Why Nash is a long shot
UPDATE: Eric Wellwood’s stay in Adirondack was a short one.
Why Nash is a long shot
UPDATE: Eric Wellwood’s stay in Adirondack was a short one.
After heading back to Glens Falls, N.Y., on Monday following Sunday’s loss in Detroit, Wellwood was re-called by the Flyers this morning.
He will likely skate on the Flyers’ third line tonight against Buffalo, as the Flyers take on a Sabres team that is a nail or two away from a closed casket display at the First Niagara Center in April.
Peter Laviolette said it best on Wednesday when he noted the Flyers were short on bodies.
Wellwood, playing in his 6th career NHL game, will replace Jake Voracek as he did on Sunday in Detroit. Voracek skated in a non-contact jersey on Wednesday, still suffering from an “upper-body” injury that Paul Holmgren said is "below the neck." Voracek suffered that injury in last Saturday’s loss to the Rangers; this will be his second straight game out of the lineup.
Voracek was one of 7 players who had skated in every game this season for the Flyers.
Jaromir Jagr, who turned 40 on Wednesday, appears to remain in the lineup despite flu-like symptoms. Jagr has just 10 points in his last 19 games after starting the season with 29 in 29. He’s scored just 1 goal since that dazzling display in Pittsburgh back on Dec. 29.
Zac Rinaldo will serve the first of his two game suspension against Buffalo. He is eligible to return to the lineup on Feb. 21 in Winnipeg. Jody Shelley will replace him on the fourth line.
James van Riemsdyk is expected to miss his 15th straight game tonight. He remains on the injured reserve. Despite changing to a regular jersey in practice on Wednesday, van Riemsdyk said through a team spokesman that he feels no better, and Holmgren said his “out indefinitely” status has not changed.
NASH RUMORS HEATING UP: The rumors swirling around Columbus captain Rick Nash have been hot for days, since a Columbus Dispatch report on Monday confirmed that the Blue Jackets’ brass is open to offers for their franchise’s only star player.
We’ve yet to address those rumors here, despite the Flyers being installed as an early favorite, because they don’t seem to make much sense.
The Flyers have the cap space for an acquisition of approximately $4.9 million before the Feb. 27 trade deadline. They could afford up to $6.8 million in acquisition space, according to our friends at CapGeek.com, depending on their AHL demotion choices. Nash’s cap hit is $7.8 million through 2017-18.
Do the Flyers have the pieces to get it done? Sure they do. Few teams have the NHL-ready young talent that the Flyers can offer, with names like Sean Couturier (the pick used from Columbus in the Jeff Carter deal), Matt Read, Brayden Schenn, and even James van Riemsdyk.
The name Columbus would probably most be interested in is Sergei Bobrovsky.
The Flyers could always plug their backup hole with Michael Leighton for the remainder of the season, behind Ilya Bryzgalov, and actually save $250,000 on the salary cap.
But moving any one of those names would seem to go against the exact nature of the Flyers' moves last summer, in which they traded away a few big name pieces - and saddled Columbus with one of them - to try and get younger. Their team now is setup like a puzzle that can be arranged in many different ways and still fit together. It wasn't that way last season.
Plus, offense isn’t exactly what the Flyers need. They’re already second in the league in scoring this season. It’s their defense and goaltending that have prevented them from playing like a top contender. We laid out many of these issues in Tuesday’s column.
That still doesn’t prevent the Flyers from being listed by many as the dark horse in the Nash rumors.
Take, for instance, a story from CBC’s Elliotte Friedman – who has impeccable sources. After the Rangers and Maple Leafs, many consider the Flyers:
“There are a lot of teams who think this has Flyers written all over it. They've got a young goalie.”
Look, I’m not pouring water on the fire. I just think the Flyers are a long shot in this race. Much longer than the 6-1 odds they’ve been given to land Nash. And I'm not even sold that Nash, who has a no-movement clause and would need to approve any trade, will be dealt before the deadline. Scott Howson doesn't have the option to bungle this deal like he did with Carter. The life of the Columbus franchise literally hinges upon a home run deal.
