Let the rumors die: Flyers out on Stamkos

The rumors have been there ever since the Flyers dealt Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. While it seemed completely far-fetched, Flyers beat writers started spreading the idea that the Flyers were going to try to pry restricted free agent Steven Stamkos away from the Lightning. Sure, the Flyers didn't really have enough cap space and, sure, they would have to rip their team apart even more, but the rumors persisted that the Flyers were going to pursue Stamkos.

Those rumors die today with the news from the Flyers beat writers that the Flyers will not offer Stamkos a contract. Instead of forking over 100+ million dollars to Stamkos, the Flyers will instead sign their restricted free agents, probably bring back Ville Leino and then focus on signing a quality UFA forward. In other words, the Flyers are being sensible.

As much fun as it would have been for the Flyers to add Stamkos to the roster, I never bought into any of the rumors. Even if the Flyers did put together an offer, I didn't see any way that the Lightning wouldn't match the offer and keep their star player. The Flyers, and their fans, can move on now and focus on the several other quality unrestricted free agents out there. Sure, no free agent they bring in will be as good as Stamkos but they also won't cripple the franchise with a bloated contract and the loss of four draft picks, either.

Flyers make just a minor deal at the trade deadline

Obviously comfortable with their roster, the Flyers were mostly spectators during today's NHL Trade Deadline, making just one minor deal. While fans expecting a big addition were disappointed, with their recent additions of Kris Versteeg and Nick Boynton, the Flyers already had taken care of their need for depth so there really wasn't much else the team needed to do.

The one player they did acquire was LW Tom Sestito, who was brought over from Columbus for fellow minor leaguers Greg Moore and Michael Chaput. While he is huge (6 foot 5, 209 pounds), Sestito is nothing more than minor league depth and doesn't figure to get any playing time with the Flyers this season unless there are a bad string of injuries. Sestito, who has already been assigned to the Phantoms, is known as a physical player who likes to mix it up but doesn't have much skill, so he sounds like a perfect future 4th wing Flyer.

While the Flyers left around 2 million dollars of cap space on the table, they should be commended for not shaking up the team just to make a deal. With most of their minor league assets and draft picks already shipped out in other trades, if the Flyers wanted to get something done, they likely would have had to move someone from the NHL roster. Not wanting to upset the chemistry of the best team in the Eastern Conference, Paul Holmgren wisely chose to stand pat. With their big move to get Versteeg a few weeks back, the Flyers are banking on already having all the pieces in place to make a deep run into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Flyers interested in bringing back Ray Emery?

I'm not sure where he would fit in, but, according to Darren Dreger of TSN, the Flyers are one of three teams interested in signing goaltender Ray Emery, who is ready to make his return to hockey. Where Emery would fit in on a team that already has Sergei Bobrovksy and Brian Boucher, not to mention Michael Leighton in the AHL, is beyond me.

While Emery expects to start in the AHL as he begins his comeback, I'm not sure there is even enough ice time for him with Adirondack. Perhaps the Flyers are thinking about signing Emery to a multi-year deal, letting him play out the season in the AHL and then promote him to backup goaltender next year after Brian Boucher's contract runs out.

According to Dreger, teams are looking to sign Emery in the next 48 hours, so we will see very soon whether this is just another rumor or if the Flyers really want to muddle up their goaltending situation even more.

Peter Forsberg to make one last comeback attempt

You're kidding, right? According to the Denver Post, former Flyer Peter Forsberg, who has been out of the NHL since 2008, is making one last comeback attempt. Forsberg, who has had chronic foot problems for years now, is apparently ready to give it one " last, last, last try" at playing in the NHL. Haven't we heard this all before?

Thankfully, this time around, don't count on rumors linking Forsberg to playing with the Flyers, who are already incredibly deep at center. Besides, the Flyers already have Claude Giroux, who is basically a younger, faster version of Forsberg.

