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Quick Hits: Two International Tournaments Underway and More

August 7, 2017, 9:19 AM ET [230 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
QUICK HITS: AUGUST 7, 2017

1) The annual Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament -- the first junior international tourney on the the calendar for the 2017-18 countdown to the next NHL Draft -- gets underway on Monday. On the first day of action, Team Canada takes on Russia, USA plays Sweden, Finland plays Slovakia and the Czech Republic opposes Switzerland.

2) The Sochi Hockey open, the first of a series of pre-Olympic tuneup tournaments, is underway. Canada plays Russia on Monday. On Sunday, Canada blanked HC Sochi, 1-0, behind the shut out goaltending of former NHL netminder Justin Peters (now Dinamo Riga of the KHL). Former AHL/NHL defenseman Jesse Blacker (now with China-based KHL team Kunlun Red Star) scored the lone goal of the game. Russia beat HC Sochi on Saturday, 5-1.

3) Former Flyers/Phantoms forward Blair Jones has signed with the Cologne Sharks (Kölner Haie) of Germany's DEL. It will be his second season in the DEL. Jones spent last season with the Iserlohn Roosters.

4) The reported rumor of the Flyers and Montreal Canadiens negotiating a deal that would send Travis Sanheim and draft pick assets to the Habs in exchange for left winger Max Pacioretty is nonsensical on both sides. Philadelphia general manager Ron Hextall is steadfast in saying he won't trade prospects and picks for players in their late 20s (at least until such a time when he feels the Flyers are contenders who are one impact player away from a serious push for the Stanley Cup). The team is not at that point yet, and Pacioretty will turn 29 early next season.

Secondly, Pacioretty will become an unrestricted free agent at the same time Wayne Simmonds becomes a UFA and Ivan Provorov will be a restricted free agent. From a long-term cap planning standpoint -- which may not be on fans' radar but is a consideration from a team management perspective -- that isn't advisable.

Lastly, any trade proposal has to be looked at in terms of what it brings to both sides. The Habs are in more of a win-now mode than Philadelphia. Their window is while Shea Weber (who turns 32 on Aug. 14) and Carey Price (who turns 30 on Aug. 16) are still at the top of their games. Ditto Pacioretty, who has scored 30 to 39 goals in each of the last four seasons. The team, in fact, is looking to add some more firepower up front. Trading their leading scorer from last season isn't the way to do it.

While it is may be possible that the Flyers and Habs are involved in exploratory trade discussions of some nature, it was a shock if it was a Pacioretty for Sanheim-plus deal.
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