Flyers talking with Zherdev
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Flyers talking with Zherdev
Russian news services indicate the Flyers and Ukrainian free agent forward Nikolai Zherdev have come to an agreement to bring the skilled but aloof scorer back to the NHL.
As of this posting, the two sides have not been able to nail down an agreement.
But the Flyers and Zherdev’s Russian agent, Igor Popov, have been talking and an offer is pending, a league source has told the Daily News. Both sides appear to be close to a deal.
Zherdev, 25, played last season in Russia with the KHL’s Atlant Mystishchi after the New York Rangers let him walk after winning a $4 million salary award in arbitration last summer.
He was reportedly seeking a long-term deal worth the same amount this summer. Boston, Toronto and Buffalo are the other teams that have reportedly offered Zherdev a contract.
At 6-foot-2, Zherdev would fill in nicely in the Flyers’ depth chart at right wing. Over his last two NHL seasons, Zherdev posted 109 points – 49 of them being goals.
Zherdev was the No. 4 overall pick by Columbus in 2003. Few doubt Zherdev’s talent and skill but almost all of his critics question his work ethic and consistency.
After a 54 point season in 2006-06 – his second in the NHL – Zherdev posted just 10 goals and 22 assists for 32 points over 71 games and then nearly doubled that total the following season, his last with the Blue Jackets.
The Rangers acquired him on July 2, 2008 with Dan Fritsche for Christian Backman and Fedor Tyutin.
Last season, in the comparatively low-scoring Kontinental Hockey League, Zherdev netted 39 points in 52 games.
The signing of Zherdev would mark the official end of the Simon Gagne era in Philadelphia. Last week, Gagne agreed to waive his no-trade clause. Gagne is due $5.25 million next season, his last year under contract with the Flyers. Zherdev's signing would put the Flyers well over next season's $59.4 million salary cap.
For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter (http://twitter.com/DNFlyers).
Comments (97)
What ever happened to this story? Appears DOA— Ohmy
i like the move with this defense and these scorers get a real goalie save leighton for the playoffs teams might get 15 chances a game get gagne gone and get that goalie and yes lord stanley we will accept your cup— dclarke76
thumbs down— Inchon- If you have a plan in place for a Gagne trade that: a) nets us a legitimate goaltender / goaltending prospect in return (if not also a decent forward / prospect); b) nets us at least some additional cap space; c) has not already killed his trade value with this "news" leaked; and d) doesn't give a guy with work ethic issues the 4-million per year multi-year deal, then I'm all ears. But something tells me I'm not going to get my wish.— EaglesWest
- Zherdev is worthless. I can't believe Homer seriously wants this guy. I watched him play in the KHL (I work in Kazakhstan) and he's all fluff! Absolutely zero grit.— Richard S
- I like Gags too but the nimrod imbeciles who post here thinking he'll fetch much on the market should restart their meds. He has one year left and injury history. No GM will be lining up to give away the store to get him. His best value is to us this year if we think we are legit contenders. If we're not and he is having a decent season our best hope is that a contender might overpay near the deadline. For now keep this solid citizen and F the risky rusky.— rollins
Comment removed.- Lede: They've "come to an agreement." 2nd graph: They "have not been able to nail down an agreement." Good writing. Regardless, this signing would mean Leighton is the top goalie and that continues this team's total ignorance about the importance of a top-notch goalie that can steal games.— VicM
I don't think many of you have seen zherdev play. I live in Columbus and had the chance to see him a lot and he is very good. Hitchcock soiled him a bit, bencched him for long stretches, and did the typical "play my way or else" routine. I'm not saying I'd want him over gagne. But just saying he's not a schlub either.- How about Pat Ryan? I hear the roofing biz is slow right now. . .— 88etrain