Good luck, Peter Forsberg; I can't wait until your next comeback attempt!

Bill Guerin working out with Flyers, hopes for tryout offer

Just when you thought the Flyers roster was set, we might have a late addition to the team: veteran Bill Guerin is working out in Philly and it sounds like he's hoping to get a tryout invite to training camp. Guerin, an 18 year veteran who has played for 8 teams in the NHL, put up decent numbers playing with Sidney Crosby on the Penguins last year, including 21 goals and 24 assists. The Penguins let him go, however, so the 39 year old Guerin is now hoping to stick on with the Flyers.

Whether the Flyers have room for him is another question. Sure, a veteran presence like Guerin would be nice to have in the locker room, but if he is signed by the Flyers, it will have to be at the expense of someone on their roster, likely Dan Carcillo. While there would be no harm in giving Guerin a training camp invite, the Flyers will have to figure out if Guerin has enough left in the tank to be a quality third line winger before they sign him to a contract. Given his age, one would think that Guerin is too old but when you see someone like Mark Recchi still producing at age 42, you can't assume that he's too old to contribute.

Signing Guerin would be a solid move if he proves himself in training camp. Adding a veteran, Cup-winning presence to the mix is always a good thing as long as he can be a solid contributor on the ice. As long as Guerin signs for a reasonable contract, if he can out-perform Dan Carcillo, he deserves a roster spot on the Flyers.

Antti Niemi is available but Flyers aren't interested

Oh, the price you pay for winning the Stanley Cup. The Chicago Blackhawks, doing everything they can to keep themselves under the cap, made a surprising move today, signing Marty Turco and walking away from goaltender Antti Niemi, making him a free agent. The signing of Turco, who had been rumored to be someone the Flyers were considering, to a 1 year, 1.3 million dollar contract to be their starting goalie allows the Hawks to not pay Niemi, who was awarded a 2.75 million dollar contract in arbitration. Since Chicago is letting him walk, Niemi is now a free agent and can sign with any team for any price.

Now that he is a free agent, are the Flyers interested in making the man that beat them in the Stanley Cup Finals their starting goaltender? While fans may be interested in Niemi, according to Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly, the Flyers won't be pursuing him. Citing that the Flyers have several young goalies in the pipeline, Paul Holmgren isn't interested in signing Niemi to the long-term deal that he will likely get in the open market.

The Flyers probably weren't going to get Niemi, anyway. Sure, they could have gotten creative and dumped Brian Boucher and Riley Cote and then tried to find someone to take one of their 8 defensemen off their hands and that would have freed up enough money to sign Niemi for this season, but a contract for Niemi would have to run multiple years and would hinder the Flyers ability to sign RFA's Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux after next season. On top of that, while the Flyers could have found a way to pay him around 3 million a year, there could easily be a bidding war for Niemi that drives his price way out of that range.

While it would have been nice to bring in Niemi to upgrade the Flyers goaltending situation, it appears that Holmgren is satisfied with Michael Leighton as his starting goalie next season. With the way Homer has bungled the cap over the last few seasons, Leighton and his 1.55 million dollar salary is pretty much the best the Flyers can do. Sure, the Flyers could sign a quality goalie in the 3 million dollar range and they might be that much better but it wouldn't come with a guarantee of a Stanley Cup and it could lead to a Blackhawks-esque dismantling of the team after this season.

It looks like we're stuck with our mediocre goaltending in Philadelphia. What else is new?

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.

RDS.ca report: Simon Gagne refuses to waive no-trade clause

With the Flyers still closing in on signing Nikolai Zherdev, they are still working on that little matter of clearing some salary off the books to make room for the enigmatic winger. While it seemed like a foregone conclusion last week, it appears that Simon Gagne won't be the player that is moved off the roster.

In a video that's in French on RDS.ca, Gagne apparently talks about how he has not waived his no-trade clause. I say "apparently" because I don't know French, but I'm going with what those on Twitter like Dustin Leed (@HockeyGuy_DLEED) are saying when they relay that a rough translation of what Gagne says is "I have a no trade clause and I did not waive".

