As I wrote here previously, once Kovalchuk chose a team that the NHL could get back to business. Illya chose the Devils and immediately after, the Flyers and Lightning got together on a trade that sent LW-Simon Gagne to Tampa in exchange for D-Matt Walker and a 2011 4th round pick. This deal gets Philadelphia almost 1.3 million under the salary cap with 13 forwards, 8 defensemen, and 2 goalies.
L.A. was rumored to be interested in Gagne. Supposedly the Kings wanted to pair the defensively responsible Gagne with the offensively minded Kovalchuk. When Kovy spurned them today to sign with the Devils, that left Tampa as the Flyers dance partner.
For the record, I do not like this deal. So far Homer has made 2 separate deals with new Lightning GM Steve Yzerman. The sum of those 2 trades netted the Flyers 2 defensemen in Andrej Meszaros, Matt Walker, and a 2011 4th rounder in exchange for Simon Gagne and a 2012 2nd round pick. How does that sound? Discuss...
Monday, July 19, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Flyers re-sign Dan Carcillo to 1 year deal
For a short while it appeared that this deal would not get done. I am more a fan of Carcillo than most so I am relieved this situation has finally been resolved. The recently re-opened Arron Asham negotiations would appear to be closed with now both Carcillo and free agent addition Jody Shelley on the roster.
I still believe that Asham brings more to the table than Shelley and would most likely do so while earning less than what the Flyers gave Shelley.
http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=534298
I still believe that Asham brings more to the table than Shelley and would most likely do so while earning less than what the Flyers gave Shelley.
http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=534298
Friday, July 9, 2010
New Flyer Nikolai Zherdev
Reports suggest his deal is for a very cap friendly 2 million. Here is a sample of what that 2 million will get Flyers fans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeEdhGS5cgo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeEdhGS5cgo
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Lebron chooses the Miami Heat
Finally. The decision is in. The dye has been cast. As for the fallout...much is soon to follow. Much has already occured since James made his decision earlier this evening. The Knicks, having scored Amare Stoudamire, and struck out on James were able to move on. They shipped free agent power forward David Lee to the Golden State Warriors in a sign and trade deal that brings Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, and Kelenna Azubuike to the Knicks. A good haul for New York as they attempt to rebuild their proud franchise in Coach Mike D'antoni's image.
The other teams that fell short in this process are sure to be heard from as well in the next few days as the NBA trade and free agent markets can now re-open without the Bosh-Wade-James scenarios clogging up the landscape. The Nets have already begun by adding Travis Outlaw and appear close to signing Kyle Korver. Small consolation but roster spots need to be filled even if the seats in the meadowlands are not.
The Chicago Bulls locked up free agent PF Carlos Boozer, who in my opinion is a great fit given their current roster. That being said, they GAVE Kirk Heinrich away to the Wizzards for nothing in an attempt to lure the big 3 and failed miserably. Of course hindsight is always 20-20, nothing ventured nothing gained and all that but surely thats a move they wish they could have back.
Next to New Jersey the obvious big loser in all of this is Cleveland. I stand by my opinion that the Nets have been hurt the most this offseason for 2 reasons. They trashed their roster and season so they could get the ping pong balls that would land them John Wall and the cap space to get Lebron and came up empty on both fronts. There is still plenty of time left in the offseason but for now the Nets are looking like...well, the Nets.
The Cavs still have some nice pieces like Varejao, talented young PF JJ Hickson, Jamison etc. but they obviously need to take a step back to assess things before moving forward. Building around unique superstars is never easy. We tried it here in Philly with a 6'4 power forward named Barkley. We tried it again years later with a 6'0 assassin at the 2 gaurd named Allen Iverson. When such stars leave it nearly impossible to try and maintain a level of success since the players you are left with are use to playing the role of Robin, not Batman.
A bunch of complimentary players almost never get the job done in a star driven league such as the NBA. Aside from the Detroit Pistons its not done very often. An ex-Celtic (Kevin Mchale) traded Garnett to Boston. Somehow Jerry West found it in his heart to ship Pau Gasol to Kobe and the Lakers. Now King James joins his Team U.S.A. buddies in South Beach while commisioner David Stern turns a blind eye.
While technically, teams did nothing wrong by shedding salaries the past few years in their attempts to lure the big 3, the damage that has been done to the league's integrity should not go unnoticed. So when you try to reconcile in your mind all that has happened in the last few hours, please try to understand that your love, hate or indifference should not be directed at the players or franchises involved in the proceedings, but at the NBA's leadership, through its lack of foresight to allow such a competitive balance of power to shift overnight.
