Not Waiting

You've got to give the Philadelphia Flyers credit for being proactive.

With a number of teams, including the Maple Leafs, anxiously waiting for a chance to try and sign Nashville defenceman Dan Hamhuis as an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, the Flyers have aggressively struck first, trading defenceman Ryan Parent to the Preds today for the rights to Hamhuis.

That opens up a 12-day window in which the Flyers exclusively own rights to sign the 27-year-old Hamhuis to a new deal, which seems likely. 

It's the same kind of move - and with the same Nashville club - the Flyers made three years ago when they acquired the rights to defenceman Kimmo Timmonen and winger Scott Hartnell then signed both to six-year contracts. At the time, many argued the Flyers ended up paying much more in salary to both players than necessary - Timmonen's deal averaged $6.3 million, Hartnell's $4.2 million - but Timmonen and Hartnell were both integral parts this spring as Philly charged all the way to the Stanley Cup final.

Hamhuis averaged 22 minutes and change for the Preds last season. Parent, 23, played a regular role for the Flyers in the post-season before being a healthy scratch for the final five games of the Stanley Cup final against Chicago.

Hamhuis is coming off a four-year, $8 million contract and will likely be looking for somewhere in the neighborhood of $4 million per season. He was widely viewed as the best defenceman among this summer's unrestricted free agent crop, with New Jersey's Paul Martin, Boston Bruin rearguard Johnny Boychuk and Zbynek Michalek others still unsigned.

Philly was already facing some tough salary cap issues. For example, they only have one goalie, Brian Boucher, under contract at $925,000 per season.

Comments

[Matto]

So who is Philadelphia going to move for cap reasons? Hartnell? Briere? Gange?

[mmmmgood]

Is Burke sleeping?

[Fred]

Wake up Burkie, start being proactive, would'nt that be something for the Leafs!

[specialEd]

Thought for sure he'd be a Leaf. Oh well, Burke will likely move Kaberle for Nashville's 1st round pick to make up for this.

[James N]

Don't really know why the Leafs would go after Hamhuis. Granted our defence was atrocious last season, but plenty of that had to do with Vesa Toskala and poor back checking by many (not all) of the forwards. And for Philly, with Hamhuis, Asham, Emery or Leighton, Coburn and Carcillo (maybe) all needing to be re-signed by Philly, I think they can say good bye to Carle, and possibly Gagne (for cap reasons only).

[Ference Sandor]

Why are idiots bitching about Burke not signing another defenseman? We need Centres that can pass and score not another $4-5 million a year d-man

[Ghostrider1174]

Toronto really didnt need him anyways big deal Cox. I wish Burke would make some moves. Kaberle will get a good return watch. With Hamhuis off the free agent market Kaberles worth just goes up. Burke can deal other parts to land something too. Man always checkin but Leafs real quiet. Burkie wakey wakey

[Robert]

agreed with a few posts..

No room for Hamhuis... at this point pending all are healthy Phanuef, Komasarek, Bauchemin Kaberle, Schenn, adn Gunnarsson are our top 6... thats a playoff calibre defense corps... WE NEED CENTRES WHO CAN PASS THE PUCK (and score as well)...

[Matt B]

I think some readers are missing the point about the Leafs obtaining Hamhuis: if Burke signs him he can deal someone like Beaucimin or Mike Komisarek for a forward. Free agents are just that: free. And stocking up on them is good if you plan on trying to move other assets.

[rock]

Ham is just that HAM, didnt need him in Toronto COXIE, I think Kaberle is going to pittsburgh for stall and that replaces Gonchar. Stall is capable of playing the number 1 center role, have Kadri play on the second line and the Frat pack as the third line. Get rid of Grabovski and mitchelle with a pick for Sharp and you have now a great top 2 bottom 2 spread
Kessel, Stall, Kulemin/ Kadri,Sharp,Lundmark/ Bozak,Hanson,Stalberg/ Orr, Sjdostrom, Primeau

[Chris]

So those of you complaining that Burke didn't go after Hamhuis are upset because a) You want another 25 point defenseman or b) because you think that the Leafs should sign anybody and everybody available. Brian Burke won't make a move just for the sake of making one; that's why he didn't trade Kaberle and Kadri for Kessel last year or Luke Schenn and Kadri for Tavares (if the rumours are true). Burke will make a deal when a deal makes sense. Putting another 4 million into a blue line that already has 5 NHL defenseman on big contracts (Kabby, Komo, Phaneuf, Beauch,Schenn) and an AHL defenseman on a big NHL contract (Finger) when our first line centre has a whole 37 games of NHL experience under his belt and our first line left winger has a total of 150 NHL games and 67 career points under HIS belt is not making a deal that makes sense. When you consider that the price for Hamhuis's rights was a 2005 first round draft pick defenseman (Parent) who just turned 23, the Leafs would have been giving up a Nikolai Kulemin or a Carl Gunnarson. Some of you think the NHL is a video game; it's not. When Burke makes a move that makes sense THEN and ONLY then will you have some exciting news to talk about and more importantly it will actually help the team instead of adding a guy who will match the offense of Francois Beauchemin.

[Geoff Read]

The real story or question here is why the Philadelphia Flyers are apparently about to lock up a whole smack of their cap space in a third high-priced defenseman when they still don't have a legitimate NHL goaltender. Their last bonafide #1 'tender was John Vanbiesbrouck, and that was at the end of his career! This franchise never learns.

[other mark]

I have to agree with most of the posters. Hamhuis is a decent defenceman, but, is he really what the Leafs need at $4M a year? This is a thin crop of RFA and I've always believed that these are the riskiest signings. You never know how a player is going to react when he gets his first big pay boost and finds himself in the 'semi-star' category. Some rise to the occassion, some wither under the spotlight.... some become self satisfied lazy bums. The Leaf's number one priority has to be a young pivot. Without that, they will continue to flounder. If there is a RFA (Sharp?) who they think will continue to compete without the pay raise going to his head, fine. If not, get the picks/prospects you need and hope that you have an impact guy 2 years from now. I have faith that Burke will do the right thing.