So, if Gagne refuses to be traded, which he has every right to do, what will the Flyers do now to move salary? With high-priced forwards Danny Briere, Scott Hartnell having no-trade clauses and Mike Richards getting one soon, that doesn't leave many players left for the Flyers to trade. Short of getting Hartnell to waive his no-trade clause, it's looking more and more like Jeff Carter is going to be moved. Given how center-heavy the Flyers are and how much they could likely get for him in a trade, moving Carter's 5 million dollar salary might have been the smart thing to do all along.

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.

Flyers in contract discussions with Arron Asham

Just when you thought he was gone, the Flyers might be pulling him back in. According to John Boruk of CSN, the Flyers have entered contract talks with unrestricted free agent forward Arron Asham, who many thought was going to be an ex-Flyer after the team signed Jody Shelley on July 1st. While Asham made $640,000 last season with the Flyers, he's looking for a raise and has been in contact with several teams, including the Sharks, Kings and Coyotes.

That the Flyers are suddenly interested in bringing back Asham is somewhat curious. Given that the Flyers already signed Shelley for just over a million a season, he seemed like the logical choice to replace Asham's grit but not his skill. Well, as much skill as Asham provided with his 10 goals. What the discussions with Asham could signal, though, is that the Flyers have soured on the idea of bringing back restricted free agent Dan Carcillo, who filed for arbitration and is looking to make a million bucks next season. The Flyers might be thinking that if they are going to spend a million bucks, they might as well give it to Asham.

No matter how this shakes out, I can't see the Flyers carrying three "grit" forwards like Shelley, Carcillo and Asham; there simply isn't enough skill there to play them all. With Shelley already on the roster, that means the Flyers are going to choose between whatever arbitration brings with Carcillo or trying to convince Asham to spurn other suitors and come back to Philly. Of course, as they are making that choice, there is still that little matter of clearing some salary space. Things on the Simon Gagne trade front have been a little too quiet if you ask me.....

Flyers reportedly make contract offer to Ilya Kovalchuk

Here's a strange Flyers rumor for you: according to EuroFlyer on Twitter and later confirmed in a Russian newspaper in a find by Ryan Bright of Philabright.com, the Flyers are one of a handful of teams that have made a contract offer to free agent forward Ilya Kovalchuk. According to the report, the Flyers, along with the Avalanche and Kings and team from the KHL, have all offered contracts to Kovalchuk and he is currently mulling over his options. Curiously, the Islanders, a team that is reportedly getting close to signing Kovalchuk, isn't mentioned at all in this report.

While there is some basis for this rumor since the initial source appears to be Kovalchuk's agent, there is almost no chance that Kovalchuk signs with the Flyers. While the Flyers do appear set to move Simon Gagne, they don't nearly have enough cap space to give Kovalchuk the huge contract he is after. In order to get in the 8 or so million dollar range that Kovalchuk is reportedly after, the Flyers would have to move another big contract, like Jeff Carter's, off the books. I just can't see them moving out two top-6 forwards just to bring in Kovalchuk.

Sure, it would be nice to have a 6-time 40 goal scorer like Ilya Kovaclhuk in Philadelphia, but don't hold your breath. While the Flyers might have made some kind of offer, you can bet it was not nearly enough to entice Kovalchuk; you have to wonder why the Flyers even bothered.

Goodbye Gagne? Flyers winger waives no trade clause

With the Flyers sitting less than a million dollars from the salary cap and still needing to sign a forward or two, you knew someone had to go. That someone might turn out to be Simon Gagne, who, according to Anthony SanFilippo on Twitter, has been asked by the Flyers and agreed to waive his no trade clause. While no trade appears to be imminent, moving Gagne would help the Flyers clear up some cap space so they could fill out their remaining roster and still have some money left over to pursue a goalie.

