Flyers pursuing Langenbrunner

NEWARK, N.J. - The Flyers would like to add veteran New Jersey Devils winger Jamie Langenbrunner to their already-deep lineup, The Inquirer has learned.

Langenbrunner, who is in the last year of a $2.8 million contract, was asked to waive his no-trade clause and was not in Thursday's lineup against the Flyers.

The Flyers have about $3.6 million of acquisition space available - enough room to add Langenbrunner. The Flyers offered a pair of draft picks - believed to be third and fifth rounders - for Langenbrunner, an NHL source said.

Langenbrunner, 35, is having a subpar season - who isn't on the floundering Devils? - and has four goals and 10 assists in 31 games.

"The fact that I'm not there tonight probably means a trade will be happening sooner rather than later," Langenbrunner told the Star-Ledger of Newark in a phone interview Thursday evening, implying that he will waive his no-trade clause. "I'm in limbo, waiting."

The Devils reportedly are seeking a relatively high draft pick or a prospect in a deal.

Langenbrunner, the Devils' captain for the last three-plus years, is minus-15 this season. He wants to remain on the East Coast, sources said.

Besides the Flyers, the Washington, Pittsburgh and Boston are believed to be in the mix for Langenbrunner, who will be an unrestricted free agent next season. He won Stanley Cups with Dallas in 1999 and with New Jersey in 2003.

In 996 career games, Langenbrunner has 232 goals and 620 points.

The Flyers called up defenseman Danny Syvret from the Phantoms in case of an injury. The Phantoms were traveling Thursday to British Columbia, so the Flyers wanted a defenseman close by, just in case.

Kimmo Timonen has had a troublesome hip and is not 100 percent, but he continues to play.

Syvret, who had five goals and seven assists in 19 games with Adirondack, was a healthy scratch Thursday.

Syvret, 25, said he wasn't upset last week when Erik Gustafsson was recalled instead of him.

"I'm in my sixth year, and you can't get mad or upset over things like that because then it reflects in your own play," he said. "You have to control what you can with your on-ice ability and clear your head for the rest of it."

Gustafsson was a healthy scratch for three games and was returned to the Phantoms.

Winger Nik Zherdev, bothered by a groin injury, was scratched for the second straight game but will practice Friday. . . . Phantoms goalie Brian Stewart (.944 save percentage in his last five games), 25, was sent to Bakersfield of the ECHL. The Phantoms now have Michael Leighton and Johan Backlund as their goalies. . . . The Flyers finish the home-and-home series by hosting New Jersey in a Saturday matinee. . . . Tuesday marks the 35th anniversary of the Flyers' win over the Soviet Red Army.