The other teams that fell short in this process are sure to be heard from as well in the next few days as the NBA trade and free agent markets can now re-open without the Bosh-Wade-James scenarios clogging up the landscape. The Nets have already begun by adding Travis Outlaw and appear close to signing Kyle Korver. Small consolation but roster spots need to be filled even if the seats in the meadowlands are not.
The Chicago Bulls locked up free agent PF Carlos Boozer, who in my opinion is a great fit given their current roster. That being said, they GAVE Kirk Heinrich away to the Wizzards for nothing in an attempt to lure the big 3 and failed miserably. Of course hindsight is always 20-20, nothing ventured nothing gained and all that but surely thats a move they wish they could have back.
Next to New Jersey the obvious big loser in all of this is Cleveland. I stand by my opinion that the Nets have been hurt the most this offseason for 2 reasons. They trashed their roster and season so they could get the ping pong balls that would land them John Wall and the cap space to get Lebron and came up empty on both fronts. There is still plenty of time left in the offseason but for now the Nets are looking like...well, the Nets.
The Cavs still have some nice pieces like Varejao, talented young PF JJ Hickson, Jamison etc. but they obviously need to take a step back to assess things before moving forward. Building around unique superstars is never easy. We tried it here in Philly with a 6'4 power forward named Barkley. We tried it again years later with a 6'0 assassin at the 2 gaurd named Allen Iverson. When such stars leave it nearly impossible to try and maintain a level of success since the players you are left with are use to playing the role of Robin, not Batman.
A bunch of complimentary players almost never get the job done in a star driven league such as the NBA. Aside from the Detroit Pistons its not done very often. An ex-Celtic (Kevin Mchale) traded Garnett to Boston. Somehow Jerry West found it in his heart to ship Pau Gasol to Kobe and the Lakers. Now King James joins his Team U.S.A. buddies in South Beach while commisioner David Stern turns a blind eye.
While technically, teams did nothing wrong by shedding salaries the past few years in their attempts to lure the big 3, the damage that has been done to the league's integrity should not go unnoticed. So when you try to reconcile in your mind all that has happened in the last few hours, please try to understand that your love, hate or indifference should not be directed at the players or franchises involved in the proceedings, but at the NBA's leadership, through its lack of foresight to allow such a competitive balance of power to shift overnight.
Pierre Lebrun; Flyers sign Nikolai Zherdev to 1 year deal
Per ESPN's Pierre LeBrun the Flyers have indeed signed RW Nikolai Zherdev. The 1 year deal will be announced either today or tomorrow once the NHL is finished completing the transfer agreement with Russia's KHL (Kontinental Hockey League).
Quick thoughts; amazingly skilled player who so far has underachieved. Labeled an enigma, mainly because Zherdev is a 25 goal 60 point scorer whos' skill set suggests he should net 40+ goals annualy. I will reserve total judgement until we hear the terms but if the 1yr term is correct that would suggest a lower cap hit on a "prove you are matured" deal.
That being said, IF Zherdev comes in more focused and dedicated, then in my opinion, he is worth whatever the Flyers will pay him. He is THAT good, THAT talented. A born again hard Nikolai Zherdev easily becomes the Flyers most skilled player. Bar none.
http://tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=3664&hubname=nhl
Quick thoughts; amazingly skilled player who so far has underachieved. Labeled an enigma, mainly because Zherdev is a 25 goal 60 point scorer whos' skill set suggests he should net 40+ goals annualy. I will reserve total judgement until we hear the terms but if the 1yr term is correct that would suggest a lower cap hit on a "prove you are matured" deal.
That being said, IF Zherdev comes in more focused and dedicated, then in my opinion, he is worth whatever the Flyers will pay him. He is THAT good, THAT talented. A born again hard Nikolai Zherdev easily becomes the Flyers most skilled player. Bar none.
http://tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=3664&hubname=nhl
Lebron and Kovalchuk
I sit here on my birthday July 8th, amazed that we as sports fans face the real possibilty that the Lebron saga may just end before the Kovalchuk mystery is solved. Personally I find it unfair to criticize James for doing his due dilligence. Franchises have been shedding salaries for 2-3 years to just have a chance at signing the former no. 1 overall pick. Not only will his decision impact the Cavaliers, but the fanbase of each team he doesnt sign with will most likely also view him as public enemy #1 for spurning them. That, in my opinion could weigh heavily on anyone's mind, let alone a superstar with as much global appeal as King James himself.