- There were many questions about the work ethic of our "core group" last season (Richards, Carter, etc.) If you were GM, why would you add a player to that mix who has a bona fide history of slacking? This totally reminds me of the Fat Palloon acquisition. Philly fans will eat Zherdev alive if he starts mailing it in. What is it about some GM's who think "it'll be different on OUR team." It almost never is. You can change the scenery, but wherever you go there you are.— 88etrain
- well it seems to be none of us ever were gm's so let's just see what this guy can do,last memory i had was that week goal that won it for the Hawks, until we address the goalie issue we will always be looking at other teams holding up the cup,hextall was the last goalie to get us close to a cup against the oilers when he one the mvp award, how long ago was that,we still need a goalie, until then we are just pretenders nothing more nothing less, : )— eddiwayne27
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- JourneyHome - A potential 50 goal scorer???? Where the hell did that come from? He scored 13 goals in Russia last yr man what in Gods name make you think he could score 50 over here? This would be Homers worse deal and if he makes it they should fire his a-s-s!!!!— faithfullyflyers
What am I missing here? This guy is the antithesis of the once proud Flyer 'work ethic'. On top of that, he's a Commie, which sure wouldn't fit with Clarkie's preferences. The thought of it makes Gagne seem well worth the price!— Nihilist- What happened to the last guy the Flyers plucked from the boondocks of the KHL?— juliusman3
- I'm with flyerfan4life and seasondad, gags is a two-way player with heart. He deserves to win the cup win philly. Keep gags!— dionponu
- With Gagne's salary gone---Turco is coming.— Romus
Deja Vu all over again. Didn't they get Ray Emery from a Russian club? That worked out great. If a player is not playing in the NHL, it's for good reason... he's not good enough to play in the NHL.— RAS- Gagne for Simmonds---good move---plus we finally get a big rugged RW brother who can score and skate.— Romus
- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Gagne is the heart of this team. It better be Carter that we trade.
- Anyone who compares Zherdev to Pavel Brendel is out of their mind. Zherdev is a danger every time he touches the puck. Gag's is gone either way, so why not sign him? Possession, skating, and scoring is what will win.— michaelthegreat
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- Good move if it happens. Discussion here: http://www.phillysportscentral.com/forums/showthread.php?40893-Reports-out-of-Russia-Flyers-sign-Nikolai-Zherdev.— PSC001
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- This would be a good signing. Im a huge Gags fan, but he cant stay healthy for a full season, plus the whole concussion thing. One solid hit from someone and Gagne could be the next Primeau. Trade Gagne now while he still has value and hope the Zherdev signing works out. And the Leighton haters need to go. Give him a full season and see what happens, if he sucks then let the leighton bashing begin.— Tough* Juice*
- Zherdev would be a mistake, even at a discount. Better options are available.— FlyersJoe.com
- helloooooooooo, what goalie do all you whiners say we should "get" ? One that isnt available ? Or better yet, one that is washed up and no better track record than what we've got. I am not saying Zherdev is right, but with no real goalies available, its time to get off the goalie train. It is funny to see all you arm chair GMs who say trade for this guy or trade for that guy...Do you actually read or even know how to read ? If Quick or the UNPROVEN Bernier are not available, saying "lets trade player x and player y for Quick/Bernier/Brown is purely idiotic. I could see it now, we get Brnier and he is either rushed to play and flops or does not live up to NHL expectations, and the same people who cried to get him would be bashing and blaming Homer for getting him saying "we never go after a real goalie". I FEEL oppressed...— bsbullie
- Haven't we had enough with head cases that played in Russia.— Richardgozinya
- Zherdev-1st line and Testwuide-4th line, on the right wings----can that work?— Romus
- flyers love a "work in progress" ... remember Emery. Zheredev wont fit the Flyer mold...he's too much of a floater and that wont fly with the fans or team. like kovalev, zheredev haslots of talent but never shows up when it matters most...it's a waste to sign him— lockmaster
