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Chuck Fletcher may have had enough of the Flyers’ infuriating march.
If this is her way of sending a message to her list, it should be received.
The CEO placed Shayne Gostisbehere on waivers on Tuesday. If Gostisbehere is not claimed Wednesday at noon ET, he will either stay with the Flyers (list or team of taxis) or report to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
There is a good chance that it will be claimed. The 27-year-old is a puck-moving defenseman who has had a strong offensive season (five goals, six assists, 25 games) and has a 65-point season on his resume.
Fletcher might have something up his sleeve for later and wants to make some money.
“I think our band’s lineup is probably not the right one,” Fletcher said last Wednesday. “I think that’s a fair comment.”
The caveat is that a lot of teams are having a hard time adding money in today’s world of NHL flat caps. Gostisbehere’s contract has two more years with a cap of $ 4.5 million. Gostisbehere has heard his name appear in rumors over the past two NHL trade deadlines and off-season. His name will likely surface a bit more (if he stays with the Flyers) as the April 12 trade deadline approaches this season.
Gostisbehere agent Marc Levine declined to comment at this time when contacted by NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The Flyers have another defenseman with similar strengths to Gostisbehere, Erik Gustafsson, who signed a one-year, $ 3 million contract during the offseason.
“Gus and Ghost are kind of playing the same type of game – moving the puck, defending is something they have to master and both guys can play on the power play,” Flyers head coach said. , Alain Vigneault, earlier this month.
With the NHL salary cap remaining stable this offseason due to the economic impact on the league from the coronavirus pandemic, the league’s general managers operate in a much smaller space. Not only has the free agent market been severely affected, but the commercial market is also feeling the effects.
“It’s a capping era and most teams aren’t looking to take money or a tenure right now,” Fletcher said last week. “To add a player with dollars, you have to subtract the same amount. These types of transactions are a bit more difficult to do.”
A healthy Gostisbehere has bounced back this season. After a nightmarish 2019-20 season marred by injuries, Gostisbehere has shown the elusiveness and mobility that make him a dangerous offensive defender. He entered a five-a-side game on Tuesday for the second most goals by defensemen since February 24 with five. Only Nurse Darnell has more with six.
The Flyers have struggled to prevent goals this season. They allow 3.56 per game, the second highest in the NHL. Gostisbehere was benched for three games earlier this month with defensive play cited as the reason.
Gostisbehere and the Flyers practiced today in Buffalo, New York.
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