Flyers say Gag-byes
By:
Dustin
Leed 
PhillySportsSpace Staff Writer
dleed@phillysportsspace.com
July 19,
2010
He is the current longest tenured Philadelphia Flyer
no more.
In what can best be described
as a salary cap dump, Simon Gagne, who played ten seasons
for the Orange-and-Black was traded to the Tampa Bay
Lightning in exchange for defenseman Matt Walker and
a fourth round pick in 2011.
Gagne, who waived his no-trade
clause to complete the trade, became a victim of poor
salary-cap related moves by Flyers General Manager Paul
Holmgren. Holmgren was forced to make a move to keep
the Flyers salary cap complacent. Gagne was a Philadelphia
fan favorite, but missed 83 games the last three seasons
and is set to become an unrestricted free-agent after
this season, currently making $5.25-million. It was
unlikely Gagne would return to Philadelphia after this
season.
The deal leaves the Flyers
with eight defensemen on their active roster and $1.05-million
in cap sapce.
Walker, 30, is a 6’4’’,
215-pound defenseman physical defenseman, who has prototypical
NHL size and likes to use it to his advantage. Usually
limits mistakes in his own end. Can be quite physical
from the back end and also drop the gloves when necessary
but right now, figures to be used in limited situations,
or even sent to waivers to clear more cap room for the
Flyers.
The the 2010 Eastern Conference
Champion makeover may not be complete. If the Flyers
still feel there is someone – perhaps a goalie
– they want to go after in free agency, the Flyers
could send Oskars Bartulis, Walker and Riley Cote to
waivers and clear up to $2.7-million in cap space -
leaving enough cap room for another goaltender.
The Flyers forwards look
like this and still sport one of the most talented top-six
in the Eastern Conference: Jeff Carter, Mike Richards,
Nikolai Zherdev; Scott Hartnell, Danny Briere, Ville
Leino; James van Riemsdyk, Claude Giroux, Dan Carcillo;
Jody Shelley, Blair Betts, Ian Laperriere; extras: Cote.
Defense upgraded from a
season ago: Chris Pronger, Matt Carle; Kimmo Timonen,
Braydon Coburn; Sean O’Donnell, Andrej Mezsaros;
extras: Bartulis, Walker – while the goaltenders
have stayed the same: Micheal Leighton and Brian Boucher.
This Gagne move shows you
that the Flyers are doing everything in their power
to keep Carter and sign him to a monster contract after
this season. Carter could have been the $5-million shipped
out with quality coming back to Philadelphia, instead
they move Gagne for next to nothing.
