Flyers place Nikolay Zherdev on waivers

UPDATED: Zherdev has cleared waivers. No word yet on what the Flyers will do with him.

So ends the Nikolay Zherdev experiment: according to Bob McKenzie of TSN, in a cap clearing move, the Flyers have waived the enigmatic winger. With the Flyers likely needing to add a healthy defenseman to the roster, Zherdev, who hasn't suited up for the Flyers since February 10th, was the logical choice to go. Despite his ability to score goals (15 in 47 games), Zherdev wasn't reliable in his own end and clearly was in Peter Laviolette's doghouse.

Whether he gets claimed is unknown at this point but I would bet there is a team in the NHL willing to put up with Zherdev's inconsistency if he nets them 8-10 goals. With all of his skill, I'm still a bit surprised that the Flyers couldn't even get a draft pick for Zherdev. No matter what happens, I don't see any way Zherdev suits up for the Flyers again this season.

Nikolai Zherdev officially signs with Flyers: 1 year, 2 million

It had been rumored over the last few days but it is finally official: the Flyers have signed forward Nikolai Zherdev to a 1 year, 2 million dollar contract. Zherdev will now step into one of the top two lines for the Flyers and is an immediate 30 goal threat.

You can read more of my thoughts on the shifty winger in my previous post, but at the minimal price of 2 million dollars, it's hard not to call this a great signing. If Zherdev turns into a reliable scorer then the Flyers have a steal; if he completely flops, he could easily be waived since it's only a one year deal. Call it the perfect low-risk, high-reward deal.

With this signing, the Flyers are now almost 1.5 million dollars over the cap. There is another move to be made to shed salary, whether it's actually dealing Simon Gagne or it's making a bigger deal with Jeff Carter or one of the defensemen, because the Flyers still have to sign another forward or two to round out the roster. With restricted free agents Dan Carcillo and Darroll Powe still hanging out there, the Flyers will need to get at least 4 million dollars off the books to bring them both back. The signing of Zherdev also eliminates any thoughts that the Flyers could bring in another goaltender unless one of the remaining free agent netminders (Marty Turco?) wants to take a massive pay cut to play in Philly.

Flyers reportedly close to signing winger Nikolai Zherdev

The Flyers have gone to Russia in their search for a winger to play on their top lines, reportedly signing Nikolai Zherdev, the former Blue Jacket and Ranger who played in the KHL last year. Zherdev, a Ukrainian, has been a solid offensive player in his 5 years in the NHL, scoring 20 goals three times and averaging 28 assists a season. The Flyers have yet to confirm reports that they have signed Zherdev and contract details are not known at this time.

In Zherdev, the Flyers have just picked up a player with a ton of offensive talent but who also has some questions marks about his work ethic. Throughout his career, Zherdev hasn't shown much drive to play hockey and has often taken shifts off, something that is not going to endear himself to Flyers fans. Zherdev also isn't much for playing defense, so you can consider him a one-dimensional player that's extremely dangerous on the offensive end.

Without knowing the terms of the contract, it's difficult to speculate on what the signing of Zherdev means for the future of Simon Gagne, although it's probably safe to say Gagne is going to be shown the door at any moment. Since Zherdev is such an offensive player, he will need to play on one of the top two lines, preferably with someone like Mike Richards that can help make up for Zherdev's defensive shortcomings. With the Flyers already having enough skill players to fill out the top two lines, someone has to go and Gagne is still the most likely target. As for the salary cap implications and what this Zherdev signing means to guys like Dan Carcillo and Darroll Powe, we have to wait and hear just how much the Flyers have left to spend.

In signing Nikolai Zherdev, the Flyers have taken a flier on a player who can be truly dynamic if he has his head on straight. Hopefully Zherdev sees his return to the NHL as his last chance to make good in North America and puts in the work necessary to make him a good player. I'd call the signing a risky move with a ton of upside; the Flyers could have just added a 30 goal scorer.

Update: Apparently, Zherdev has yet to sign officially. Word from Anthony SanFilippo is that a deal with the Flyers should be done within 24 hours.