Philadelphia Flyers: Reactions to Free Agent Frenzy 2011

Almost two weeks ago, when Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren and co. announced the trades of franchise cornerstones Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, everyone in the hockey world was left wondering: what’s next?

What were the Flyers planning that allowed them to move two All-Star caliber players for talented young players who had yet to blossom at the NHL level?

Like many hockey writers, I assumed the Flyers would be major players in the free agent frenzy, and they did not disappoint. Holmgren and the Flyers made a total of four moves during the first six hours of free agency, signing former Penguins Jaromir Jagr and Maxime Talbot, journeyman defenseman Andreas Lilja and trading winger Kris Versteeg to the Panthers for draft picks.

The Jagr signing was, by far, the move that sent shockwaves through the NHL—the move that’s going to have commentators and analysts talking and debating until the end of the 2011-2012 season.

But its also the move that makes the most sense for Paul Holmgren and the Flyers.

When they signed Jagr, the Flyers seemed to have accepted that Ville Leino was not going to be re-signed, and that they were going to need some consistent, veteran production from someone not named Scott Hartnell or Danny Briere.

The Flyers were probably also looking at Jakub Voracek, the underperforming Czech winger (from Jagr’s hometown) they acquired in the Jeff Carter trade, and wondering what they could do in order to stimulate his development. The signing of Jagr to a one-year pact worth $3.3 million solves both problems.

Jagr may not have the monstrous legs he did in the 90’s, but he still has a pair of world-class hands, a legendary hockey sense, and an ability to finish around the net, all of which he demonstrated while dominating the 2011 IIHF World Championships. Even at 39, Jagr is still capable of being a point-per-game player at the NHL level.

While I don’t think we’re going to see the Jagr of old, who could single-handedly dominate the action in the offensive zone for 45+ seconds, I do think we’ll see a Jagr capable of dominating in 20-second bursts, of finishing around the net more consistently than Carter, and of making excellent tape-to-tape passes all around the ice.

If that holds true, look for Jagr to net 20-30 goals and score 50-70 points in 2011-2012. He may not be the Jagr of old, but he’s still Jagr, and from what I gleaned on his recent conference call, he’s motivated to show everyone he can still play in the NHL. That can only mean good things for the Flyers.

The Flyers signing of another former Penguin, Maxime Talbot, is one that won’t get the fanfare of Jagr, but might prove to be just as important to the Flyers success in 2011-2012 and beyond. Talbot isn’t a “special” player in any sense of the word: he’s not a gifted scorer, he’s not a terrific playmaker, he’s not a shut-down defender; on the ice, he’s a jack-of-all-trades, master of one: penalty killing. Off the ice, he’s one of the best “glue guys” in the league.

It was obvious to many people around the  2010-2011 Flyers that the team desperately missed their last glue guy, Ian Laperierre. His ability to unite a locker room, to foster open communication between younger players, veteran players, and the coaching staff, was invaluable in bringing the 2009-2010 team together during their Stanley Cup run.

Talbot will be expected to fill “Lappy’s” shoes in the coming seasons, and while that isn’t an easy job, its one Talbot is more than capable of performing successfully.

In addition to his off-ice duties, Talbot will be counted on to provide penalty-killing, hustle, grit, and on-ice leadership for the young Flyers. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice for the good of the team, to do whatever it takes to win, and to stick up for his teammates regardless of the situation.

Those characteristics are the foundation for playoff success, and their absence was painfully obvious to all who endured the Boston series.

Paul Holmgren and the Flyers made a great decision in signing Talbot to a longer-term deal. His presence will provide some veteran leadership and long-term stability, as well as shore up the PK unit for years to come. The price was a tad steep ($1.8M per season), but if Talbot is able to fill Lappy’s shoes, he’ll have been worth every penny.

The Flyers’ final signing of the day was also their worst: Andreas Lilja, the oft-injured Swedish defensemen. This signing, at least to me, appears to run contrary to everything the Flyers were trying to accomplish with the Talbot signing. By signing Lilja, they allowed Sean O’Donnell, a solid veteran presence on and off the ice, a media favorite, and the ultimate veteran teammate, to leave for Chicago.

In exchange, they signed a player in Lilja who has missed 188 more games over the past four NHL seasons than O’Donnell, who is prone to defensive zone miscues, and who is simply not capable of being more than a #5 defenseman on a respectable blueline. While O’Donnell certainly had his limitations, he was a consistent presence on and off the ice.

On a young team, finding consistency is usually the most difficult thing to do. The Flyers had a consistent veteran blueliner, and they chose to allow him to walk in favor of a player who hasn’t shown he can stay on the ice at the NHL level.

With Pronger’s health in question, and with the future of Matt Carle still uncertain, the Flyers needed a defenseman they could count on night in and night out to do his job, stay healthy, and provide some veteran consistency. The signing of Lilja is a failure on all three counts.

Holmgren’s final transaction of the day, trading Kris Versteeg to the Panthers for a second and third round pick, was another questionable move at best. While many Flyer fans tend to have a negative perception of Versteeg, he is still a very good third-line forward.

Many forget that Versteeg played the latter part of the 2010-2011 season with a sports hernia (Philadelphia fans will remember that as the injury that sidelined Donovan McNabb for the majority of the 2005 season), an injury that basically prohibits an athlete from effectively using his core. For a player like Versteeg, who relies on speed and agility to succeed, it is a devastating injury, and one that is likely to cause a significant decline in overall play.

Despite the injury, Versteeg was one of the Flyers’ best defenders during the playoffs and was one of the few Flyer forwards to solve Tim Thomas. In addition to superb defensive play, Versteeg was one of their most reliable second-tier offensive players. In each of his last three seasons, Versteeg has scored over 20 goals and 44 points.

On the open market, a player like Versteeg is likely to command in excess of $4M per season after the signings of Laich, Leino, Fleischmann, Cole, and Gagne. However, Holmgren decided to move Kris and his $3.08M cap hit to a (rapidly) rebuilding Panthers team for a second and third round pick. While the overall compensation was roughly equal (Flyers gave up a late first and late third for Versteeg, received a (probable) early second and early third for him), at present the trade seems like a bad decision.

Versteeg was another prototypical “Flyer”: a gritty, physical, team-first player who would give whatever was necessary to help his team win. He was a fantastic defensive forward (just ask Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, when he shut them down in the 2010 finals), a solid offensive player, and an all-around hustle player. Sounds like exactly the type of player Holmgren said he wanted to add before the offseason started.

Should the cap space generated by this trade allow Holmgren to make another move, I’ll gladly revise my analysis of this trade. I don’t think Holmgren is done yet for the offseason, but until something else happens, I’m going to call this one a bad move on Holmgren’s part.