CSN Philly is reporting that the Flyers have signed defenseman Chris Pronger to a multi-year contract extension. It will be for 7 years and $35 million,
Pronger was acquired on June 26th in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks for Joffery Lupul, Luca Sbisa and two first round picks. Considering they high price that was paid, many were concerned that the move could only amount to Pronger being a one year rental player since his current contract has only one year remaining. Now, not only do the Flyers have him locked up long term, the contract will lower his cap hit after this season:
The contract is front loaded in order to keep it cap friendly. It is structured similar to the deal signed by Mike Richards, also a client of agent Pat Morris…Pronger’s cap number this season is $6.25 million, but for the next seven seasons will be slightly less than $5 million.
This move is growing on me and the more I think about it I like it. Chris Pronger was in town today for his introductory press conference and was confident about what he brings to the Flyers. I’m looking forward to seeing #20 in orange on the ice this fall.
2009 Free Agency is here and Paul Holmgren has continued to re-tool the Philadelphia Flyers. It started with a trade to acquire veteran defenseman Chris Pronger and continued with the signings of forward Ian Laperierre and backup goaltender, and former Flyer, Brian Boucher.
Let me start with the signing of Boucher. I’m not big on teams bringing back players they let go. However in this case I’m willing to make an exception. Boucher will make a great backup, especially if the Emery experiment goes south. Boucher has shown to be a quality backup, with the Sharks signing him last year while he was playing for the Phantoms. During his time with the Coyotes he put together a record shutout streak. Niittymaki was looking for a starting job, but he didn’t inspire much confidence in me. He would show flashes of brilliance, but when the starting job was his to take, he’d fall apart.
I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about about Ian Laperierre since the majority of his career has been played in the Western Conference. Everything I’ve read about him shows the reason why Holmgren signed him; it’s the intangibles. They say he is the consumate team player, someone that doesn’t gripe about where he is in the lineup. He doesn’t like to lose and will stand up for his teammates. His stats may not knock you over, but when you read things like that and hear a former player of the caliber of Luc Robitaille compliment him, I’m looking forward for him to suit up in the Orange and Black.
Now, on to the unhappy news. Mike Knuble signed with the Washington Capitals. He was a great player and I wish him all the best, but he just wasn’t worth the money he was looking for. While unlike many players, he has actually gotten better with age. But, how much longer will that last? I’ve also heard about how his locker room presence will be lost. (Like we know what really goes on in there, we can only surmise based on what we read from others). While a great player and consumate professional, he was here during times when it seemed like this team would roll over and die during games. But anyway, he will be missed. I will always remember that great goal in the second overtime of game 4 against Washington during the 2008 playoffs.
It’s been a week since Flyer’s GM Paul Holmgren made a deal with the Anaheim Ducks which sent Joffery Lupul, Luca Sbisa & 2 first round picks to the Ducks in exchange for veteran defenseman Chris Pronger. When I first saw the deal I thought “what the hell is Holmgren thinking trading away Sbisa.” That was a bad habit of his predecessor, trading away young talent for aging players. It was a pattern that often time didn’t pan out.
However, the more I thought about it over the past week, this was a deal that was just right for the Flyers. Yes, the loss of Sbisa is going to sting for a while, but Pronger brings the Flyers things that Sbisa wouldn’t for a few years, if at all. I’m not at all worried about the loss of Lupul.
Pronger brings a nasty attitude that the Flyers were obviously lacking in the first round of the playoffs against the Penguins. I keep hearing that the Flyers’ “old school thinking of signing tough guys” won’t win in the “New NHL.” Really? The Penguins just won a Cup, with grit and nastiness as a contributing factor. Granted, you can’t win with a bunch of goons and tough guys alone. But watching the NHL playoffs, the Penguins had Hal Gill, Brooks Orpick and Chris Kunitz hitting everyone for four rounds. It made a difference in the series against the Flyers, Caps, and ultimately, the Red Wings.
Two seasons ago, Jason Smith and Derian Hatcher brought intangibles that helped the Flyers make it to the Eastern Conference finals. With the loss of Hatcher to injury and Smith to free agency, the Flyers were a softer team this past season. Mike Richards is a good leader for the Flyers and plays with intensity, but he is still young and still learning. Pronger will bring what the Flyers lacked this year, and by all reports is in better condition than Smith and Hatcher.
