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Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Boucher, Laperriere join Flyers; Knuble signs with Caps

   The Flyers made a quick strike in the free-agent market Wednesday, signing goalie Brian Boucher and feisty right winger Ian "Lappy" Laperriere.

    Boucher's two-year deal is believed to be for $1.85 million, a cap hit of $925,000 per season.

    Boucher, 32, was the Flyers' No. 1 pick in the 1995 draft. He was superb as a backup in San Jose last season, going 12-6-3 with a 2.18 GAA and a .917 save percentage.

    He's the perfect fit as the backup to unpredictable Ray Emery.

    Laperriere, 35, signed a three-year contract for a reported $3.5 million ($1.17 million per season); he collected seven goals, 12 assists and 163 penalty minutes with Colorado last season.

    The Flyers, who would like to add a center who is adept at winning faceoffs, are about $2.4 million under the cap.

    The Flyers will find it difficult to replace the combined 52 goals scored last season by Mike Knuble and Joffrey Lupul.

    General manager Paul Holmgren said the Flyers are trying to add another forward to make up for the offensive losses.

   At this point, the Flyers are much strong defensively than last season, but the offense has taken a hit. Holmgren is hopeful that having Danny Briere (injured most of last year) and Claude Giroux (who began last year with the Phantoms) for a full season will dull the losses of Knuble and Lupul.

 * * * * * 

   It's official: Knuble's four-year career as a Flyer is over.

   The right winger signed a two-year deal with the Washington Capitals Wednesday for a reported $5.6 million.

  Knuble, who will turn 37 on Saturday, became an unrestricted free agent at noon Wednesday. The Flyers at first were offering a one-year deal filled with incentives, but Holmgren said last night they had later offered Knuble a two-year contract.

   Last season, Knuble made $2.8 million and scored 27 goals. His presence on the power play _ and in front of the net _ will be severely missed, but the cap-strapped Flyers could not match the Caps' offer.

    In the first four hours of the free-agency period, 21 players had signed, including former Flyer Donald "Broadway" Brashear (Rangers).

     The Flyers had been high on Florida goalie Craig Anderson, but he signed with Colorado.

   

Posted by Sam Carchidi @ 3:41 PM  Permalink | 55 comments
55
Comments   
Posted 04:01 PM, 07/01/2009
76er
Paul H. has not managed the cap well. Signing Danny B. to big contract hurt. The team will miss Knuble on and off the ice.
Posted 04:14 PM, 07/01/2009
seaonasdad
the problem with our cap is that we don't have a lot of players on rookie contracts like Chicago and some of the others who are spending freely do. That's the price you pay for being in the playoffs every year instead of tanking it like some of the other teams do. Considering how handcuffed he is, Homer is doing all right.
Posted 04:20 PM, 07/01/2009
flossified
Nice!!!! Very happy Bouch is back.
Posted 04:20 PM, 07/01/2009
ArtieLange
Holmgren made some great moves when he was first hired but now he seems overmatched trying to manage the salary cap. I hate to say it but the flyers could use someone like joe banner!
Posted 04:22 PM, 07/01/2009
chasing history
I agree that Homer overpaid for Brier, but I don't think they will miss Knuble. I really wish they had more money. I think Madden would be a great 4th line center.
Posted 04:28 PM, 07/01/2009
phillysportsnut
seaonasdad i agree he is handcuffed but some of that is his own fault. he wanted to make a big slash after the flyers worst season in history and we are paying for it now. i think he might be able to find a replacement for knuble and that would help.
Posted 04:33 PM, 07/01/2009
Hamlin
BOOOOOOOOSCH!!!!!!!! I still remember that one ridiculous save he pulled off in the playoffs against the Devils. the one where he flung himself backwards and just barely deflected the puck with his blocker. Good move for backup goalie.
Posted 04:36 PM, 07/01/2009
yehthatsrite
i agree it's a tough situation and everyone would do this and that different but they never say exactly how. sad to see knuble go but it's all about the money.
Posted 04:42 PM, 07/01/2009
catnameddomino
I wonder where Biron will end up?
Posted 04:50 PM, 07/01/2009
fman727
We got Ian Lappierre for 3 yrs 3.5million. he is 35. pointless
Posted 04:52 PM, 07/01/2009
antoski
we just signed Ian Laperriere. Thats a decent pickup. Win us some faceoffs at least.
Posted 04:52 PM, 07/01/2009
antoski
we just signed Ian Laperriere. Thats a decent pickup. Win us some faceoffs at least.
Posted 04:52 PM, 07/01/2009
seaonasdad
Ian Laperriere was signed to replace Knuble
Posted 04:56 PM, 07/01/2009
ChrisM
Ian Lappierre sucks
Posted 04:57 PM, 07/01/2009
kev
So tired of hearing about how terrible the Briere deal is. At the time we needed to sign a big free agent to be relevant/competitive again after the worst season in team history - plus the guy was great in '07/'08 (including being our leading point producer in the playoffs) and should have a nice bounceback year next year after being injured. Remember, we didn't have him for most of '08/'09, so all this whining about losing goal scoring (particularly with Lupul) - you'll get that all back and then some with a healthy Briere. Wouldn't be surprised to see him on the wing since we are already strong up the middle (Carter, Richards, Giroux), and whoever the 4th line guy ends up being. Anyway, please, please, please stop whining about Briere's contract. I would pay his salary any day of the week if he is our leading scorer in the playoffs again.
About Sam Carchidi
Sam Carchidi, who has covered primarily South Jersey high school sports and the Phillies for three decades, is in his second year as the Flyers’ beat writer. He has followed the Flyers since their inception in 1967-68, and remembers when only the third periods of their games were broadcast on the radio - just seven years before they became the city's most popular franchise.

Carchidi has written three books _ the nationally acclaimed Miracle in the Making: The Adam Taliaferro Story, which he co-authored with Scott Brown; Bill Campbell: The Voice of Philadelphia Sports; and Standing Tall: The Kevin Everett Story, which was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

A lifelong South Jersey resident, Carchidi lives in Wenonah, N.J., with his wife, JoAnn, and he is a passionate sports fan of the colleges attended by his daughter, Sara (tiny Mount St. Mary’s in Maryland, which qualified for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament last season and is unbeaten in football since 1951) and his son, Sammy (West Virginia, an annual challenger for the nation’s No. 1 ranking in football and men’s basketball).
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