- Remember when this guy's name was Pavel Brendl? Would be a foolish signing. Another multiyear cap hit that the Flyers will be stuck with. This guy would never fit in and would hit rock bottom fast. Kinda starting to wonder if Holmgren is really qualified to be an NHL GM.— guerislives
- 3 years at 2.75 million p/y isn't bad at all.— ronin32
- Gagne for Bernier and a pick makes sense. Carter for Ryan makes sense. No Bernier or Harding makes no sense. Leighton is insurance, not another starter.— keith7470
Zherdev never seemed to be on the same page as Rangers' coach John Tortorella and was frequently criticized for his inconsistent effort: http://fantasyhockey.usatoday.com/content/player_news.asp?sport=NHL&id=1635&line=89189- BTW, speaking of guys with concussion-histories, I saw Kim Johnsson may finally have to retire because of his issues with concussions. Him and Lindros, forever linked in so many ways.— stormrider
- I know I'm just stating what everyone else said on hee, but YOU CANNOT HAVE THE END OF AN ERA WHILE A GUY IS STILL HERE!! The more you sign guys, the more you paint yourself into a corner of what you can get back in return.— stormrider
- Holmgren's leverage to get something back decent in return for Gagne is going to go down the drain if the Zherdev signing is announced before Gagne is traded.— WadeThroughTheIdiots
- I think Homer has already decided that he's moving Gagne's salary. Once he decided that, he needs a RW. I get this. The problem is that this is not the guy. Flyers fan will hate him if he doesn't work in the corners (and he doesn't) and he'll cry and go back to Russia. I would trade Gagne. I would let Carcillo go. I would let Powe go and I would get a top goalie to go with the defense. Then try to win a lot of 2-1 and 3-2 games as you aren't going to score as many goals. Oh and they should have kept Asham. I liked his hustle....but again it was a dollars game.— dstump2
- Maybe he realized that playing in the KHL wasn't as fun as the NHL and he'll change his work ethic. Either way, getting younger in the Atlantic isn't a bad idea.— HandNik
- simple fact is that we have enough leaders of this team to chnge his attitude and that Laviolette will not allow his players to be lazy. honestly with all the play makers and leaders he will be fine— bigmookalookie
- Anyone remember Pavel Brendl?— trungy
Keep Gagne.— dianne16- A goal in hand is worth more than two in potential. We want more players who are not afraid to skate with major injuries, not ones with questionable work habits. We want skill, but it is worthless without hard work.— curtis80
- Hey at least he didn't trade away Cliff Lee for 3 bags of dirt.— F. Harry Stowe
- Demitri Tertishny, Demitri Yushkevich, Alexei Zhamnov, Valeri Zelepukin, Andre Lomakin, Danius Zubrus, Viacheslav Butsayev, Anatoli Seminov, Andrei Kovalenko, Vladimir Malakov, Danny Markov...— Chase44
- Horrible. We NEED better "work ethic and consistency", not this overpriced clown. Why can't Holmer sign a guy whop can win faceoffs like Glen Metro? Or a versitile forward to do that and score 20 goals like Umberer? Or a multiple-Cup winning forward to mentor Richards like Geurin? Oh wait, he could. He chooses not to. He left the others walk due to waiver wire errors and bad cap management. Here we go again. Boulton signed for $650 K and we're paying Shelly over $1 million and giving Carcillo a raise to dump Gagne? Good lord, just when you thought...— MichaelZoe
- Can you say Pat Falloon? Alex Daigle? God help this team.— dctwmt
- A fourth overall pick who is a lazy underachiever. Pavel Brendl all over again....— Chase44
I doubt they'd be doing this if they diddn't have someone to take Gagne.— flyler
Another guy who is the "best player not playing in the NHL." Remember, Jiri Dopita- Tar Heel . . Flyers need to clear cap space . . in order to get a goalie . . if that's what they're up to . Keep in mind . . flyers paid Leighton Back - up goalie money . . that leaves room for a better goalie . . a starter . . And after last year . . we know . . they can never have enough goalies !— ingy9
- dmitri yushkevich.— antoski