For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers
Not going to happen— jdld610- Flyers just got Kubina for 2 picks...now Carle can go!!!— MOCKBACCCP
- If Columbus felt as if they needed Bobrovsky on their team all they would have to do is pick up the phone and offer PHI a 2nd round pick, which is almost equal to PHI 1st rnd pk because its so early in the draft. Why would CLB even mention Nash's name in those talks?? Any trade involving Nash would be a trade in which painful choices need to be made. Such as do we really want to part with Couturier & Schenn along with Bobs. Anything other then young NHL ready players with low salaries and lots of upside wont even be considered by CLB or any other rational person by the way. Nash for Rinaldo, Harry Z, Bobs, is a pipe dream.— coreym1945
- Nash is not worth his enormous salary. The Flyers' franchise player clearly is Claude Giroux, and he will be due for a steep rise in 2014/15. You can't keep two players with a salary of more than 7 million easily if you want a deep roster. Nash has not been able to make the players around him any better, and I hope the Flyers don't go after him. We have an exciting young squad and the Grossman trade was exactly what the doctor ordered. I still believe Bryz can be the top goalie in the future and in the offseason the Flyers should trade for a true #1 defenseman.— flyerdommo
- Ok I would really like Nash, but he is not what they NEED. I also don't believe he is worth 7.8 mill per year through 2018. He is an all star, but keep in mind he's never had more than 80-85 pts a year. Yes he's on a horrible team, but he still isn't worth that much cap space for that long. I also do not want to see the Flyers trade any of the blue chip NHL young guns (JVR, Couterier, Schenn, Read). The Flyers needs to stay the course this year, hope Bryz plays better and go after a stud defenseman in free agency. At this point Pronger's future prospects looks bleak to say the least. We don't need any knee jerk trade deadline blockbuster which will harm the future. Realistically, the Flyers won't win the cup this year. However if they keep the core together they will contend for the next 5 - 10 years.— jvmiii88
- Defense….you talkin about Defense….— connorjr
- If you're going to invest $7.8M annually against the cap for many more years in a player for this club, it had better be for a defenseman or goaltender.— sklandog
- If you're going to invest $7.8M annually against the cap for many more years in a player for this club, it had better be for a defenseman or goaltender.— sklandog
- Carle, JVR, and Bob for Nash! We got another D today to take Carles spot and Leighton can come up as back up goal with Nash taking JVR old spot on first line— connorjr
- Wish they could move Briere out of town with his NTC/NMC. Like the guy, but not worth anything close to 6 mil a year. He is going to be a cap killer for the next 3 years.— dismonkey
- Give them Bryz and $50 million...— djw26
- Nash would be awesome on this team. But it will take ALOT to get him. But our need is D, not O right now. However, having him long term would fantastic for this team going forward because Jagr looks done (could also be readjusting to life in the NHL).— kwasi2323
- Maxime Ouellet was a first-round goalie selection, too, but never let facts get in the way of a tirade.— FlyerBacker88
- Nash for Bobrovsky? Consider it done. I lived in Columbus from 2007-2010, and saw him mature as a player. On a team with decent talent this guy would be a sure-fire 40 goal scorer. He is a complete package, on a horrible team.— General Turgidson
- Trade Bob. Zero playoff wins (he was so bad that they desperately brought up Leighton, which says a lot right there). Zero shutouts in 83 appearances (ouch). Stats in ALL major categories (save percentage, GAA, winning percentage) are WORSE this year than last year, and this year he does not have the excuses (new to the USA, new to NHL sized rinks, no English, overworked, etc.) made for him last year.
I had been asking to see Bob play playoff caliber teams and we finally got that the past couple of weeks-- didn't go so hot for Bob, who now has the 37th best save percentage and 38th best GAA in the NHL.
This is the guy we want to hold on to???? Are we so desperate to have a good, homegrown goalie that we want to pretend that Bob's horrific numbers are solid? Come on, time for the Bob fans to wake up and face the facts-- he has not been that good to date.
Let Bob play Buffalo tonight and a few more bad teams to artificially inflate his numbers (like earlier in the season) and then unload him if you get anything decent in return.— snipesmorris - Not that far fetched when you consider that the flyers will need a top line RW for next year. Jagr may or may not be back, but Nash is certainly an upgrade. The only option for Bob is trading him since the Bryz mess we're in, so Bob and another piece wouldn't be too bad of a deal. It also would keep him from other contenders, namely the Rangers. But, who says the Flyers are on his list?— philly thug
- Shame we can't move Bryz, even if he gave up his no trade claus, his HuMangus salary and crappy inconsistent play would make him impossible to move.— Fir_Na_Tine
- bryz's play makes me hesitant to trade bob. nash could be an all time great when it's all said and done, though....imagine him on the 'g' line in place of jagr...could be electric.— otown philly fan
- Nash smells of Versteeg/Hawerchuk/Amonte/Oates/need I go on?— gob1234
- Last time we had a stud goalie: Hextall in 1987. Last time the Flyers used a first round pick on a goalie: NEVER.— Desslok of Gamilon
- If they do that, trade Bob and bring up Leighton, that's it. It's over.
