calgary native has worked hard on improving on the defensive side of the puck. Even so, it is still an area where he could stand considerable improvement. He also lacks a physical element to his game but that doesn't mean he simply lets himself get pushed around by bigger players. Shinkaruk will sometimes use his stick as an equalizer.
The NHL scout with whom I spoke about Shinkaruk compared him to Danny Briere. He is an enthusiastic player with some leadership potential and who loves pressure situations but whose collection of on-ice strengths and weaknesses are pretty well-defined.
Domi, the son of longtime NHL enforcer Tie Domi, is much more skilled than his father ever was but inherited both Tie's low center of gravity and ability to get under opponents' skin.
He has excellent top-end speed -- including when he has the puck on his stick -- and a high degree of creativity. His pure shooting skills are not as good as Shinkaruk's but he may be a slightly better playmaker for his linemates and he's no slouch as a finisher, either.
The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Domi packs deceptive strength on his frame, which will only continue to increase. He is more physical than Shinkaruk and has become somewhat better than Shinkaruk defensively, although his lack of size sometimes works against him against bigger centers. He often wins battles down low against players whom one would think he'd be overmatched by but this may not translate against NHL-grade opposition. What definitely will translate is his tenacity and hunger for the puck.
As with Bobby Clarke before him, Domi has overcome diabetes to play hockey. It is not a coincidence that he wears uniform number 16.
Both Shinkaruk and Domi have the potential to make the transition from center to wing at the pro level, due to their lack of size and plus skating ability. The scout said both players have top-six upside as pros but "if one of them is going to become a legit top-line guy, I'd say it would be Shinkaruk." At the same time, "Domi is the one who is more likely to be able to fit in a variety of spots in the lineup and he definitely has the chance to point up points, too." Overall, it's a toss-up and just depends on a particular team's preference.
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