The St. Louis Blues are about $8 million under the salary cap ceiling but have yet to sign RFA's Alex Pietrangelo, Chris Stewart and Jake Allen.The Blues are not adverse to trading some veterans to get under the cap should the trio cost them more than eight million. Pietrangelo figures to get the most money as young talented defensemen are the tough to find and some NHL teams may consider an offer sheet. Pietrangelo had five goals and 24 points in 47 games last season after a 12 goal, 51 point season in 2011-12 in which he was a plus-16. Pietrangelo is only 23 and has a huge future ahead of him.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Again I disagree. The NHL is constantly in flux in terms of player availability. It's really like Texas hold'em to me. Unless you get dealt the right hand you fold and wait, of course in hold'em you can try bluffing but we can see both sides of the cards here. The flyers got better in the short term but handcuffed themselves to deals that are gonna hurt in three years... Again.
- JoeRussomanno

Is this because you've been watching since the early 1980's or because they have been burned by longer term deals in the past? Should they never sign a long term deal because they had some that failed to work out?

There are some concerns I have about the contracts they signed. But I also realize that right now, trading young assets for guys like Yandle and Edler is foolish, because they won;t get full value for a kid coming off a bad second year.

There's no reason to expect Lecavalier to fall apart 3 years into the contract. He's put up solid numbers in Tampa, despite being on a line with revolving doors on his wings.

But go ahead, enjoy the bubble where salaries will magically decline and good defensemen will suddenly be easy and cheap to trade for.

I don't like the lecalvier NMC either. We're gonna be back at where we were with briere in two years again.
- JoeRussomanno

Agreed. Let's stop overpaying for all these free agents. Proposed lineup:

Read - Schenn - Voracek
Simmonds - Couturier - Akeson
Gagne - Laughton - Talbot
Rosehill - Hall - Rinaldo

Schenn - Gervais
Grossmann - Huskins
Gustafsson - Lilja

Trade away the overpaid Giroux, Timonen, Hartnell, Lecavalier, Streit, Coburn, and Meszaros. No reason to ever pay market value when it's an inflated market. Let's try to keep the cap number under $40M.

Also, the Flyers should let it be known they will never sign a player for more than 3 years at a time, and the max. allowed salary/year is $2.3M. Don't want to take a chance on getting burned by those long-term, high-dollar salaries.

Agreed. Let's stop overpaying for all these free agents. Proposed lineup:

Read - Schenn - Voracek
Simmonds - Couturier - Akeson
Gagne - Laughton - Talbot
Rosehill - Hall - Rinaldo

Schenn - Gervais
Grossmann - Huskins
Gustafsson - Lilja

Trade away the overpaid Giroux, Timonen, Hartnell, Lecavalier, Streit, Coburn, and Meszaros. No reason to ever pay market value when it's an inflated market. Let's try to keep the cap number under $40M.

Also, the Flyers should let it be known they will never sign a player for more than 3 years at a time, and the max. allowed salary/year is $2.3M. Don't want to take a chance on getting burned by those long-term, high-dollar salaries.
- jmatchett383

If you traded all those pieces your lineup would look completely different.

Have to factor in the returning players from trades.

He's already in a gradual decline and is known for taking games off
- JoeRussomanno

Well, then we are (frank)ed.

The St. Louis Blues are about $8 million under the salary cap ceiling but have yet to sign RFA's Alex Pietrangelo, Chris Stewart and Jake Allen.The Blues are not adverse to trading some veterans to get under the cap should the trio cost them more than eight million. Pietrangelo figures to get the most money as young talented defensemen are the tough to find and some NHL teams may consider an offer sheet. Pietrangelo had five goals and 24 points in 47 games last season after a 12 goal, 51 point season in 2011-12 in which he was a plus-16. Pietrangelo is only 23 and has a huge future ahead of him.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
- stveshdy

They can also go over the cap by 10%, so they really have $14M to work with. They just have to be cap compliant by opening day. They'll move the necessary assets to retain AP.

That's my one issue with it-it's a year too long for my taste. But I'm not going to moan and cry about it, because I'd rather not trade Couturier or Brayden Schenn for Keith Yandle. Actually, I don't want to trade one of them, plus other assets, for Yandle, because it would take more than just one of them.

I'd love to live in a bubble and poop all over every move I don't agree with 100%, but I have to consider all the factors, because I'm not rooting for a team in NHL13.
- Jsaquella

Good point. I think the term is one year too long but realize it was necessary to make sure he didn't go to JUly 1 and field offers from other teams that would have been at similar length in terms and maybe slightly more money.

