Flyers more well-rounded with Pronger

An optimist would say that general manager Paul Holmgren is going for the Stanley Cup - now - and that Pronger, a future Hall of Famer who is one of the NHL's most physical players, is the type of leader who can put the Flyers over the top.

A pessimist would say that Holmgren mortgaged too much of the future by trading for an almost-35-year-old defenseman who is clearly past his prime, and signed for just one year.

In return for Pronger and minor-league forward Ryan Dingle, the Flyers gave up a 25-goal scorer in forward Joffrey Lupul, who had a bulging contract; a promising 19-year-old defenseman in Luca Sbisa; two No. 1 draft picks; and a conditional third-round pick.

"You're talking about two good young players and two potentially good young players, too, so it was hard," Holmgren said yesterday, the NHL's final draft day, at the Bell Centre. "It's a lot to give up for anybody, but I think we've added a piece that really makes us a much better team."

It was a deal that, on paper, makes the Flyers a strong Stanley Cup contender. And, yes, it caught the attention of Ray Shero, general manager of the Flyers' chief rival, the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

"Philly's got a good team anyway, and this is going to make them better," Shero said.

Pronger, combined with Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn, gives the Flyers arguably the best top three defensemen in the Eastern Conference. The rugged Pronger is a slick passer who also will add offense to a blue-line group that produced a league low of 20 goals last season.

But the move was risky on several fronts.

A boatload of young talent was traded. Moreover, Pronger is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $6.25 million. There are no assurances that he will stay beyond this season, though Holmgren is eager to negotiate an extension, and Pronger's agent, Pat Morris, is optimistic that a long-term deal can get done.

The trade also leaves the Flyers with precious little salary-cap space.

They are about $5 million under the new $56.8 million cap - and still have to add a backup goalie, a right winger (they want to re-sign Mike Knuble, who has drawn interest from the Penguins), and perhaps another defenseman and a fourth-line center adept at winning face-offs.

It is the second daring move Holmgren has made in the off-season. The first brought a controversial goalie, Ray Emery, whose low salary of $1.5 million and promise caused the Flyers to overlook his previous antics - and enabled them to afford Pronger.

Trading Lupul, who is signed to a $4.25 million contract for each of the next four years, has left the Flyers short on right wingers. They could re-sign Knuble, and Danny Briere could slide to the right wing. The deal also could open a spot for Andreas Nodl, while Arron Asham figures to hold one of the other right-wing spots.

The bottom line: The Flyers look balanced. Their offense is solid, and their defense now has physicality to complement its puck carriers - and that should make Emery's job easier.

If the Flyers don't win the Cup with Pronger, the deal will come back to haunt them, much as the Phillies' aforementioned trade haunted them. But if they have to give Anaheim a conditional third-round pick in 2010 or 2011, all will be fine in Flyersville.

The Flyers will give the Ducks that pick only if they win the Cup this season.

Contact staff writer Sam Carchidi at 215-854-5181 or scarchidi@phillynews.com.