The Flyers don’t have excess spending cash or glaring areas of weakness on their roster. But according to Chris Botta of FanHouse, that won’t stop general manager Paul Holmgren from making a move at, or before, the deadline.
Botta wrote:
“A league source tells FanHouse that Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren will exhaust all means necessary to put last year’s Stanley Cup finalist in the best position possible for another championship run.”
Citing the extra $1.55 million of cap space created with the waiving of goaltender Michael Leighton, the Flyers could nab someone of value, especially if they move another player to open a roster spot. Right winger Nik Zherdev and his $2 million cap hit, despite having 13 goals, could be expendable. The weak link in a strong forward group, he is not the type of reliable player that coach Peter Laviolette could fully utilize during the post season.
However, Botta also writes that the Flyers are in a position of bargaining strength because of their strong and well-rounded personnel. But if the team were to shop for an upgrade at any position, it’s likely to come at right wing.
Phila.Bright 