Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren's 2010 offseason plans seem to be counterproductive after the inspiring playoff run that almost went into a seventh game in the Stanley Cup finals. If not for the unfortunate "phantom goal" that slipped past Michael Leighton, the Flyers might have had enough momentum to have beaten the Chicago Blackhawks in a deciding final game.
Looking at the Flyers offseason so far, the team looks to be ruining their chances of returning to the finals mainly by looking to trade away Simon Gagné. The 30-year-old, who is longest tenured Flyer, deserves to remain with the Eastern Conference Champions for everything he's done over the years in a Flyers uniform.
For long-time Flyers fans, the thought of Gagné wearing anything but orange and black is unimaginable.
With the NHL salary cap, it is understandable why Holmgren would want to clear an older player in Gagné's $5.25 million salary. The Flyers need the flexibility to re-sign Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux to long-term extensions as both are vital in their future plans.
There isn't any room for loyalty in ...
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Article written by Sean Hartnett
Willingness To Trade Simon Gagne: Risky Offseason Moves Will Cost Flyers
July 17th, 2010 by Sean Hartnett Leave a reply »
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