The Philadelphia Flyers announced this afternoon that restricted free agent defenseman Brandon Manning has been re-signed to a one-year, two-way deal. Manning was the last of the unsigned restricted free agents to be addressed, earning a $675K contract with the Flyers per Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
It was noted by many that this signing moves the Flyers to 49 contracts on the books; the NHL does not allow for more than 50 contracts at a time with one exception. That exception is that junior level players who are not eligible for the AHL (i.e. under 20 years of age) may have their contracts “slide” until that time as long as they remain in juniors (and depending on the age of the player when they sign the contract).
Goaltending prospect Anthony Stolarz, 19, will continue where he left off last spring with the London Knights of the OHL and should not count against the total contract list.
The Flyers may also open up a space if prospect Scott Laughton remains in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals. Based on comments from general manager Paul Holmgren towards the end of last season, though, it sounded like Laughton was going to be given every opportunity to make the big club this September and fill a position in the bottom six rotation.
Laughton’s biggest competition in camp will come from prospect Tye McGinn, offseason European acquisition Michael Raffl, and unrestricted free agent Simon Gagne (expected to be at training camp at this time, but nothing has been confirmed).
McGinn was invited to participate in the preseason “camp” in January before the lockout-shortened season began and ended up joining the team anyway after Scott Hartnell was injured in Game 3. McGinn bounced around the line-up and missed some time due to injury, but had made a good first impression as a rookie.
McGinn’s talent ceiling is likely as a 3rd line winger, so the position may be his if he’s ready for it. If the organization sends him back to the AHL for another year of seasoning, though, it won’t hurt his development.
Gagne would be a relatively “safe” choice for the position because of the responsibility that the third line typically entails. That line is often charged with “shutting down” the opponent’s top line, and Gagne has been an effective defensive forward for the majority of his career. His offensive production is not what it used to be, but if the organization is counting on whoever fills that position to be providing most of the goal scoring, this is going to be a loooooong year.
The price for Gagn’es services wouldn’t be anywhere near what had been speculated just a few months ago either.
Per Frank Seravalli of the Daily News in April:
“For veterans accustomed to high salaries, money can be a sticking point, especially with a salary cap dropping nearly 9 percent this summer. Gagne vows money will not be an issue, saying he’s willing to accept less than the $3.5 million he’s making this year. Perhaps, somewhere in the $2 or $2.5 million range would work for all.
‘I’m at the point of my career where I made really good money for a while,” Gagne said. “As a player, your goal is to win the Stanley Cup. I did that [with the Kings last season]. I still want to win the Stanley Cup. At the end of the day, money is just a small question. Being happy is important. If I like the place, I’ll make things work – for everyone to be happy, to make sure that it doesn’t hurt the team.’ “
The salary cap dropping to $64.3 million has forced a number of veterans out of the league as well as several free agents to take sizable “pay cuts” below what they had been expecting (ignoring the insanity that was the first few days of free agency).
As one example, Matthew Lombardi, 31, scored 4 goals and 8 points in 28 games last season between the Phoenix Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks. His last contract was worth $10.5 million over a three-year period; he signed today with Genève-Servette HC of the Swiss National League for significantly less.
If Gagne wants to re-sign with the Flyers, it is much more likely to be in the one year, $1 million range (if that).
Raffl is the wild card in this competition because nobody truly knows what to expect from him. Even if he has a strong training camp and preseason, there is no history to suggest that the 24 year-old Austrian is prepared for the rigors of an 82-game (plus postseason, hopefully) schedule in the NHL. The Flyers seem to be very keen on him, though, and a strong showing out of the gate will certainly earn him the spot.
Training camp opens September 12. There’s contract space for Gagne if the team wants to keep him, but he’s going to have to earn it. Fan support won’t be enough this time.
