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.
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