Each day from now until July 1, the day free agency begins, Tom Dougherty and Tim Riday will profile some of the NHL's top impending free agents and project their likelihood of signing with the Flyers.
Curtis Glencross, left wing
Age: 32
Height: 6-1
Weight: 197
Last team: Washington Capitals
2014-15 cap hit: $2.55 million
Scouting report
A diligent two-way forward, Glencross is at his best when he keeps the game simple. He's blessed with good speed and can be a key contributor on the penalty kill. He tends to score in bunches, but game-to-game consistency has eluded him throughout his career.
After playing two years at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, Glencross elected to forgo his final two years of college eligibility in order to sign a professional contract with the then Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in March of 2004.
He spent parts of four seasons in the AHL before earning his first call-up. He scored a goal in his NHL debut with the Ducks, but skated in just two games with the team before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 26, 2007.
Glencross went on to appear in seven games for Columbus, but finished the 2006-07 season in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch. In 2007-08, he finally established himself as an everyday NHL winger with the Jackets, collecting 12 points in 36 games before finding himself with yet another club.
Columbus shipped Glencross to Edmonton on Feb. 1, 2008 for defenseman Dick Tarnstrom. Glencross played well for the Oilers, but the team made little effort to negotiate with him on a new contract at the conclusion of the season.
NHL
Glencross, who played for six teams between the NHL and AHL in his first six seasons as a pro, finally found some stability when he agreed to sign with Calgary in the summer of 2008. He would go on to spend parts of seven seasons with the Flames, collecting 242 points in 418 games.
With his contract set to expire at the end of the 2014-15 campaign and his future with the Flames in doubt, management asked Glencross for a list of teams he would agree to waive his no-trade clause to as the 2015 NHL trade deadline approached.
After weeks of speculation, Glencross was traded to the Washington Capitals on March 1 for second- and third-round picks at the 2015 NHL draft. He tallied four goals and seven points in 18 regular-season games for the Caps but struggled in the playoffs, collecting just one marker in 10 tilts.
Dougherty's projection
The Flyers want to add skill on the wing this offseason. It's an obvious need. But they should also be looking to adding NHL wingers to the team, too. Guys who play the position and have played the position for years. They have to avoid going to convert-the-center-to-wing route that has been an utter failure for the last so many years.
But I don't see the Flyers chasing Glencross and I don't think they should. He has leadership qualities, but he reminds me too much of R.J. Umberger. And we all know how Umberger has worked out in his second stint with the Flyers. It hasn't. Glencross is a better player than Umberger, and he'd be a really good fit here if the Flyers were looking for a veteran presence in the room. Maybe they are, but they need skill and Glencross doesn't really fall into that category.
Riday's projection
At this point in his career, Glencross is better-suited to play bottom-six minutes as a third- or fourth-line grinder. He's a solid role player, but the Flyers already have an abundance of those at their disposal. Why add another and risk having just another name to get lost in the shuffle?
I don't think Glencross is the "skilled winger" Hextall is searching for this offseason. He hasn't scored more than 20 goals since 2011-12 and he's never recorded more than 50 points in a season.
He was also a healthy scratch at times during the Caps' playoff run and seems to be entering the twilight of his career. The Flyers are looking to get younger. I don't see Hextall taking a flier on a veteran who's on the decline. No thanks.