While a superstar like Kobe has long dealt with haters, this will be Lebron's 1st foray into the land of the disliked star player. For a guy who by all accounts, has always been concerned with his brand and legacy, this cannot be an easy decision. I am sure that by now Bron Bron realizes that at the end of the day he cant please everyone so ultimately he needs to do what is best for him. Well atleast we will all find out the answer this evening on ESPN @9pm which means the finish line is in our sights. The same cant be said for Kovalchuk...
Kovalchuk is flat out holding up the NHL. By all accounts he wants to go to the LA Kings but is unwilling to compromise and take less than 10 mill per. Sorry, Kovy but in a salary capped league you cant expect to get everything you want. Sometimes you need to compromise and make the decision of what is of most importance to you. Life isnt always fair and the money is not always equal. The reports that he has gone back and forth with LA with the Kings breaking off negotiations on more than one occasion suggests that he either really wants to play there or he needs to keep them in the bidding to drive up his asking price from the Devils or any potential KHL team.
The fact that his agent Jay Grossman announced via twitter that a decision would be made this past monday the 5th and then wasnt, in my opinion really suggests that #17 wants to go to LA since on monday LA was considered out of the sweepstakes. All of the sudden no decision was made and word trickles out that the Kings jumped back in. Sounds like a last ditch effort by Kovy to milk as much dough out of LA as possible. Once again, the Kings smartly refusing to be used as leverage have come out publicly and announced that they are once again stepping back from this fiasco.
Finally, we have one player, Lebron who is overly concerned with his legacy and another player, Kovalchuk who obviously has demonstrated no regard for his.
While a superstar like Kobe has long dealt with haters, this will be Lebron's 1st foray into the land of the disliked star player. For a guy who by all accounts, has always been concerned with his brand and legacy, this cannot be an easy decision. I am sure that by now Bron Bron realizes that at the end of the day he cant please everyone so ultimately he needs to do what is best for him. Well atleast we will all find out the answer this evening on ESPN @9pm which means the finish line is in our sights. The same cant be said for Kovalchuk...
Kovalchuk is flat out holding up the NHL. By all accounts he wants to go to the LA Kings but is unwilling to compromise and take less than 10 mill per. Sorry, Kovy but in a salary capped league you cant expect to get everything you want. Sometimes you need to compromise and make the decision of what is of most importance to you. Life isnt always fair and the money is not always equal. The reports that he has gone back and forth with LA with the Kings breaking off negotiations on more than one occasion suggests that he either really wants to play there or he needs to keep them in the bidding to drive up his asking price from the Devils or any potential KHL team.
The fact that his agent Jay Grossman announced via twitter that a decision would be made this past monday the 5th and then wasnt, in my opinion really suggests that #17 wants to go to LA since on monday LA was considered out of the sweepstakes. All of the sudden no decision was made and word trickles out that the Kings jumped back in. Sounds like a last ditch effort by Kovy to milk as much dough out of LA as possible. Once again, the Kings smartly refusing to be used as leverage have come out publicly and announced that they are once again stepping back from this fiasco.
Finally, we have one player, Lebron who is overly concerned with his legacy and another player, Kovalchuk who obviously has demonstrated no regard for his.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
My updated Flyers plan
Okay, so tons of rumors swirling around the Flyers this holiday weekend so I am taking the opportunity to lay out a plan that makes sense to me based on all the speculation.
part 1
Gagne to LA for Simmonds (courier post's Chuck Gormley says we want him)
straight up clears around 4.3 million
part 2
JVR and either Coburn OR Carle to Ducks for Bobby Ryan
deal would just about even up cap wise if Ryan gets around 5 mill per.
I would also try to pry Sbisa back from ANA or a pick/prospect
part 3
stash Cote and Boosh in AHL which would clear another 1.475 million.
total cap space created roughly 5.775 and add that to the 577k we are already under which would then put us around 6.3 under
Budget no more than 2.5-3.0 mill for a goalie (Turco?) and 1.5-2.0 mill to sign 1 more Winger(Guerin?)
keep the remaining cap space for flexibilty purposes.
thoughts ?
part 1
Gagne to LA for Simmonds (courier post's Chuck Gormley says we want him)
straight up clears around 4.3 million
part 2
JVR and either Coburn OR Carle to Ducks for Bobby Ryan
deal would just about even up cap wise if Ryan gets around 5 mill per.
I would also try to pry Sbisa back from ANA or a pick/prospect
part 3
stash Cote and Boosh in AHL which would clear another 1.475 million.
total cap space created roughly 5.775 and add that to the 577k we are already under which would then put us around 6.3 under
Budget no more than 2.5-3.0 mill for a goalie (Turco?) and 1.5-2.0 mill to sign 1 more Winger(Guerin?)
keep the remaining cap space for flexibilty purposes.
thoughts ?
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