Flyers Notes: Flyers restricted by tight cap
Flyers Notes Do not expect the Flyers to make any major moves by the March 4 trade deadline, Dave Brown, the club's director of player personnel, said before last night's game against Buffalo.
Flyers Notes
Do not expect the Flyers to make any major moves by the March 4 trade deadline,
Dave Brown,
the club's director of player personnel, said before last night's game against Buffalo.
Brown said he did not think the Flyers would do much, because the team is up against the $56.7 million salary cap.
"We don't have any money, and we feel good about the team," he said. "I don't see much going on."
In each of the last three years, 25 NHL deals were made on trade-deadline day.
Each of the last three Stanley Cup champs - Carolina in 2006, Anaheim in 2007 and Detroit last year - acquired a key player around the trade deadline. Carolina landed right-winger Mark Recchi, Anaheim picked up left-winger Brad May, and Detroit acquired defenseman Brad Stuart.
Last year's trade deadline-day frenzy triggered an astounding 16.9 million page views at NHL.com.
Red Wings scout Mark Howe thinks the Flyers are one of the Eastern Conference's elite teams and can understand why they would not make many moves before the deadline.
"The biggest issue right now is the salary cap," said Howe, a former Flyer, while scouting a recent game. "I think Philadelphia is like the Red Wings in that they're right up against the salary cap and that kind of limits what you can and can't do. . . . You may be able to tweak it a little, but you put your team together and hope for the best."
As for the Flyers, Howe thinks they are a viable Cup contender.
"When healthy, they're one of the top four teams in the East, and if you get lucky draws and stay healthy and get solid goaltending, you've got a chance to get to the finals," he said. "Most teams are so equal nowadays; there's so much parity, and any team that gets in the playoffs has a chance to win."
Breakaways
Entering last night, the Flyers were 19-1-2 in games in which they led after one period. . . . The Flyers are the only team not to allow a shorthanded goal this season; they have scored a league-best 15 shorthanded goals, including
Mike Richards'
score last night. . . . The number of games Flyers players have missed because of injuries adds up to 281. The total last season was 315.
- Sam Carchidi