Anthony SanFilippo of the Delaware Conty times informs us the Flyers have signed Arron Asham, and have extended GM Paul Holmgren through 2012.

http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news.cfm?ne...62709&rfi=6

Congrats to Homer! I guess this means Thoresen won't be re-signed?

article^^^

Good... keep Homer around as long as possible... He's definitely already one of the better GM's in the league and if given the time, he has the chance to build a dynasty in the NHL

im glad homers on board for a while
is asham replacing dowd then or someone else????

Asham replaces Thor.

Looks that way, I wonder what they're paying Asham.

Edit: He was making $700,000 w/ Jersey.

Glad to hear about Homer. There's nobody else I can think that I'd want as the Flyers GM right now, save for maybe Hextall, but that's just because I love Hextall and want him back working for the Flyers.

Interesting move on Asham. Does he only play right wing or can he play other positions too?

Asham is a very good signing and along with Cote and Metropolit will make a good 4th line if thats the way they decide to go.

If Thoresen is making demands like it was stated in the Thoresen thread I would assume that he is gone and Asham would take his place in the lineup.

Congratulations. You may finally get to check off the last name in your checklist.

I think this also means one of Downie or Giroux may start the year with the Phantoms. Probably Downie.

haha yea good call,

cote-metropolit-asham

Keeping Homer around was a given. He took this organization from dead last, to the semifinal in one season. He's got to be one of the top three GMs in the league.

I like the Asham signing. Older 4th-liners are the best. They have less to prove, and they know how to play dirty without getting caught if need be.

probably downie in this case
downie drew a little too many penalties as the refs had there eyes completely on him whenever he hit the ice
with the new rules giving a little more to the offense and power play face off positions, i se edownie going down to the phantoms before giroux. unless they want to furthe condition giroux

I think you're right.

Our team is gonna be so tough next yr.

Yep, and hopefully I will not need another list for a long time.

Or he may be looking to move someone like Knuble to free up some cap space, with Holmgren you never know.

BTw asham is a RW

Good call. I'm hoping Downie. I think he'll benefit most from it.

Thor wanted a 1 way deal and the Flyers weren't going to give him that. This all but seals him going to Europe.

I hope not. Our PP would miss Knuble dearly. There aren't many others in the league with his talent in front of the net.

That could be financially beneficial to him. I think he might have more of a chance to develop over there and then some team can sign him to a bigger contract in a few years.

yea i like asham tho, hes good for 20 points a yr and adds alot of toughness which is what the flyers represent. Thor wasnt scoring any just a banger pretty much. Love the signing. I also think downie and giroux will both start next yr, i think there is another move coming by way of trade but only time will tell.

Asham to replace Thoresen??
Thats a downgrade. Bad Move.

That's a good point. If they move Briere to the wing they will need to move a winger.

Hmm, maybe this is all part of the deal for Bouwmeester...




...I love propagating that rumor.

Good for Homer. He deserves the extensions.

Asham , really? Um, he bother me when he was with the Devils.
If Giroux starts with the Phantoms, i'll be pis*ed. Downie i can see.
To make room for Asham, and put Giroux with the Phantoms, well that is idiotic in my book.

Thinking about it, Homer must have a master plan. I am serious. We are already over the cap, and he signs another player, that would make us even MORE over?
Something fishy. I think he is brewing up a deal to send players to get a certain someone *cough* Bouwmeester *cough*.

If we weren't an annoying team to play against before, think of Hartnal, Upshall, Downie, and Asham in the same game. We could potentially roll four lines of irritation.

except everybody wants to trade poor scottie for stupid bouwmeester

im getting bitter and it hasn't even happened yet.

The only way this deal makes sense, as others have said, is if they plan on sending Downie to the Phantoms. If not, either Asham, Downie, or Cote would have to play on the 3rd line (or better), and IMO, I just don't see it happening and working out well.

I sense talk of "imagine if we had Avery too..."



Hmmm, now that you mention it, Upshall and Asham are both gritty energy guys with (to quote Meltzer's favorite phrase) "a modicum of talent." If this really is a part of a bigger move other than sending Downie back to the Phantoms (which makes sense to me and wouldn't necessitate losing Thor) then I think Upshall may be moved in a trade.

Wah. My day is now slighly worse, because I think it seems that way too. MODICUM OF TALENT!? He has TONS of talent, he just hasn't been able to tap into it yet. Ok, who am i kidding? Maybe i should just keep telling myself that...

I want so badly to back this theory because it makes me happy.....but....