While he is a fan favorite, Gagne, who was drafted by the Flyers back in 1998 and has played 10 years in the Orange and Black, is the perfect target for the Flyers to trade. With a contract that will pay him 5.25 million for just one more year before making him an unrestricted free agent, the best time to move Gagne is now, especially considering Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux also have one year left in their deals and will be looking for contract extensions next offseason. While some think Carter, who doesn't have a no trade clause, should be the one to be moved, you have to factor in that Carter is 5 years younger than Gagne and hasn't had the injury history.

As a fan who has enjoyed rooting for him for the last decade, part of me hopes Gagne stays in Philly. As a fan of the Flyers team, however, it makes too much sense not to trade Gagne while the Flyers can still get a decent package for him and then fill in the remaining holes on the roster.

Parting with Gagne will be such sweet sorrow. While I would hate to see him go, if they make the right deal, the Flyers will be better off in the long run.

Updated: Flyers 2010 offseason primer

While the Flyers have nearly every significant player under contract for next season, they still face a few important decisions this summer. Here's a quick look at who will be back, who might not be back and what needs the Flyers will have to address this summer.

Under contract for next season:
Forwards: Danny Briere, Mike Richards, Simon Gagne, Jeff Carter, Scott Hartnell, James van Riemsdyk, Ian Laperriere, Claude Giroux, Ville Leino, Riley Cote, Blair Betts, Andreas Nodl

Defensemen: Kimmo Timonen, Chris Pronger, Matt Carle, Oskars Bartulis

Goalies: Michael Leighton, Brian Boucher, Johan Backlund

-The Flyers look pretty set at forward with 10 returning players and two depth wings in Cote and Nodl. Clearly, they have holes on defense and possibly in net.

Restricted Free Agents:
Dan Carcillo, Braydon Coburn, Darroll Powe, Danny Syvret

-Of this group, Coburn is the top priority if the Flyers can afford him. I would also expect Carcillo and Powe to be brought back and Syvret could be traded or re-signed depending on what other defensive options are out there.

Unrestricted Free Agents:
Arron Asham, Ray Emery, Lukas Krajicek, Mika Pyorala, Jared Ross

-With Leighton signed, the only other UFA worth bringing back is Asham.

The Flyers three biggest offseason questions:

1. Who's the goalie?
With Brian Boucher still under contract and both Michael Leighton and Johan Backlund re-signed this offseason, the Flyers have three goalies but no guaranteed starter in the mix. While Leighton did a great job in the playoffs, was his recent re-signing a sign that he will be the starter or was he simply brought back for depth? With all of the rumors about Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco, it's hard to believe the Flyers will settle on the same mix of goalies for next season. Of course, getting a reliable starting goalie is going to take either significant money or a significant player off the roster.

2. Can they create cap space?
While it's great that the Flyers have all of their top players locked up with nice contracts, they have been struggling with the salary cap for the last few years. With the team needing to sign Braydon Coburn to a multi-million dollar deal as well as find money for Carcillo, Powe and a few more depth forwards, there won't be much money left over for an upgrade in net or to get better depth defensemen. Perhaps this is the summer the Flyers finally trade a Jeff Carter or a James van Riemsdyk for a big return to help clear up cap room?

3. Who are the 5th and 6th defensemen?
In case you hadn't noticed in the playoffs, Lukas Krajicek, Oskars Bartulis and Ryan Parent weren't cutting it for the Flyers third defensive pairing. With only Bartulis likely to be back next season, the Flyers will be in the market for a few d-men. If they have the cap space, the Flyers would try to get someone like Dan Hamhuis who could play significant minutes and give the Big Four a little more rest. The only way that happens is if they move some salary off the roster.

Keep coming back to ATPS for all the latest offseason Flyers news and rumors. As always, check out the How they were built: Flyers page for the latest salary and acquisition information about every Flyer.