There is a long line of athletes in all sports with work ethics issues and a track record of laziness - these players never ever pan out. They'll show flashes of brillance - as Zherdev most certainly will - but those flashes are always followed by a prolonged lull in production. Not a guy that fits in with this team.— CosmoK- I am perplexed by this potential move.......I am not thrilled with a lazy Russian primadonna, but think moving Gagne is the right move. All of this, however, still does not address our goaltending issues.....— Tar Heel 1
- Dmitri Tertyshny, but he died in that boating accident.— JohnnyN
- I think he has the talent but he seems to take a break every now and then. That's ok but you're supposed to wait until your shift is over. he doesn't. So someone would have to motivate him big time. If they can, he could be great. Of course to sign him they'll have to give up Gagne. I'm not in favor of giving up Gagne unless you can get a stellar goalie.— dstump2
- Horrible move. He is lazy and doesn't go into corners. he wont even be a 30 goal scorer. Horrible move if we sign him for 4m per. If he was so good he would have played in the nhl last year. Homer is just looking for anything. Hey Homer, dont forget you need to sign Giroux, Carter and Leino next year.— fman727
- wow only 3 hours late on this story.— fman727
- ronin Nice try . . . flyers already approached the kings about Bernier . . they wanted giroux . . they may ' settle ' for carter . . that's a pretty high price . . . but they like bernier ALOT . . just like we like giroux and jeff carter . . .— ingy9
- can someone ever remember the flyers ever having a russian player?I hAVE FOLLOWED THE TEAM SINCE ITS INCEPTION AN CANT REMEMBER A RUSSIAN.TWO REASONS FLYERS CANT GET OVER HUMP. 1 goalie and 2 never a russian flyer.— adwittfield
- too many posters don't think and sound like babies....zherdev is a 20 goal scorer. younger and cheaper than gagne. gagne has only 1 yr. left on his contract,is a little soft, and showing signs of being injury prone. take a chance on zherdev. hopefully he grew up and is ready to play, if not, then he will be let go. it is only a bad signing if homer gives him a no trade/movement clause. AND STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT GOALTENDING. IF NABAKOV, TURCO, ETC, WERE ANY SPECIAL, THEY WOULD BE SIGNED BY OTHER TEAMS BY NOW!!!! THEY WANT TOO MUCH MONEY AND ARE OLD!!! THAT IS WHY THEY ARE FREE AGENTS IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!! THINK!!! NABAKOV JUST SIGNED WITH A KHL TEAM!!! why? because that league is dieing and needs a big name.— bill on the hill
- Who plays LW with Richards when Gagne leaves? Can't break up Hartnell, Briere, and Leino. And I agree with "sawgrass" that putting Zherdev with Giroux may work out. JVR, Giroux, Zherdev? Could be something. Still, goalie is needed and hopefully Gagne brings a good one back whose 5-hole isn't always open (Leighton).— SPro
- My Dark Lord, Mr. Clarke, is still the puppet master thus no goalie fella's!— JohnnyN
- Sounds like the defense was beefed up to protect the weak goaltending. Something tells me Gagne will be traded for some draft picks, we'll take Zherdev and this is what we'll go with next season. Leighton backed up by Boucher. Leighton and Boucher going against the Capitals and Pens? The Pittsburgh Pens? Farewell and Adieu to you fair Spanish Ladies.— neddyflanders
- Unlike most people on here, I think the Flyers front office has been doing a pretty good job of late. Gagne has been a great Flyer, but I agree that it's his time to move on. Anybody else mad they resigned Coburn?— b3n222
- not sure what salary number bernier or quick carry, but doesn't this essentially destroy gagne's trade value anyway?— EaglesWest
- How was he as bust in NY??? He had the 2nd most pts of his career? If they can turn this move into upgrading the goalie than this is a good move, otherwise it is a waste of time.— therev
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- ...says all the same people who bashed Homer for the Pronger signing, and trading Upshall...they went to the Finals last year people, on a team that was being billed as "built for the playoffs". Cut the guy some slack and try to enjoy the GAME. FFS, if you people put as much effort into world affairs, well, then we'd just have a more moronic comments on world affairs. Carry on.— th
- @Journey. Not a 50 goal per season man - a 50 goal over two season man.
