Gagne Traded to Tampa Bay

The inevitable has happened, Simon Gagne is no longer a Philadelphia Flyer.

Gagne was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning today for defenseman Matt Walker and a 4th round pick according to Frank Seravalli.

This move gets the Flyers back under the cap and probably concludes their moves for the offseason.

With Ilya Kovalchuk resigning with the New Jersey Devils today, it should make for another great division battle this upcoming season.

Carcillo and Zherdev Sign, Gagne Likely Out

The Flyers have come to terms with wingers Dan Carcillo and Nikolai Zherdev, putting the Flyers in the range of $2.5 million over the league salary cap.

This likely means that Simon Gagne's career as a Flyer is over. The only satisfaction I can take from Gagne departing is the fact he has never been more respected by the fans as much as he is now. Coming back from a broken foot when the Flyers were on the verge of elimination, Gagne helped carry the Flyers to the Stanley Cup.

That being said, the Zherdev signing is a smart one because:

-Youth: Zherdev is only 25 and has already shown he can put points on the board. He can best be compared to filling in the void left by Joffrey Lupul from last year.

-Single Year Contract: Like Ray Emery, Zherdev has a history of behavioral issues. He can be lazy and have inconsistent effort, but when his game is on he can be very dangerous. For a one year contract, there is very little risk involved.

By signing Carcillo, the Flyers avoided arbitration and got back the Energizer Bunny of their team. Carcillo, also well known by his nickname Carbomb, flies around the ice and is never afraid to take the body. While he does have his flaws, his flashes of skill, grit, and agitation outweigh them.

More to come if/when a Gagne deal gets done.

Free Agency Begins, Flyers Make Splash

Coming off one of the best seasons in recent memory, the Philadelphia Flyers looked to improve an already stellar roster for the 2010-2011 season.

With the opening of free agency today the Flyers made some key acquisitions:

Andrej Meszaros: A young defenseman who showed a plethora of potential with the Senators, Meszaros is looking to bounce back after two injury-riddled seasons in Tampa Bay. Look for him to compete for the #4 defensive position with Braydon Coburn. Meszaros also played extremely well in the Olympics alongside previous Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara.

Sean O'Donnell: A veteran defenseman that was plus-14 on a Los Angeles Kings team that relied more on creative offense rather than a solid defensive scheme despite a defensive mastermind in head coach Terry Murray.

Jody Shelley: A tough guy whose only two goals last year came against the Flyers. He will play on the fourth line and likely replace both Dan Carcillo and Riley Cote.

Braydon Coburn: Resigned to a two year deal after a strong playoff, but unspectacular regular season. Still a strong two-way defenseman with a lot of upside, Coburn can continue to improve while playing alongside arguably the most underrated defenseman in the NHL Kimmo Timonen.

Michael Leighton-The Cinderella goaltender earned a well deserved multi-year contract signing a two-year, $3.1 million deal. As of now he is the Flyers number one goaltender going into next season.

With these additions it's safe to say the Flyers defense is set, here's how I see the pairs turning out:

Pronger-Carle
Timonen-Coburn
Meszaros-O'Donnell

The question flying around the organization and the fanbase is if the Flyers are done in terms of their goaltending situation. The goalie position has haunted the Flyers in their quest to obtain the Cup since the Broad Street Bully days.

If the Flyers are going to go after Evgeni Nabokov, they will have to move backup Brian Boucher and possibly one other player to fit him under the cap at a possible $4 million salary.

With what cap the Flyers have remaining, they will most likely focus on adding another 3rd line winger due to their depth at the center position. Look for it to be a veteran presence such as a Miroslav Satan or Owen Nolan type player. That's all for now more updates as they come in!