The Philadelphia Flyers have confirmed what many were speculating for a few days now—they have signed Russian forward Nikolai Zherdev to a one-year contract, believed to be worth $2 million.
Zherdev, who was drafted fourth overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, left the NHL in favor of the KHL last season when the New York Rangers refused to pay him after he was awarded a hefty salary via arbitration.
Playing for Atlant-Moscow of the KHL, Zerdev registered 13 goals and 39 points in 52 games played— underwhelming totals, to say the least.
The signing is a curious one, as it puts the Flyers in a hole financially, all but forcing them to move a big-ticket player off the roster via trade, waivers, buyout, or by burying a player in the AHL.
According to capgeek.com, the Flyers have a total of 22 players signed for the 2010-11 season, leaving the Orange and Black at -$1,422,262 in cap room.
While the Flyers roster does include goaltenders Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher, many suspect that the Flyers are still looking for another veteran goaltender, with Boucher being the odd man out.
If this is true, it will serve to put ...
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Article written by Mark Ritter
Philadelphia Flyers Signing of Nikolai Zherdev Is Puzzling
July 10th, 2010 by Mark Ritter Leave a reply »
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