Source: Suter trade unlikely
Daily News Flyers blog
Source: Suter trade unlikely
OTTAWA -- Skating alongside his former teammate in Sunday’s NHL All-Star Game, Kimmo Timonen said he was gently trying to massage the idea of the Flyers into Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter’s subconscious.
“I told him that Philly is a nice town,” Timonen said with a smile. “He would probably enjoy Philly.”
With exactly 4 weeks until the Feb. 27 trade deadline, no one knows quite what will happen with Suter in Nashville - who is easily the biggest name atop the pending unrestricted free agents list this year.
Suter, 27, is in the final season of a 4-year, $14 million deal. He has played all 7 years of his standout career in the Music City, where the 2010 Olympian has blossomed into a big money blueliner alongside Shea Weber.
Like almost every other team in the league, it is no secret that Suter would be No. 1 on their list if he were to be available via trade before the deadline.
In Ottawa, Suter came out at Friday’s Media Day and announced for the first time that he would not be signing a new extension with the Predators before the trading deadline so that he could focus on the season at hand.
On the surface, Suter’s interesting announcement would seem to suggest that he would be available before the deadline. Surely, Nashville wouldn’t want to lose his services without getting at least something in return before he is able to walk on July 1, right?
In reality, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Word circulating through the general manager’s ranks is that Suter will be kept off the market.
“The consensus among us is that Nashville will be hanging onto him, even if they know the odds are not in their favor of re-signing him,” one Eastern Conference GM told the Daily News on condition of anonymity. “If he does decide to trade him, [David] Poile has the market cornered. There are very few defensemen of Suter’s caliber in the league and Nashville has two of them.
“You have to wonder whether the Predators can continue to trade away their top players for prospects because they can’t afford to pay them.”
Poile’s problem is that the small-market Predators - who won a playoff series for the first time in franchise history last season - can’t convince their growing fanbase that they’re gunning for a Stanley Cup if Suter is traded before the deadline. Nashville begins the second half just 4 points out of first place in the West.
Suter, a 2010 Olympic Silver medalist with the U.S., will command somewhere in the neighborhood of $7 million per season - whether the Predators give it to him or not.
Now, Poile - who is the son of the late, former Flyers general manager Bud Poile - will need to convince Suter that he has the spending power to pay both himself and restricted free agent Weber. A report from ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun says Poile has been given permission from Nashville ownership to spend to the top of the salary cap for next season.
Just signing Suter and Weber to new deals, since Weber already makes $7.5 million this season, would likely get the Predators to the spending limit. They are in the bottom 5 among payrolls this season.
Poile is in a no-lose situation. If he keeps Suter at the deadline, he will earn equity from his fanbase and even Suter, as a display of his commitment to keeping him. If Suter walks on July 1 for more money, he will do so with Poile having done everything under his power to sign him. And if Suter signs a new deal, the Predators will remain as one of the top teams in the league with a powerful core of Weber, Suter and goaltender Pekka Rinne leading them for the foreseeable future.
In their current state, the Predators are just a forward or two away from being serious title contenders.
Should Suter hit the open market in July, the Flyers would likely be front-runners for his services. Even if the salary cap does not increase from $64.3 million with the impending labor negotiations, the Flyers would have more than enough cap space for a monster deal if Chris Pronger remains on the long-term injury list and Matt Carle does not re-sign.
Timonen, now 36, can empathize with his former teammate’s predicament. He was in Suter’s shoes, in the same situation in 2007. Poile kept him at the trade deadline, the Predators finished with 110 points, and the cash-strapped franchise traded both Timonen and Scott Hartnell to the Flyers on June 18, 2007 because they couldn't afford them.
Timonen signed a 6-year, $38 million deal, one that makes him the highest-paid Finnish player in the NHL, which expires after next season. Hartnell signed a 6-year, $25.5 million deal.
Five years later, things are different in Nashville. And if Poile really does have a green light to spend the green, Suter’s run doesn’t have to end the same way.
“He’s going to take his time and see what’s going to happen,” Timonen said. “If he gets the money he wants, obviously he will stay there. You don’t know what’s going to happen, how much they’re going to spend, if they want to keep both of those two guys. He’s been there so long, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t want to stay there.”
SLAP SHOTS: The Flyers resume practice on Monday at 2 o'clock in Voorhees ... Harry Zolnierczyk, Ben Holmstrom and Tom Sestito were recalled from the Phantoms on Sunday. They played 3 games in the AHL during the NHL's All-Star break. It remains to be seen what kind of role they will play after injured forwards Jaromir Jagr (groin), James van Riemsdyk (concussion), and Danny Briere (concussion) had a chance to rest up during the break ... Michael Leighton will start for the Eastern Conference in the AHL's All-Star Game at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on Monday night ... Claude Giroux will be honored as Philadelphia's Athlete of the Year by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association on Monday night.
FURTHER READING: Claude Giroux's All-Star weekend in his quasi-hometown of Ottawa in Monday's Daily News.
For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers
- He leads the AHL in losses with 16 and is 34th overall with a 2.84 GAA...maybe Ed Snider is making the AHL put him in the Game like he makes Laviolette continually play Bryzgalov after ordering Holmgren to sign him in the offseason.
