Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren has contemplated an offer sheet for Steve Stamkos, followed through with an offer to Shea Weber, attempted to sign Zach Parise and Ryan Suter this past summer and shocked everyone by trading two young promising stars in Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. And thats just in the past 18 months.
Should it surprise anyone that Roberto Luongos name was linked with the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday?The idea that Holmgren kicked the tires on Luongo was first tweeted from former player-turned-analyst Enrico Ciccone and confirmed by TSN analyst James Duthie, which prompted TSN to post the story on its website.
That made me chuckle," Holmgren told the Daily News. "It's safe to say those rumors aren't true. They have no basis or merit."Take his words for what theyre worth, but I believe Holmgren has no interest in even thinking about Luongofor now.
Holmgren may have a penchant for making bold moves like I described above, but he has refused to do so at the expense of disrupting locker room chemistry, which is why he doesnt make tremendous noise at the trade deadline. The Flyers GM realizes radical roster changes during the season can have an adverse impact.
So with training camps scheduled to open Sunday, acquiring Luongo for this 48-game sprint would lead to a circus that even Barnum & Bailey couldnt top when they swing through the Wells Fargo Center next month. If you recall the 2009-2010 season, the Flyers had a three-ring goaltending dilemma that included Ray Emery, Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton. While all three guys were willing to check their egos, it still created an uncomfortable situation.
Can you possibly imagine the calamity created if Luongo and Ilya Bryzgalov were on the same team at the same time, and the questions that would be thrown at their teammates for the next four months? Never mind the salary cap confusion it could possibly create.Heres a more likely scenario. Holmgren reaches out to Canucks GM Mike Gillis and says the Flyers could have an interest in Luongo this summer if Vancouver hasnt already traded him. I truly dont believe Gillis, or anyone else from Canucks management, would throw the Flyers name out there in an effort to drum up interest in Luongo.
The overwhelming question is why would the Flyers even remotely explore the possibility? Heres why:
Upgrading the positionHolmgren has shown that if he can improve his team at a certain position, then its worth the effort. As much as Luongo has been scrutinized since the Canucks lost Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final to the Bruins, hes been consistently better than Bryzgalov, especially in the postseason as their career numbers indicate: Luongo (32-29, 2.53 GAA, .916 percent) and Bryzgalov (17-19, 2.81 GAA, .908 percent).
Compliance buyoutAn attractive option if Bryzgalov returns to The Woods. Each team will be allowed two buyouts over the next two summers.
The Flyers, who owe Bryzgalov 34.5 million after this season, can buy out the remainder of his deal at just over two-thirds the price tag (23 million), and that is money that doesnt count against the salary cap.
If Bryz leads the Flyers to a Stanley Cup, or quite possibly to the Cup Final, then the Flyers can maintain their commitment to Bryzgalov for another season, and then revisit a buyout during the summer of 2014. However, the Flyers wouldnt buyout Bryz if they didnt have a Plan B in place.The new Luongo RuleTeams who signed players to massive front-loaded deals would be penalized if that player retires before the end of the deal. For example, if Richards or Carter retire before their contracts expire, the Flyers would be slapped with a significant cap hit for the remaining years.
The slight advantage in trading for Luongo is the Flyers would be tagged with a portion of his deal that runs through 2022 in the event of early retirement, whereas if Bryzgalov retired, they would take on the full amount.
Failure to bolster the defenseHad the Predators failed to match the Flyers offer sheet for Weber, the subject of Luongo likely would never surface. With Kimmo Timonen in the final year of his contract, coupled with the loss of Chris Pronger, the Flyers cant feel too comfortable with their defense moving forward.
Looking ahead to the 2013 UFA class, theres no defensemen the Flyers can sign that would dramatically improve that unit.
Realistically, the Flyers will roll the dice with Bryzgalov, who will have every opportunity during this shortened season to cement his place in Philadelphia. With so few teams willing to take on the inflated terms of Luongos contract, the Flyers shouldnt have to give up a significant piece of their roster if they ever chose to acquire Luongo, who also maintains a no-trade clause. I wouldnt part with a defenseman and I certainly wouldnt give away one of the young budding stars.
Minnesotas Niklas Backstrom is a free agent at the end of this season and would be a much cheaper option moving forward, without the hassle of another long-term contract.
E-mail John Boruk at jboruk@comcastsportsnet.com.