Flyers lose both Metropolit and Vaananen

To clear salary space for the returning Danny Briere, the Flyers waived both Glen Metropolit and Ossi Vaananen yesterday. The Flyers exposed them to waivers hoping that one or both of them would clear and they could be sent to the Phantoms. Unfortunately, both players were claimed: Metro by the Canadiens and Vaananen by the Canucks.

As I said yesterday, losing Vaananen isn't a huge blow, he wasn't playing much anyway. Losing Metropolit is a bigger deal since he was such a valuable penalty killer and a solid checking center. It hurts even more than he went to a rival of the Flyers like the Canadiens.

The Flyers knew the risk they were taking by exposing Metropolit and Vaananen to waivers. Both players had reasonable salaries and can be contributing players on most NHL clubs. Oh well, I guess that's the price you pay to bring a talent like Briere back in the fold.

Metropolit, Vaananen out; Briere in for the Flyers

A star Flyers player is set to return to the ice but it will be at the expense of a pair of veteran players.

Danny Briere is set to make his return to the ice on Friday, meaning the Flyers have to clear some space. Briere makes 6.5 million and adding him to the active roster will put the Flyers over the salary cap. To make room, the team has waived Glen Metropolit and Ossi Vaananen and are also expected to waive Lasse Kukkonen. The Flyers may also send Darroll Powe to the minors to make even more space.

While Metro and Vaananen were both waived, that doesn't mean they won't be Flyers anymore. Guys get waived all the time in the NHL and they still stay with their teams. I think Kukkonen has been waived at least half a dozen times by the Flyers at this point. Metro and Vaananen can still clear waivers and be sent down to the minors, a move that takes their salary off the NHL books.

Metropolit has been a solid player for the Flyers this season, doing everything you would want a checking center to do. The Flyers hand has been forced as they try to get under the cap, but I think they will still do whatever they can to keep Metro around. Ossi Vaananen is another story. Once Ryan Parent returned, Vaananen has found it nearly impossible to get on the ice unless another defenseman is sick or injured. He makes a solid 7th defenseman but the Flyers wouldn't shed a tear if he was gone.

The most important thing about these moves is the fact that Danny Briere is returning to the Flyers. The team has already been on a roll as of late, adding a top line forward like Briere to the mix can only make them better. It will be interesting to see how the lines shape up with Briere back, could John Stevens re-unite the Simon Gagne/Mike Richards/Briere line from earlier in the season? What a line that could be!

The Flyers bring in yet another defenseman: Ossi Vaananen

The Flyers seem determined to bring as many defensemen to Philadelphia as possible. So far this off-season, the Flyers have acquired blueliners Danny Syvret, Steve Eminger, Tim Ramholt and Patrik Hersley while they drafted another defenseman in Luca Sbisa.

Apparently that isn't enough d-men because the Flyers signed another one today. Ossi Vaananen, who played last season in Sweden and formerly played with the Colorado Avalanche, signed a one year deal with the Flyers worth one million dollars. Vaananen is 6'4'' and 215 pounds, so he brings size and strength to the back end. He played six years in the NHL before going to Sweden last year and has a career plus/minus of +18.

Vaananen is probably going to play in the NHL next year, so that likely fills out the Flyers defense. With Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, Ryan Parent, Derian Hatcher and Lasse Kukkonen all coming back, Randy Jones likely to be re-signed and Steve Eminger and Vaananen added to the mix, the Flyers defense is filled out nicely. Of course, there is still a possibility that Hatcher might retire which would mean the Flyers could go out and sign someone else.

Barring a retirement by Hatcher, the Flyers have to be done with assembling defensemen now. Paul Holmgren has a little bit more money under the cap that could be used on a forward. Hockeybuzz.com has reported that the Flyers might be talking to Brendan Shanahan. Seems farfetched, but it's an interesting rumor nonetheless.