— tkohl - 2.84 GAA in the AHL. Sounds about right. He is NOT an NHL goalie! — Vandit463
- He's not doing anything too special his save % is a little of .900, but I still don't get why he was given zero chance last year after saving the season in 09'-10'. He had a .918 save % in 09'-10' and then he got exactly 1 start last year. — Knowledge King
- Anyone know if the AHL All Star Game will have any TV coverage?— fentonhardy
- The Comcast Network (TCN) is carrying the game live. NHL Network will rebroadcast the Skills Competition and ASG tomorrow. Check out theahl.com for full broadcast schedule. — bth24
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- Flyers win the Cup with Leaky in net? LOL
Watch Rob Niedermayer blow it past him on the very first shot, then Thomas Vanek adds two more first period softees before Leaky is pulled. Three Sabres' goals on seven shots:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdyeGehRudQ - 3 goals on 7 shots for Leights against the Sabres? You must be confused-- it was Bob who gave up 3 goals on 7 shots and lasted only 12 minutes against the Sabres. For his part, Leighton gave up 3 goals on 8 shots and lasted 20 minutes against the Sabres in the same series. Both are bad, but is worse than the other (hint: it is the one with a lower save percentage).
Soooooo, let's carry your thought thru. If you think the Flyers can't win with Leighton because he gave up 3 goals on 7, I mean 8, shots against the Sabres, don't they have a worse chance of winning with the goalie who actually gave up 3 goals on 7 shots (in the same series)?
Makes my message board day when you walk into these... easy pickin'. - LOL Wrong again Snipes: BUFFALO _ Flyers goalie Michael Leighton, who started one NHL game this season, allowed three goals on seven first-period shots and was replaced by Brian Boucher at the start of the second period Sunday afternoon in Buffalo.http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inqflyersreport/Pronger-Leighton-in-lineup.html
P.S. The article even includes a comment by you admitting that Leaky sucks. Thanks for walking right into this...LOL - See, that's the difference between you and me. Your opinions are based on an overdose off YouTube vids, plus a loyal following of all things Carchardi. Me, I go by the official stats, you know the ones posted on philadelphiaflyers.com and NHL.com, which say it was 3 goals on 8 shots. But does it really matter. Look at you: you despise Leighton more than anyone else in the world because, let me see if I have this correct, (a) he sucked in the playoffs, (b) he was really bad giving up 3 goals on 8 (or 7) shots to the Sabres in the playoffs, and (c) there are some YouTube vids that make him look terrible.
OK. As to Bob, who you think is the greatest goalie ever, (a) he does not have a single playoff win and his overall playoff numbers (GAA, save percentage, wins, shutouts) is WAY WORSE than Leighton's career playoff numbers (all of which are with the Flyers). (b) yup, Leighton sucked it up against the Sabres giving up 3 on 7, but Bob did the same thing, in the same series!!!! How is it that Leighton's tanking means he sucks, but Bobs identical performance is part of his great playoffs you rave about? Finally, as to (c), there are plenty of bad YouTube vids of Bob (and every other goalie). Bob and Leighton are the same-- or at least they have been to date-- except Leighton at least has some playoff wins, not to mention 3 shutouts in one seven game series. How many shutouts does Bob have, EVER, again?
Oh, and Bleacher Report? The website where fans post articles. Wow, I'm amazed. T least the NHL made a commercial to honor Leighton's 3 shutouts in one series. Can you please post a link to Bob's commercial (cue link to Leighton in Cup finals, yawn). - LOL Three hours of thinking and that's the best you can come up with? I'll answer immediately. You don't "go by stats" you distort stats to promote your incorrect views. The FACTS are that Leaky has a career losing record (because he is a loser) and was passed over by every NHL GM when they could have had him at half his salary...The reason for that is they all know he can't play. The FACT is that Bobrovsky will be playing in the NHL for years and Leaky will not. Unlike stats, pictures cannot be manipulated, so watch the biggest choke goal in Flyers' history: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5aLHImCKDc
P.S. Enjoy Leaky being the poster boy for the worst playoff goalies ever, a well-deserved honor...LOL
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/848405-nhl-history-the-15-worst-playoff-goalies - You really know how to walk into it, Snipes. You really made my message board today....LOL....It just so happens that Bleacher Report did an article on the worst playoff goalies ever, and guess who's pic is on the front?
Let me give you a hint, he's number 49. Check it out yourself right here:http://bleacherreport.com/articles/848405-nhl-history-the-15-worst-playoff-goalies
Leaky is the poster boy for the worst playoff goalies ever...LOL....Thanks for walking right into it, Snipes...I'm dying laughing....LOL - You want to talk FACTS?
1. Bob's playoff wins: Zero
2. Bob's career shutouts: Zero
3. Bob's career playoff save percentage, GAA, winning percentage, and shutout percentage: All worse than Leighton.
4. Bob was so great in the playoffs that the Flyers called up Leighton, who we all know sucks, to replace him!
5. Every GM in the league passed over Bob, as he was not even drafted.
Mind you, I think Leighton sucks, so I am not the poster boy for anything other than proving how stupid and hypocritical you are, which quite frankly, isn't difficult to do. - Comment removed.