Flyers re-sign Leighton; will he be starter or backup?

The Flyers have finally signed a goalie! While it may disappoint many Flyers fans, the team has signed goaltender Michael Leighton to a 2 year, 3.1 million dollar contract. This contract is a nice raise for Leighton, who made only 600,000 last year, after his solid play in the playoffs. The question that immediately comes to mind, though, is whether the Flyers believe they now have their starting goaltender or if Leighton was simply brought back to be the back-up.

With the Flyers recent pursuits of Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco, many thought it was a sign that the team wanted to get an established number one in net. With the signing of Leighton, does that mark a change in their strategy? Early indications from the Flyers are that they will still pursue another goaltender this offseason but it won't be for an outrageous price. In fact, TSN's Bob McKenzie believes that the Flyers won't spend more than 2 million on another goalie. That price range would put them out of the Nabokov/Turco territory and more in the Marty Biron territory.

If the Flyers do in fact sign another goaltender, it will mean that Brian Boucher, despite being under contract next season, will either be traded or sent to the minors. With Boosh set to make 925,000 next season, the Flyers will jettison him and use that money elsewhere.

If the Flyers do choose to go the cheap route on goaltending, look for them to really beef up their defense through free agency. Their thinking must be that if they can't bring in a top goalie, they might as well have a lock-down defense. While the Dan Hamhuis situation didn't quite work the first time around, I definitely expect them to re-visit talks with him and several of the other top defenseman that hit the open market.

Michael Leighton certainly deserves the raise he just got but let's hope he was re-signed to be the back-up. While he played great at times, the Flyers need to upgrade in net to a proven, more reliable starting goaltender. The Flyers do know this so expect them to be very busy once free agency kicks off tomorrow.

Turco latest free agent to turn down Flyers

Another day, another soon-to-be free agent goaltender has declined to sign with the Flyers. This time, according to E.J. Hradek of ESPN, the Flyers got permission to talk to Dallas netminder Marty Turco, who will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, only to once again be turned away. Apparently the Flyers offered Turco a 3 year deal worth around 6 million dollars but Turco declined, instead choosing to see what the market is like for him on July 1st.

Once again, no harm, no foul for the Flyers as they continue to look for a goaltender willing to take a little less than market value to play for the defending Eastern Conference Champs. That players continue to refuse to sign with the Flyers is not a reflection on the team but a reflection on what these players think they might be worth in the open market. Many of these players aren't going to get the huge contracts they are looking for, though, so I would expect some of them to crawl back towards the Flyers price range.

Paul Holmgren continues to kick the tires on nearly every available proven starting goaltender. He's certainly doing his due diligence as he seeks a player who is willing to sign a reasonable contract to play for a contending team. Clearly, he isn't satisfied with Michael Leighton and/or Brian Boucher in goal, and he shouldn't be. Look for the Flyers to continue to be brought up in pursuit of every available goaltender.

Flyers not likely to sign Nabokov before July 1st

Well, that sure didn't last long. Just hours after completing an agreement where the Flyers got exclusive negotiating rights to Evgeni Nabokov, word has come out from a number of sources, including TSN's Bob McKenzie, that the free agent goalie plans to test the market and become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. Apparently, Nabokov feels that he will have plenty of interest from teams around the NHL as well as from the KHL back in his home country of Russia.

With the Flyers also reportedly backing off after hearing how much money Nabokov wanted, this whole situation appears to be dead. Luckily, the Flyers didn't have to give up anything to negotiate with Nabokov, so really, no harm, no foul. Looks like the Flyers will have to go another route in their search for a new starting goaltender.

In a bit of good news, Bob McKenzie also reported on Twitter that Dan Hamhuis isn't likely to sign with the Penguins and will instead become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. While I'm still disappointed the Flyers couldn't sign him, if the Penguins can't get a deal with him either, Paul Holmgren deserves major credit for snagging a 3rd round pick from a division rival.

