What Does Waiving Shayne Gostisbehere Mean for the Flyers?
Shayne Gostisbehere was placed on waivers by the Flyers Tuesday, and the globe came off its axis.
At least that’s how it seemed.
Whether fans were flipping out at this decision, or were wishing Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher would be fired into the sun, it was a wild afternoon of speculation and rumor-mongering.
Everyone wants to know what this means. Even I may have jumped the gun just a bit:
Flyers place Ghost on waivers… I have to think it's step one to something bigger.
— Anthony SanFilippo (@AntSanPhilly) March 30, 2021
And while I still believe that, it did come across as if step two might be imminent, or step two might be jaw-dropping, neither of which I really believe to be the case.
Instead, consider this the same as the opening bell being rung for the New York Stock Exchange.
But before I explain what I mean by that, let’s review waiver wire 101 stuff to clear up some things that have been put out there that aren’t quite right:
- Ghost wasn’t released, as you may have heard a few times if you listen to a certain afternoon radio show we have been accused of disrespecting. Instead, he was placed on waivers. That means teams have until noon tomorrow to claim him. If he goes unclaimed, he is still a Flyer and could still be in the lineup as soon as Wednesday night in Buffalo.
- Ghost is still a member of the Flyers, which is why he was able to practice with the team today, even after he was placed on waivers.
- It is unlikely that he will be claimed because of his salary cap hit ($4.5 million) and the term (two more seasons beyond this year).
- If he is claimed, the Flyers do get cap relief, but if not, they don’t really.
- If he goes unclaimed, the Flyers have roster flexibility in the sense that they can now include him among the players that can be shuttled back and forth between the roster, the taxi squad, and the AHL.
- The Flyers would not have to put him through waivers again until Ghost either plays 10 NHL games or is on the primary roster for 30 days, whichever comes first. As such, the Flyers can get creative enough to shuttle him around for most of the rest of the regular season without having to waive him a second time.
Some teams with a lot of cap space might be willing to take a Flyer on Ghost:
NEW: Steve Yzerman's made an early habit in Detroit of giving high-pedigree players the chance to re-establish themselves. Newly-waived Shayne Gostisbehere fits that bill in some ways, with one major difference.
Would claiming him make sense? https://t.co/HovFzt1KJO
— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) March 30, 2021
But the bet here is, probably not.
So, why would they waive him if it’s unlikely he will be claimed? This brings me back to the opening bell analogy.
It’s basically a move to jump start conversations with other GMs about other potential transactions. In other words, Fletcher is open for business.
But what kind of business? That’s what Chuck wants them to know. He’s torn right now between being a buyer and a seller. The Flyers are just one point of the final playoff spot, but the team they are chasing, the Boston Bruins, have three games in hand. The gap between the two can grow quickly.
If you are wondering when the Waterloo moment will be for Chuck it will probably be after the back-to-back games with the Bruins next week. If the Flyers are able to do well enough in the next four games – Buffalo tomorrow, the Islanders Saturday and the home-and-home double-dip with Boston next Monday and Tuesday, Chuck will be buying. If not, Chuck will be selling.
And the possibility remains that he can still do a little bit of both, if he’s buying for help for the future as well as selling, as I outlined previously.
One thing that hasn’t really been discussed publicly is the Flyers are considering trading for a goaltender to give Carter Hart a chance to really shut down having to play games and just focus on resetting himself. But, the Flyers brass is torn on whether to go that path or not.
A target they might be interested in is Jonathan Bernier in Detroit. Bernier has a $3 million cap hit, is a UFA at the end of the season and is a veteran goalie who could split time with Brian Elliott the rest of the way.
Would the Flyers burn assets for that move if they don’t believe they can make the playoffs? Probably not. Which is why there is some hesitation within the organization.
But, if they can stay in the hunt, and either get ahead of the Bruins or at least eliminate their games-in-hand advantage and stay within a point or two, then maybe it’s worth the spend.
The Flyers wouldn’t be alone in pursuit of a guy like Bernier. Washington could use a veteran goalie to have as depth for the playoffs. Ditto Colorado.
And there aren’t many other goalies who could be available. There’s a couple guys Chuck is very familiar with having had them both in Minnesota – Devan Dubnyk is a pending UFA who has had a subpar season in San Jose and could be had fairly cheaply, and Darcy Kuemper, who is on injured reserve, might become available in Arizona, although he might not be as good a fit because he is under contract for another year at $4.5 million, and he’d probably cost a bit more.
So, will there be a second shoe to drop from Ghost being waived today? Most likely, yes. But, don’t expect it tomorrow.
Give Chuck a week to determine if his team is still in the playoff mix or not, and then see what direction he will go.
It might seem weird or like it doesn’t make sense to waive Ghost now and then he’s still in the lineup tomorrow night, but this is how things happen sometimes in the NHL. It’s very odd. But, if nothing else it let’s you know the Flyers are willing to move on from Ghost simply for cap relief as the return.
After trying for two years to trade him and not getting the value offered in return, the Flyers have gotten to a point where it’s just time to move on from him.
And if that mentality shakes up the locker room a little bit, that’s not necessarily a bad thing either.
[the_ad id=”103880″]