Flyers full of questions at NHL draft

LOS ANGELES - As the Flyers' brass gets ready for the weekend's NHL draft here, they are considering questions - lots of questions.

Do they trade Jeff Carter, one of the league's most dependable scorers, for a promising young goalie and a high draft pick?

Do they remain at their current draft position - the Flyers don't select until the third round, with the 89th overall pick Saturday - or make a blockbuster trade that enables them to get a selection when the first round is held on Friday night?

Do they bypass the chance to trade for a goalie at the draft and instead wait until the free-agency period starts on July 1 and sign a competent guy like Dan Ellis or Chris Mason?

Do they re-sign Michael Leighton as their No. 1 goalie, or try to make a deal for an available goaltender such as Minnesota's Josh Harding?

A high-placed league source thinks the Flyers will re-sign Leighton, whose agent, Mike Liut, had initial contract talks with general manager Paul Holmgren in Los Angeles on Thursday. The same source said it was a longshot that the Flyers would deal Carter.

"No one is untouchable," said the source, "but you don't find guys like Jeff Carter too often."

There are factors that affect the Great Goalie Quest, such as how much it will cost the Flyers to sign recently acquired defensemen Dan Hamhuis - if they are able to sign him before he becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1.

The amount of money it costs to sign Hamhuis (possibly as much as $16 million for four years) and restricted free agent Braydon Coburn could have a bearing on the type of goalie the Flyers sign/acquire. The fact that the cap has increased 5 percent, from $56.7 million to $59.4 million, could help the Flyers sign both defensemen.

The draft, which will be held at the Staples Center, is not considered especially deep, so getting a gem at No. 89 is doubtful.

They also could come home with a goaltender. Here are the goalies on the Flyers' radar:

Jonathan Bernier, Los Angeles.

The Kings are Flyers West, and the teams seem compatible. Los Angeles has former Flyer head coaches Terry Murray (head coach) and John Stevens (assistant) helping run things. The Kings also have two front-office executives with Flyers ties - general manager Dean Lombardi and assistant GM Ron Hextall - making personnel decisions.

But will they part with Bernier, 21, who has just three NHL games under his belt but was sensational for AHL Manchester last season? Bernier had a 2.03 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage, and he looks like a star in the making.

Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles.

Quick, 24, was the Kings' starter this past season, but Bernier could make him expendable. A former third-round pick, he was 39-24-7 this season with a 2.54 GAA and a .907 save percentage.

Cory Schneider, Vancouver.

With Roberto Luongo signed through 2021-22, Schneider's future is blocked, and he will have many suitors. Flyers scouts are enamored with Schneider, 24, who has been an AHL standout.

Dan Ellis, Nashville.

Ellis, 30, lost the starting job to Pekka Rinne and is on the verge of becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Ellis had a 2.69 GAA and a .909 save percentage last season. Three years ago, his numbers were outstanding (2.34 GAA, .924 save percentage), and he had a .938 save percentage in six playoff games. He made $2 million last season, and he seems like a safe choice if the Flyers take the free-agent route and decide Ellis is an upgrade over Leighton.

Chris Mason, St. Louis.

With the Blues' stunning acquisition of Jaroslav Halak, Mason, 34, figures to be gone. Mason, who made $3 million last season, can become an unrestricted free agent, and he is coming off a year in which he was 30-22-8 with a 2.53 GAA and a .913 save percentage.

Josh Harding, Minnesota.

At 26, Harding, now the backup to Niklas Backstrom, is young enough to blossom. But he had a subpar season - 9-12 with a 3.05 GAA and a .905 save percentage - and he is coming off April hip surgery.

According to a league source, the Flyers have only minimal interest in Harding, who had a sensational 19-game stint two seasons ago.

Michael Leighton, Flyers.

If Leighton hadn't performed so poorly in the Finals, there wouldn't be any goaltender suspense. But after a solid season and an outstanding playoff series against Montreal, he was pulled from two Finals games against Chicago. He compiled a 3.96 Finals goals-against average - punctuated by a handful of soft goals - and had a meager .876 save percentage.

The Flyers are trying to sign him - no word on whether it's as the starter or the backup - before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Leighton had a combined 2.83 GAA and .905 save percentage with the Flyers and Carolina last season.

"When you look at what's out there," said one NHL executive who wasn't sure if Bernier would be available in a trade, "I don't know if anyone is much better than Leighton."

Breakaways. Edmonton is expected to take left winger Taylor Hall with the No. 1 overall pick Friday, while Boston figures to choose center Tyler Seguin No. 2. . . . Nick Luukko, an 18-year-old defenseman, could be selected in the later rounds. He is the son of Peter Luukko, the president of Comcast-Spectacor, the Flyers' parent company. . . . The cap has increased about $20 million from when it was instituted at $39 million in 2005. . . . The cap floor, the lowest a team can spend on salaries, will be $43.4 million for 2010-11. . . . All seven rounds will be shown on Versus.