Tim Panaccio of the Inquirer and Hockeybuzz.com is reporting that the Flyers are interested in signing Brian Leetch in light of Rathje's injury. He reports:
The Flyers are trying to sign former Rangers great Brian Leetch to bolster their power play and strengthen the defense, which may be without an injured Mike Rathje for an extended period of time, the Inquirer has learned.
Two league sources confirmed that the club had contacted Leetch's agent, Jay Grossman, and were waiting to hear back from him.
"Brian has not made any decisions about the season so far," Grossman said today when reached by telephone in New York. "We've been contacted by a number of teams about playing this season. There are a number of things Brian has to sort through. He's made no decision in his personal situation."
The 38-year-old future Hall of Famer is an unrestricted free agent and has said he wants to play in the Eastern Conference because he still lives in New York City. A source said he wouldn't re-sign with the Rangers because he was unhappy with how Rangers GM Glen Sather handled his trade to Toronto at the 2004 trade deadline.
Leetch could immediately bolster the Flyers' sagging power play (2 for 19), which is ranked 18th in the NHL at 10.5 percent efficiency with a hard, accurate shot and a knack for directing things from the blue line.
A 20-year veteran, Leetch has played 1,205 games with 247 goals, 781 assists, and 1,028 points. Lifetime, he has 431 power-play assists.
Flyers general manager Bob Clarke has confirmed he has spoken with Grossman but said he has not spoken with Leetch. Both Clarke and Grossman said that no decision was imminent, but it was believed that they were discussing a possible contract offer from the Flyers that would include bonus incentives that would not count against the salary cap because he is older than 35.
Rathje's herniated disc may require surgery - he was expected to get confirmation on that later today - and the Flyers apparently are not taking chances of being shorthanded.
The Flyers' cap number is $42.3 million. Rathje makes $3.5 million against the cap. If he is out with a long-term injury, his money comes off the cap.
Ignore the sarcastic headline, adding Leetch to replace Rathje is a definite upgrade even if he is 38 years old.
4 comments:
hockey????......why not talk about soccer....both are just as interesting......
I knew this one was coming...I had ten football articles in a row. I hope you're not expecting much Sixers talk. I hate the NBA
I would take Leetch over any Flyer defenseman except for maybe Pitkanen. Even he drives me crazy sometimes. A great shift, then a shift where he appears asleep. A great play, then a bonehead play. Clarkie should seriously try to lure Leetch with major incentives that don't count against the cap.
Like what kind of benefits? Threesomes with girls from Day Dreams? A membership at Pine Valley?
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