QUICK HITS: JULY 8, 2018
1) On Saturday, the Flyers announced the signing of restricted free agent goaltender Alex Lyon to a new two-year contract. It's a partial two-way deal. In 2018-19, the contract pays $750,000 at the NHL level and $250,000 in the American Hockey League. The second season is a one-way agreement, paying $750,000 in both the NHL and AHL. Lyon can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2020.
In exchange for a one-way deal in year two and a substantial raise on the AHL portion of the two-way agreement in year one (Lyon made $70,000 at the AHL level last season, per Capfriendly.com), Lyon took a slight paycut on the NHL portion of his cap hit. Last season, the NHL portion of Lyon's deal carried a prorated $874,125 for the time he spent in the NHL.
The agreement with Lyon pre-empted a potential arbitration hearing. The Flyers only remaining potential arbitration case this summer is left winger Taylor Leier, who is also likely to come to terms before a hearing is held. The Flyers other restricted free agents, who did not file for arbitration, are Robert Hägg, Tyrell Goulbourne, Anthony Stolarz, Danick Martel and Reece Willcox.
2) It is not believed that the Flyers are in the mix of teams attempting to sign 28-year-old free agent Czech center Jan Kovar. However, it is possible that Philly is flying under the radar as it did with the offseason signings of Evgeny Medvedev in 2015 and Roman Lyubimov in 2016. Allan Walsh, Kovar's agent in North America, announced via Twitter on Saturday that his client would sign with an NHL team today.
Kovar, a regular on the Czech national team, has spent his entire career in Europe. He's been among the leading scorers in the KHL in recent seasons, but his numbers were down (7 goals, 35 points in 54 games) this past season with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Playing under Mike Keenan, Kovar produced a career-best 68 points in 54 regular season games (23 goals, 45 assists) and 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in the playoffs for a Gagarin Cup championship winning Metallurg team in 2013-14. Built like a fireplug, the righthanded shooting Kovar packs 215 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame.
Jan Kovar's older brother, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (KHL) and periodic Czech national team goaltender Jakub Kovar, is a former Flyers draft pick. The Flyers selected him in the 4th round of the 2006 NHL Draft, 109th overall, but never signed him to an NHL contract.
3) If you cannot attend the Flyers Charity Classic on July 15, you may prefer to donate what you can to the cause in the name of one of the participants. I am a member of Ides of Marsh, doing the family 5k run/walk. Thanks to all who have kicked in, I'm now just $172 away from my goal of raising $400. My donation page is
here. Thanks again!
4) July 8 Flyers Alumni birthday: two-stint defenseman Karl Dykhuis (1972).
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»