Let's follow the numbers for a moment.
Let's assume he's replacing Thor at the same money Thor made last year. $570,000 (that's cap hit, not actuall salary).
Now let's assume Hatch starts the season on LTI, that's 3.5 mil - the 1.8 we're over; gives them 1.7mil for wiggle room before any trade you would propose happens.
Now consider this.... next years UFA's and RFA's are-
Marty
Nitty
Hatch-he's gone
Knuble
Lupul
Upshall
Lasse and Syvret

Unless Homer performs a salary dump of Biblical proportions I don't see how they make Bouwmeester happen.

hahaha the biblical proportions thing but a really funny image in my head. I pictured homer like, parting the Red Sea or something

If we don't re-sign Knuble and we trade Lupul and/or Upshall, it becomes a bit more reasonable, especially when you consider that the cap will probably increase a comparable amount to the last few years. Also, the organization has always been sort of down on Kukkonen. If you add Bouwmeester to the team and some of our new "prospects" develop, we won't really need to re-sign both Kukks and Syvret.

Yeah, Upshall has more talent than Asham. He's a better and younger player. Part of me was being serious and the other part was just messing around with you. Sorry. I should've added a:

Congrats to Homer! Well deserved! With the signing of Asham, how far over the cap are we now? Anyone know?

If I could, I would photochop Homer's head on Charlton Heston's famous 10 Commandments pic as Moses, but, alas, I am photochop-illiterate.

Haha its quite alright. Needless to say, my 'tons of talent' comment was also a wee bit of a stretch. It being a 'wee bit of a stretch' is also a wee bit of a stretch.



yeah i am too. all of my creative works are done ghettofabulously in microsoft paint.

A Knuble/Lupul situation (I use them because they clear the most $$) frees up about 5.2mil next season, It will take me a little longer to figure the average rate of increase the cap has experienced thus far (Translation: I'm not that bored yet). My main concern w/ this is it's impact on the decision that has to be made next year w/ goaltending.

Well you have to think Florida would be taking on salary if we traded for Bouwmeester

I would expect one or more of the following players to go Florida's way if we traded for him: Carter, Lupul, Upshall, Jones, or Hartnell.

But they won't be over the cap when final rosters are announced if Rathje and Hatcher go on LTIR, which it appears they will.

Downie probably won't play with the Phantoms, but will probably be the 13th/scratched forward in case of injury. They aren't going to just carry 12 forwards and send the other forwards to the Phantoms. They'll carry 13 forwards, and 7 dmen on the final roster.

So, they'll have 2.011(minus whatever Asham's salary is) mil of cap space with Giroux and Parent added to the final roster. And that will be 13 forwards and 7 defensemen for a total of 22 on the final roster.

Downie isn't going to be the 13th forward and scratched every night. The kid needs minutes to develop. If he doesn't make the top 12 forwards he will be a Phantom.

Can't say I agree about him being a Phantom. I don't think he'll be scratched every game. But I believe he will primarily be the 13th forward. I think he'll see some time, but not much. Probably platooning with Asham and Cote depending on the opponent. I'm sorry, but expecting them to only carry 12 forwards just isn't very normal in the NHL these days.

They are hurting up front so you can take Jones off that list. Losing Carter makes me shudder since I don't have complete faith in Danny. Of the last three, I think FL would want Lupes and Upshall. Lupes and Duff would be the best case scenario for the Flyers. Do you think if that were to happen we could sign him long term w/out killing next years FA period?

Yeah, the goaltending is a big factor. If we are looking to shed salary in addition to what we'd have to give up for Bouwmeester, I'd think there are two potential options: 1. Ship Knuble for a high first round pick (I think he's worth it, if not more) if there's going to be a standout goalie in next year's draft. Or, make a trade (Knuble, Niity, and a pick?) for a near NHL ready prospect (Rask?) who still has a few years left on a rookie contract. Of course, I haven't really worked out the logistics of either of those options but those are the first two things that come to mind.

I think there is no chance he is the 13th forward. I think they will re-sign Thor before they stick Downie in that role. They would be really hurting his development by limiting his playing time. There is absolutely no benefit to stick him in that role. They will go with 12 forwards before making him the 13th forward, IMO.


Jones I could see being moved because Bouwmeester is such a significant upgrade that Jones would become expendable.

Completely agree about Carter. I don't want to move him at all because I don't like Danny as our 2nd line center going forward. Though I think I probably would move him for Bouwmeester depending on what else we had to give up.

I'd like to think they can re-sign him without making our cap situation any worse than it is currently, but I don't know if he is banking on cashing in on free agency or not. Not to mention he is in a contract year so if he is not extended right away his value could continue to increase if he has a big year this season.

If the Flyers were to trade him I think it would benefit us if the trade went down ASAP and they re-signed him quickly.

Here is my ridiculously bad job at photoshopping Homer Heston:

Outstanding!!