Flyers pursuing goaltender Evgeni Nabokov

With Dan Hamhuis now out of the picture, it appears the Flyers are setting their sights on getting a new starting goaltender. According to Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly, the Flyers are one of two teams that are going after former Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. Just like Hamhuis, Nabokov is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, so the Flyers are once again looking to acquire the rights to negotiate a player before he is made available to every team.

While I will hold off on passing any judgment on this situation until the Flyers actually make a move, Nabokov wouldn't be one of my preferred choices at starting goaltender. Sure, Nabby is a good regular season goaltender, posting a 2.39 GAA and .912 save percentage in 10 years with the Sharks, but what big games has he won in his career? Also, Nabokov is almost 35 years old and made 6 million dollars last season; how much money and how many years will he demand? Plus, what exactly will the Flyers be giving up to get these negotiating rights? After the Hamhuis situation fell through, hopefully the Flyers are smart enough to not give up any major assets.

For the right price, Evgeni Nabokov could be a good Flyers goaltender. Even if this deal doesn't get done, it's nice to see the Flyers are aggressively trying to get better in net.

Flyers 2010 offseason primer

The Flyers season may have just ended but the next season is just around the corner and the team has some work to do if they want to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals. While the Flyers have nearly every significant player under contract for next season, they still face a few important decisions this summer. Here's a quick look at who will be back, who might not be back and what needs the Flyers will have to address this summer.

Under contract for next season:
Forwards: Danny Briere, Mike Richards, Simon Gagne, Jeff Carter, Scott Hartnell, James van Riemsdyk, Ian Laperriere, Claude Giroux, Ville Leino, Riley Cote, Blair Betts, Andreas Nodl

Defensemen: Kimmo Timonen, Chris Pronger, Matt Carle, Oskars Bartulis

Goalies: Brian Boucher, Johan Backlund

-The Flyers look pretty set at forward with 10 returning players and two depth wings in Cote and Nodl. Clearly, they have holes on defense and in net.

Restricted Free Agents:
Dan Carcillo, Braydon Coburn, Ryan Parent, Darroll Powe, Danny Syvret

-Of this group, Coburn is the top priority if the Flyers can afford him. I would also expect Carcillo and Powe to be brought back and Parent and Syvret could be traded or re-signed depending on what other options are out there.

Unrestricted Free Agents:
Arron Asham, Ray Emery, Lukas Krajicek, Michael Leighton, Mika Pyorala, Jared Ross

-No one is a must-sign in this group though I'm sure the Flyers will be in discussions with Leighton. Asham could also be brought back.

The Flyers three biggest offseason questions:

1. Who's the goalie?
With Brian Boucher under contract and Johan Backlund re-signed, the Flyers appear to have their backup goalie spot taken care of. Of course, there is still that little matter of finding a starting goaltender. Michael Leighton did a great job in the playoffs and you can bet there will be teams offering him some good money to be their starter; will the Flyers be one of them? There were rumors in the second half of the season about the Flyers wanting to pursue a young goaltender to backstop this team for the next handful of years and Leighton certainly doesn't fit the bill there. Of course, getting a good young goalie is going to take either significant money or a significant player off the roster.

2. Can they create cap space?
While it's great that the Flyers have all of their top players locked up with nice contracts, they have been struggling with the salary cap for the last few years. With the team needing to sign Braydon Coburn to a multi-million dollar deal as well as find money for Carcillo, Powe and a few more depth forwards, there won't be much money left over for an upgrade in net or to get better depth defensemen. Perhaps this is the summer the Flyers finally trade a Jeff Carter or a James van Riemsdyk for a big return to help clear up cap room? The NHL is also rumored to be upping the salary cap by a few million and the Flyers would really benefit from that move.