- GOALTENDING PLEASE— eglftbl1
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- At least with a healthy Gagne, you know what you're getting. A 4th overall pick with talent and zero work ethic sounds very familiar....Pavel Brendl anyone? We all know how that turned out.— Chase44
this guy was an enormous bust in NY, what's different now?— potus- I can't imagine they are realistically thinking of this guy chipping in more than 20 goals, which is about what we could expect from an injury prone Gagne. I think it is alot of wishful thinking. All the talk of needeing a winger and this is what we get.I dont think we should hold out breath for a goalie either.— Chutley26
- put this guy with Girioux— sawgrass
- Zherdev is NOT a 50-goal scorer. Read the story again. "Over his last two NHL seasons, Zherdev posted 109 points – 49 of them being goals." That means he's a 25-goal scorer, and only when he wants to play. Yeah, I'm sure Pittsburgh, Washington and Chicago are shaking in their boots. Where's my #1 goalie??— Homer65
- I'm thinking this sounds like the second coming of Pat Falloon— crkreg
- WHY??? PLEASE JUST KEEP GAGNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!— JesseH
- GET A GOALIE!!!!!!!!!! Forget forwards! We NEED a guy who can stop the puck in big games!— ChrisM
this guy is no potential 50 goal scorer..or the rangers would not have let him go...- Why... Why not stempniak who makes similar money and isnt lazy. Or better yet A GOALIE. When will a real GM step in a start making some good moves. You cant win without any talent up front or in goal. What a joke.— flyguys67
- I have Alexandre Daigle flashbacks. Blahhhhhh Sort of a baffling offseason. Add a guy with effort issues to a team with a long history of effort issues (yes I do remember the post 2010 run, in case people have forgotten) and it seems we have a recipe for disaster. Offchance this works out though.— Chutley26
- It's a good deal if the $ is low enough— DrM
- Journey, 50 goal scorer? I'd rather have the guy who we already know has a great work ethic and will definitely score 30+ goals( Gagne), than the usual take a chance on potential (Daigle, Falloon,) that this team always does. Please don't trade Gagne. he's the only proven commodity this team has.— seaonasdad
- Zherdev is a prima donna and a head case. He can't help us, let's keep Gags.
- Another Brilliant signing?? Asshat, this guy is headcase and a half. Between this and and not resigning Ash and signing Shell i am absolutley baffled.....oh yeah, and we got a journeyman AHL goalie as our #1. Nice job Homer!— JohnnyN
- If his work ethic is questionable, Zherdev won't survive in Philly. Plus, why do the Flyers need a RW to score 10 goals a season for $4M? If this is even in the works, I hope it's for no where near that amount.— buttermilk67
- A guy with work ethic concerns? Maybe we can put him on a line with Jeff Carter, that way we'll have two forwards that don't like bustin' it— SidGM
- Gagne for Bernier and we are set.— ronin32
- ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ— CosmoK
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- You always have to worry about any athlete with a work ethic problem. Sounds like after a year out of the limelight of the NHL the Flyers are hoping to sign him on the cheap. Bottom line is that if it looks to be to good to be true then it probably is.— HBJ
Sounds good to me - a potential 50 goal scorer - that will really put Washington and Pittsburgh on notice - go for it Homer - good luck!- Wow Ok i'm surprised . . . my guess is flyers will have to trade Gagne first / to LA. ? Then they'll know for sure how much $$ they have to spend . . to sign c zherdev and hopefully asham . . i like this move !— ingy9
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