- Man, this is only Brys first year......We have more to come....lets just wait and see this team excel..........it may take a few years, but Rome, wasn't build in a year....They are on the right track......— shmoo
- Let's dismantle the team and put a better one together. Oh wait a minute, we did that 10 months ago. Nevermind. How about live with the team, get the young guys better, mover the Pronger salary and do something smart not drastic in the off season. Hello Bobby Clarke?— boroughboy
- Anyone quoting Bryz in a deal has absolutely zero clue. There is not one team that will take his contract if we offered it to them for free...and threw in JVR too just to take it off our hands. We are stuck with him. Sorry to burst your bubble.— ant8817
- Keep the youth- as much as I like the Flyers this year, unless Bryz stands on his head for the rest of the season- we are 1-2 years away from the cup.— Keep The Change
- I agree about the focus on Defense. Nash is great, but unless you're going to use him to replace someone else, or get better defensively, I don't see the point. I guess maybe if you gave up Briere in the deal or something, maybe then...— WestonF01
- The Flyers can add at the trade deadline by subtraction. Trade Carle for anything. Mabye we can a pick or a young prospect in return, other teams that need a 4th or 5th dman may look favorably at a guy like Carle and hopefully they dont care how horrid defensively he is and just need a puckmover. In no way should the Flyers resign this guy so you might as well move him now, its not like he helps us defenseively at this point. You can then make a minor deal and find someone to plug in the whole for the rest of this year and go after 2 better dmen next offseason.— Bob Sacamano
- I would trade carle too. You can get a decent return for him even as a rental. I don't like carle but a lot ofpeople around the league do he has a higher value then people think. Look what they got for kaberle last year he is worse then carle and they got a huge return for him. — PhillyFran75
- Yeah i agree. I dont see the Flyers bringing him back so you might as well get something. He is nowhere in the league of a Suter so if Nashville is thinking about a trade with him i think Matt Carle should be expendable for the Flyers. — Bob Sacamano
- I apologize for not proofreading as well but dont for wanting to move carle — Bob Sacamano
- Good player, not a need for this team. Would only take him if the deal was a steal. Love this team, but they are not ready yet, stay young, try to bolster defense and no idea what to do about goaltending.— Sidewinder7
- do not trade away our future. cout. read and schenn should not be traded! bob I am not sure about that one.— wlgj
- would not move Couturier in any deal. This kid needs to be a mainstay on this team. JVR I would move and potentially Bob. Schenn has a chance to be a very good player too. Truthfully, not sure I would waste my time on Nash. I would rather figure out how we upgrade the Defense in the off season. Timonen is wearing out, Pronger may be done, Carle needs to be left on the free agent market, Lilja rots, etc.— Back up the Bus for Gload and Bowker
- Three way deal:
1. Bob to CBJ
2. Nash to TML
3. Schenn to PHL
Throw in some picks and B list players in each transaction and everyone comes out winning.— grev63 - Rage...what are you smokin'?— PhillyBurbs
- Forget that. Trade JVR, Bryz, and a young piece to Buffalo for Ryan Miller and Ville Leino. Miller has 1 year left and is rumored to be unhappy in Buffalo. The Sabres get a good young JVR, and get to unload a bad contract in Ville, we unload a bad one in Bryz and bring back a real goalie.— mikeyhigs
- I wouldn't let Vorachek walk anywhere. He's comes to play every night, not always on the scoresheet, but he's a damn good 2-way player.— spittooncj
- Think they'd have to think hard about trading Bob's, just sayin'...— DJ
- It is ridiculous RageCage. Why don't you throw in Therien while you're at it? That would be a garbage deal for Columbus, you want to trade a young player, and yet don't want to trade any of the good ones for him. Rick Nash is beast and it will take giving up ACTUAL PLAYERS for him. go back to sleep.— kozykoz26
- Maybe Homey should trade for Punxsutawney Phil. He also sees his shadow and crawls back into his hole at the beginning of every February. He'd be a perfect fit with these mongrels. You heard it from the Tonner first.— hunglikeaton
- Get him for Bob, Carle (expiring contract at the end of the season) and a young kid (not Read, Schenn, or Couterier) and maybe a pick or two. Then you let Voracek walk at the end of the year... keep Pronger on long term IR... and go after Weber or Suter in the offseason. See, wasn't that easy?! HA! Honestly though, it's not that ridiculous.— ragecage22
- Guess again if you think your getting Nash for BOB carle and picks and prospects. Read Schenn or Couturier will be one of the first thing they will ask for along with bob. They will get a good return for nash. — PhillyFran75
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