3. Who are the 5th and 6th defensemen?
In case you hadn't noticed in the playoffs, Lukas Krajicek, Oskars Bartulis and Ryan Parent weren't cutting it for the Flyers third defensive pairing. With Bartulis the only one of the three certain to be back next season, the Flyers will be in the market for a few d-men. If they had the cap space, the Flyers would try to get someone who could play significant minutes and give the Big Four a little more rest. The only way that happens is if they move some salary off the roster.

Keep coming back to ATPS for all the latest offseason Flyers news and rumors. As always, check out the How they were built: Flyers page for the latest salary and acquisition information about every Flyer.

Desperation: Flyers interested in Robert Esche

Back in June 2009, the idea of signing Robert Esche seemed ridiculous. Now, with the Flyers so desperate for goaltenders that they needed to call up a college kid just to be the backup goalie, bringing in a veteran like Esche suddenly makes sense.

According to Wayne Fish of PhillyBurbs.com, the Flyers are exploring all options in net, including possibly bringing back Esche, who has played the last two seasons in the KHL. While NHL rules would permit Esche to only play for the rest of the regular season and not the playoffs, he would at the very least be insurance should Brian Boucher go down with an injury. Since Boucher is expected to be the goalie if/when the Flyers make the playoffs, Esche wouldn't be brought in with the expectation that he would be the starter and would likely only play in emergency situations. In fact, even if Boucher gets injured, Esche probably still wouldn't be the starter since the Flyers would need to get Johan Backlund ready to be their goalie in the postseason.

Should they sign him, Esche would simply make things easier for the Flyers. Rather than having to shuttle goalies up and down from the Phantoms when injuries happen, the Flyers could turn to Esche to at least temporarily fill in. Sure, Esche hasn't played in the NHL since 2007 and he is 32 years old but at least he's a warm body who has real NHL experience, something the Flyers really don't have in the system.

Would signing Robert Esche be a desperation move? Yep, but when your top two goalies have been lost to injury and you have a college kid filling in as a temporary backup, you are the very definition of desperate. Such is the sad state of Flyers goaltending when bringing back Robert Esche actually makes sense.

Leighton's injury leaves Flyers dangerously thin

While the prognosis on how long Michael Leighton will be out with a high ankle sprain is not yet known, it's pretty clear that the Flyers will be without their starting goaltender for at least a few weeks. In his absence, Brian Boucher is being asked to step into the starting role.

Despite his mediocre play this season, Boucher was acquired this offseason for just this circumstance. Sure, you don't want to have to rely on him to backstop your team at the most crucial time of the year, but there are worse options out there. Boosh has been known to go on hot streaks in the past, perhaps he can find some of that year 2000 magic again. Fortunately, all Boucher has to do is keep the Flyers in the game, not carry them.

Boucher will be called on to do the most of the heavy lifting in net for the foreseeable future as the Flyers don't have another goalie in the system with any NHL experience. Jeremy Duchesne was called up from Adirondack yesterday and he will, at least temporarily, serve as the backup. Fellow Phantom Johan Backlund was the first choice for the Flyers but he is currently dealing with a groin pull. GM Paul Holmgren has made it clear that once Backlund is healthy, which could be in just a few days, he will swap the two.

Expect Duchesne to only be used in an emergency. He's a former 4th round pick who played in 19 games in the ECHL before joining the Phantoms for 2 games this season. He really doesn't figure into the Flyers future options in net.

As for Backlund, once he's recalled I would expect him to get some playing time. He signed back in March with the Flyers and has put together pretty good numbers in the AHL this year. He could make for a nice backup next year if he has a good showing so expect the Flyers to give Backlund a start or two. Who knows, he could prove to be better than Boucher.

The Flyers system is extremely thin when it comes to goaltenders. Some rumors have already circulated (via Hockeybuzz) that they may look into bringing Robert Esche back for the rest of the regular season. While I seriously doubt that, it does reflect on how poorly Paul Holmgren prepared the Flyers for this situation. Then again, most teams aren't prepared to lose two starting goaltenders in the course of one season.