Musings and Quick Hits: August 6, 2018
1) How much will it cost the Flyers to extend defenseman Ivan Provorov's contract after his entry-level contract expires following the 2018-19 season? That remains to be seen, as neither Flyers general manager Ron Hextall nor Provorov's agent, Mark Gandler, seem to be in a rush. Provorov's deal expires on July 1, 2019, when he can become a restricted free agent.
With Provorov having been publicly identified as the backbone of the Flyers' defense for many years to come, I don't have much fear of a long-term extension not getting done at the end of the day. The journey to that destination, however, may take awhile. Hextall has said that he hopes to get something done before July 1.
This is purely speculation, but it would not be a surprise if the Provorov camp comes in with a demand that is north of the $7.5 million long-term cap hit on Florida Panthers' defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
At least by his past reputation, Gandler (who largely specializes in representing Russian players, having himself come from the former Soviet Union) is one of the NHL's most aggressive agents in negotiations. By reputation, he sets very ambitious price tags, using lofty comparables to justify the demand and doesn't back down much. While players ultimately have the final say on whether or not to accept a team's offer, most lean heavily on their agent's advice.
What happens if no deal is reached by next summer? Then it could become a source of offseason agita before the almost-inevitable long-term agreement is reached. I'd be surprised if there is a "bridge" deal. The bottom line, however, is that Provorov will be a Flyer for many years to come.
2) Over on the Flyers' website, there is a World Junior Summer Showcase
wrapup, looking at how each of the eight Flyers prospects fared in the tournament.
3) The new offseason edition of the FlyerBuzz prospect series on
FlyersRadio247.com is now available for download. In this episode, Brian Smith talks to Wyatte Wylie, Wyatt Kalynuk and Noah Cates. To access the podcast,
click here.
4) The summertime video series profiling Flyers 2018 draftees also continues this week. This edition looks at Adam Ginning:
5) Today in Flyers history: On August 6, 1997, Paul Holmgren was promoted from director of pro scouting to the Flyers' director of player personnel under general manager Bob Clarke. One year earlier, "Homer" had returned to the Flyers organization for the first time since being dismissed as head coach 24 games into the 1991-92 season. He has been here ever since. Since 2014, following a nearly eight-season stint as general manager, Holmgren has been the Flyers team president. He is the only figure in franchise history to have served the organization as a player, assistant coach, head coach, pro scout, assistant GM, general manager and team president.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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