Phillies

What Does This Mean?

By Kyle Scott

Published: Jun 23rd, 2011 · 5:33 PM EDT

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Get used to this guy

In trading Richards and Carter and signing Bryzgalov to a 9-year, $51 million deal, the salary cap now looks like this, according to CapGeek.com:

Next year's cap: $64,300,000

Flyers payroll as it stands now: $56,723,095. That doesn't include Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds, who are both restricted free agents. They will both most likely re-sign for about a total of $2-3 million. That leaves roughly $6 million left for the Flyers to round out the roster or make another move via free agency.  

UPDATE: The original post included Michael Leighton, who will most likely be waived. If that happens, his $1.5 million contract would come off the cap and free up closer to $8 million.

Brayden Schenn is a very highly-regarded youngster who is the key to this deal. The Flyers also added a number of valuable draft picks, and, of course, Byrzgalov.

When you look at it in terms of what they gave up and what they got, it's pretty good:

Flyers lose:

Mike Richards, captain, 60-80 point scorer

Jeff Carter, 30+ goal scorer

Get:

Brayden Schenn, highly touted youngster

Wayne Simmonds, 30-40 points per seson

*Jakub Voracek, 40-50 points per season

*Three draft picks

Ilya Bryzgalov

$8 million in cap space (after signing Voracek and Simmonds and releasing Leighton)

 

It's a difficult argument. They traded young veterans -who almost won the Stanley Cup – for unproven youth, a goalie, and flexibility.

The more I look at it, the more I like it. The Flyers have some flexibility… and they may not be done.