Also I feel Homer knew Streits strengths were what this team was lacking. It's likely he did not want to experience what happened last summer where his plans of getting one of Suter, Weber, Parise, even resigning Carle didn't happen.

If you traded all those pieces your lineup would look completely different.

Have to factor in the returning players from trades.
- stveshdy

All 4th/5th round picks. Don't want any 1st/2nd/3rd round picks, as those players could one day perform well and actually expect to be paid accordingly.

I don't like the lecalvier NMC either. We're gonna be back at where we were with briere in two years again.
- JoeRussomanno

not likely. by the time he's not playing up to the contract, the cap will likely be ~$80 MM and it's possible we could move him back to TB or another team that needs leadership or whatever else he may bring at that point. the key is that the cap hit is manageable and the cap itself will be ascending.

They can also go over the cap by 10%, so they really have $14M to work with. They just have to be cap compliant by opening day. They'll move the necessary assets to retain AP.
- jmatchett383

When can you put Pronger in LTIR? How long before opening day?

All 4th/5th round picks. Don't want any 1st/2nd/3rd round picks, as those players could one day perform well and actually expect to be paid accordingly.
- jmatchett383

Trading young players off down years is bad business. Thank god Holmgren didn't do that with JVR. His value was at its zenith when he was traded.

When can you put Pronger in LTIR? How long before opening day?
- mikel33

I'm not sure on the LTIR activation day.

When can you put Pronger in LTIR? How long before opening day?
- mikel33

You answered your first question with your second question.

Trading young players off down years is bad business. Thank god Holmgren didn't do that with JVR. His value was at its zenith when he was traded.
- PLindbergh31

Holmgren traded a young, semi-struggling player for an even younger, semi-struggling player. It was a good deal on both sides.

Trading young players off down years is bad business. Thank god Holmgren didn't do that with JVR. His value was at its zenith when he was traded.
- PLindbergh31

you've got a point, but the same could be said about the player he was traded for

I can see towards the end of the deal, LeCavalier would permit the Flyers to trade him back to TB. Maybe after 3-4 years. Just thinking it wouldn't surprise me to see that.
- sulshawn

Why would the Lightning do that? If Gagne's cap hit was 4.5M would you want the Flyers to take that on for 1-2 seasons if he couldn't really produce at that point? I think the team would rather spend the money elsewhere.

Trading young players off down years is bad business. Thank god Holmgren didn't do that with JVR. His value was at its zenith when he was traded.
- PLindbergh31

Weber to Philly E5.

Trading young players off down years is bad business. Thank god Holmgren didn't do that with JVR. His value was at its zenith when he was traded.
- PLindbergh31

still think that will prove to be the wrong move in hindsight. he's been a beast in 2 out of 3 plyoffs

still think that will prove to be the wrong move in hindsight. he's been a beast in 2 out of 3 plyoffs
- isaiah520

He's a beast for 10-20 games per season. I think that will always be JVR. He will be 35 and teams will say "Look at his potential!"

You answered your first question with your second question.
- phillydentist

No, I don't think so.

I know that they can't do it right now or his salary would count against the cap. So when can they do it so that it doesn't count against the cap? It has to be done before opening day, so at what point before opening day do they allow you to place these guys on LTIR and have it not count against the cap?

Why would the Lightning do that? If Gagne's cap hit was 4.5M would you want the Flyers to take that on for 1-2 seasons if he couldn't really produce at that point? I think the team would rather spend the money elsewhere.
- PhillySportsGuy

We may have to dish out 2nd rounders with Vinny and Streit down the road to trade them away. Small price to pay for acquiring them.

still think that will prove to be the wrong move in hindsight. he's been a beast in 2 out of 3 plyoffs
- isaiah520

I like Schenn. Very encouraged by what I saw. No question JVR was sold low.

No, I don't think so, lol.

I know that they can't do it right now or his salary would count against the cap. So when can they do it so that it doesn't count against the cap? It has to be done before opening day, so at what point before opening day do they allow you to place these guys on LTIR and have it not count against the cap?
- mikel33

Cap hits always count. You can put Pronger on LTIR on opening day and his cap hit will still count but the Flyers will have a cap overage exemption equal to Pronger's cap hit at that time. Its more complicated but that's the jist of it.

We may have to dish out 2nd rounders with Vinny and Streit down the road to trade them away. Small price to pay for acquiring them.
- phillydentist

I honestly believe this offseason was a compromise between Homer and Snider. Homer is trying to do everything he can to win now without trading away any young assets.

The hope is that at the end of his deal, a team is desperate for a PP specialist and they are willing to take Streit even though he can't play defense.