Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Voracek signs 4-year extension

On Wednesday, Paul Holmgren said it was “only a matter of time” before the Flyers were able to re-sign forward Jake Voracek.

55 comments

Voracek signs 4-year extension

POSTED: Thursday, July 26, 2012, 11:29 AM

On Wednesday, Paul Holmgren said it was “only a matter of time” before the Flyers were able to re-sign forward Jake Voracek.

He wasn’t kidding. It took less than 24 hours.

On Thursday, the Flyers signed Voracek to a massive 4-year, $17 million extension. He will carry an annual salary cap hit of $4.25 million, a substantial raise from the $2.25 million he earned last season, his first with the Flyers.

While that may seem like a decent chunk of change up front, the Flyers are banking on Voracek’s untapped potential toward the end of the deal.

Voracek, who turns 23 on Aug. 15, could put up a staggering number of points on the Flyers’ top line with Claude Giroux, which is where Holmgren expects he’ll skate this year.

Plus, his contract is very comparable to some of the deals signed recently. Florida locked up Kris Versteeg, who is 4 years older, to a 4-year deal at $4.4 million per year. St. Louis signed T.J. Oshie, who is 2 years older, to a 5-year deal at $4.175 million per year. Voracek’s stats are nearly identical to both - and he spent the first 3 years of his career on a brutally inept Columbus team.

Voracek has missed just 9 games over his first 4 years in the league. He netted a career-high 18 goals with the Flyers last year, just missing out on tying a career-high of 50 points. He also posted a career-high 190 shots on goal and tied a career-high plus/minus at plus-11. Interestingly, all 18 of Voracek’s goals came at even-strength.

Undoubtedly, Jaromir Jagr helped Voracek immensely in adjusting to Philadelphia. Voracek grew up idolizing Jagr in their shared hometown of Kladno, Czech Republic, and the two spent quite a bit of time together.

Now, Voracek will be counted on to replace his countryman in a big way. And he has the cash to prove it.

For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers

Frank Seravalli @ 11:29 AM  Permalink | 55 comments
55 comments
Comments  (55)
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:25 PM, 07/26/2012
    Great Job Homer....No matter what any of these armchair hockeyexperts say...... I think your doing a great job. Our core players are very good and I believe capable of taking us far if just given the chance...this is a good time to see what the farm system has produced
    fbpdplt
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:32 PM, 07/26/2012
    Terrific capture by Mr Holmgren ! johnnyu
    john ullman
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:50 PM, 07/26/2012
    The opening bid from Homer for Weber
    was Read, Mez and the Flyers' first
    three picks in next years draft.
    olneyboy
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:50 PM, 07/26/2012
    The opening bid from Homer for Weberwas Read, Mez and the Flyers' first three picks in next years draft. (HTML deleted)
    olneyboy
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:50 PM, 07/26/2012
    The opening bid from Homer for Weberwas Read, Mez and the Flyers' first three picks in next years draft. (HTML deleted)
    olneyboy
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:54 PM, 07/26/2012
    This kid has lots of potential I like his energy and effort always giove 100%...couldnt afford to lose him...still need major help on D and in goal...unfortunately little they can do about it right now
    flyers1000
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:20 PM, 07/26/2012
    Glad he's signed, but not sure he's worth $4.25M per year. Seems steep......but he's young and hopefully continues to improve.
    Tar Heel 1
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:35 PM, 07/26/2012
    Great signing...most people agree, but those saying he's overpaid--he rec'd market value. Because he is 22, you maybe could make the case he should have got south of 4 mill...but after losing out on 3 players this summer, I don't care that we "MAYBE" overpaid by a couple of hundred K's...who cares? This guy is absolutely needed on this team....therefore, a good deal is market value. DO NOT TRADE HIM or we lose all credibility with signing guys longer than a year!
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:48 PM, 07/26/2012
    I've been saying this from the get-go, but it really rings true now that those deals all fell thru: We should've signed Jagr.

    The Jagr signing was a successful experiment for our club! And even if he'd played only half to 2/3rds of the games next season, it would've been worth it for locker room presence and mentoring for Giroux, Hartnell, Couturier, and Voracek (fellow countryman). it's easy to imagine that he'd move on to a position in teh front office after retirement. But not now, after only one year.


    Indeed, that one got away from us!
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:45 PM, 07/26/2012
    Semind signed with Canes. 1 year 7M deal. I wonder how Caps fans feel about that. Not that I care.
    Nitroglycerin
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:48 PM, 07/26/2012
    Wow, the idiotic comments are at a minimum for once, that will change later I'm sure...We are in great hands with Homer, he has done everything right hich ain't easy. So we didn't get the FA's we wanted, boohoo..We didn't give up the pieces that will surely fuel this club for many years to come..and I like the fact that all these young players Homer acquired are still with us...Good young talent on the cheap, and we will contend this year even as the team is now, bet on it
    TexasYankee
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:49 PM, 07/26/2012
    phew. voracek will be a star.
    KYS24
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:04 PM, 07/26/2012
    great signing. thought they'd have a chance to be able to get him for 3-3.5 per year, but 4.25 is fine...he's earned it and hopefully it'll pay big dividends later. this guy has nowhere to go but up.
    Zero
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:40 PM, 07/26/2012
    A lot of pressure was put on Giroux and JVR to step up this past year. Now its Voracek's turn to be saddled with that responsibility. I believe he has the SKILLS to jump up his game more like Giroux answering that bell. I hope he is less like JVR in being unable to reach his potential. I believe. Go get 'em Jake!
    Neebo
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:04 PM, 07/26/2012
    Texasyankee...dont go overboard on giving KUDO"S to Homer...he did in fact sign BRYZ for 9 years which may cripple the franchise for years if he plays this year like last..huge mistake....he overplayed his hand on WEBER...if he had waited till WEBER was a FA at the end of this year Weber would have been a Flyer for life.....He is aggressive give him that much but his moves have been both very good and very bad
    flyers1000


View comments: 1  |  2  |  3  |  4
About this blog
Frequent Flyers is your home for news and analysis of all things orange and black. Reach Frank at seravaf@phillynews.com.

Frank Seravalli Daily News Sports Columnist
Philly.com Sports Videos
Blog archives:
Past Archives: