Philadelphia Flyers

Center Scott Laughton is the highest-ranking prospect in the Philadelphia Flyers organization. But will Laughton be in Philadelphia when the Flyers start the 2014-15 season, or will general manager Ron Hextall send his top prospect to the AHL for more seasoning?

There is little doubt about Laughton's offensive skills. The 20-year-old Oakville, Ontario, native scored 40 goals and 87 points in just 54 games with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL last season. He also showed leadership abilities when he was named captain of the Canadian team at the World Juniors last December.

While Laughton's offensive skills are clearly impressive, offensive skills alone rarely earn a young player a permanent spot on an NHL roster. Even the most talented goal scorer has to play at least adequately in his own zone and needs to develop the strength to win one-on-one battles for loose pucks.

Laughton feels he is making progress in this area. "My body's gotten bigger," Laughton told CSNPhilly.com's Sarah Baicker at the team's recent prospect camp. "I think I'm way more powerful on my feet. I felt way better this year around the puck in the corners, and things like that -- getting low and being powerful."

One obstacle facing Laughton is that the Flyers have a glut of centers on their roster, and that is his natural position. Coach Craig Berube already has Claude Giroux, Vincent Lecavalier, Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier, R.J. Umberger and Zac Rinaldo, and all of them have extensive NHL experience.

Laughton did indicate he would be willing to play on either wing if it meant he would stick with the big club this fall. "Whatever it takes to get to the next level," Laughton told Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post. "I've never played it before, but that's what I'm looking for is to play at the next level. I've said it before. Anything that's possible for me to be in a roster position, I'm willing to do."

Another question that has to be asked is what serves Laughton's best interests in the long term. If he makes the Flyers this season but plays sparingly on the fourth line, would that be better for his development than spending a season on the top line logging major minutes in the AHL?

Berube indicated to Baicker that Laughton's development and the needs of the team would be the major factors entering his decision before the start of the season:

That's a tough call. The thing with a player like that is you don't want to hurt his offense, and he's an offensive player. He's a good two-way player, but there's been guys -– Joe Thornton started on the fourth line in Boston -- that developed into a highly skilled offensive player. I think it just depends on the situation. I keep saying it, but it's what's best for the team at the time. If it's best that he makes the team, and he's deserving of making the team, we'll make that decision.

Laughton is confident he can play in the NHL right now and wants that chance. He did play in five games for the Flyers in 2012-13 and was a healthy scratch in the season opener last season before being returned to juniors. He has had a taste of life in Philadelphia and wants to make his next stay a lengthy one.

"I still think about it," Laughton told Max Cohen of The Philadelphia Inquirer. "It was definitely a dream come true, and that's where I want to be next year. That's the ultimate goal and there's no really lying about it, that's where I want to be. I just loved it up there."

There is little doubt that the Flyers remain convinced that Laughton has a bright NHL future. He'll need a strong training camp and a few breaks if that future is going to begin this season.

As presently constituted, the Philadelphia Flyers roster for the 2014-15 season looks awfully similar to last year's squad.

Salary-cap constraints and a batch of seemingly unmovable contracts have tied general manager Ron Hextall's hands to a certain extent. As a result, Philadelphia's offseason transactions have been limited to re-signing backup goaltender Ray Emery, adding depth defenseman Nick Schultz and signing a series of players who will join the Lehigh Valley Phantoms next year.

Still, the Flyers appear well-positioned to compete in the wide-open Eastern Conference. Claude Giroux, Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier give the Orange and Black tremendous depth down the middle, while Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds and Matt Read provide support on the wings. Kimmo Timonen is set for one final season on Philly's back end, while Steve Mason gives the franchise a stability in goal it hasn't enjoyed in over a decade.

But that doesn't mean this roster is without holes. Here's a look at the weakest link at every position on the Flyers' current roster.

Forward: Vincent Lecavalier

It's hard to believe that a four-time All-Star, former "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner and Stanley Cup champion would be Philadelphia's weakest link up front, but it's true.

With Giroux, Schenn, Couturier, the recently acquired R.J. Umberger and blossoming prospect Scott Laughton, the Flyers already have tremendous depth down the middle. In fact, with those five names alone, Philadelphia has more natural centers than any one team actually needs. But at least some of these pivots are capable of playing on the wing as well.

Lecavalier is not. The Flyers tried that last season, and it was a colossal failure.

As a result, the 34-year-old forward was assigned fourth-line center duties, which were hardly in line with the five-year, $22.5 million contract Philly assigned to Lecavalier last summer.

Efforts to trade the Quebec native have so far failed this summer. Now, it appears not only that Lecavalier doesn't have a role with the Flyers, but also that he, or maybe more accurately his contract, doesn't belong with any of the other 29 NHL squads, either.

With 20 goals and 37 points in 69 games last season, Lecavalier is clearly still a productive player at the NHL level, but that production will go nowhere but south as long as his role in Philadelphia remains undefined.

Defense: Luke Schenn

Speaking of players with undefined roles.

Nicklas Grossmann was a serious contender for this spot, but he is what he is. A 6'4", 230-pound stay-at-home defenseman, Grossmann finished second among all Flyers last season with 189 hits and 174 blocked shots and still managed to chip in a goal and 14 points in 78 outings.

Schenn, on the other hand, is still a bit of an enigma.

A 24-year-old defensive defenseman, Schenn paced all Philadelphia skaters and finished third among all NHLers last season with 260 hits but managed just 113 blocked shots during that time.

The former fifth overall selection in the 2008 NHL entry draft, Schenn produced just one additional point in 79 games last season than he did in just 47 contests during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign. What's more, his 12-point season from a year ago was the lowest in any full season of his six-year NHL career.

At just over 16.5 minutes per game, Schenn averaged the lowest ice-time total of any of Philadelphia's regular defenders last season.

With just 98 points in 436 NHL contests, he's not an offensive dynamo on the back end. Nor is Schenn a shutdown defender with a career minus-20 rating at the game's highest level. As such, he doesn't seem to have a defined role among Philly's defense corps, which clearly makes him the team's weakest link on the back end.

Goaltender: Ray Emery

This is far less an indictment against Emery than it is simply an acknowledgment that he's the second-best goaltender in Philadelphia.

After 33 wins, a 2.50 goals-against average (GAA) and .917 save percentage during the regular season followed by a herculean effort in the postseason, Steve Mason is clearly the Flyers' No. 1 netminder heading into next season.

But after signing a one-year, $1 million pact with the Orange and Black on the first day of free agency, Emery is set to return as Mason's backup after posting a 9-12-2 regular-season mark to go along with a 2.96 GAA and .903 save percentage last year.

For now, it appears as though Emery's days of being an everyday starting goaltender at the NHL level are behind him, but he developed tremendous chemistry alongside Mason last season, which was a big part of Hextall's decision to re-sign the 31-year-old goaltender.

His lateral movement isn't nearly as strong as Mason's, nor is his glove hand as dynamic as that of his 26-year-old counterpart. Still, Emery provides a solid secondary option in goal to spell Mason throughout the rigors of the upcoming 2014-15 season.

NHL free agency started last week, and the Philadelphia Flyers were mostly spectators. The reason: According to CapGeek.com, the Flyers are more than $3 million over the league's $69 million cap limit right now. Therefore, the Flyers cannot afford to add a contract of any significance to help improve the team.

The best way to clear out cap space is to trade a high-salaried player who does not fit much in the team's future plans. The most logical player on that list is veteran forward Vincent Lecavalier.

Lecavalier was signed by former general manager Paul Holmgren last summer to a five-year, $22.5 million contract. Lecavalier's deal also contains a no-trade clause. His annual cap hit, according to CapGeek.com, is $4.5 million.

CBC's Elliotte Friedman indicated that it was former coach Peter Laviolette who pushed for the signing of Lecavalier last summer and that Holmgren noted Lecavalier was not a very good fit in Craig Berube's more defensive-oriented system.

The results back this up. Lecavalier scored only 20 goals and 37 points during his first season in Philadelphia. He also had a minus-16 plus/minus rating. The veteran forward was demoted to the fourth line late in the regular season and played fewer than 10 minutes in four of the Flyers' seven playoff games this spring.

Not only is Lecavalier a poor fit in Philadelphia, but the Flyers also have a glut of natural centers on their roster and in their system. In addition to Lecavalier, they have Claude Giroux, Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier, R.J. Umberger, Zac Rinaldo and highly regarded prospect Scott Laughton.

It is obvious that the Flyers would not get much in return if they trade Lecavalier. Now that they have hired Laviolette, the Nashville Predators would be a logical team to send Lecavalier to, but according to Frank Seravalli of the Philadelphia Daily News, the Flyers would have to pay roughly half of Lecavalier's salary. Of course, the veteran would also have to approve the deal, but that seems like the least of the Flyers' issues.

The recent injury to Nashville forward Mike Fisher—a ruptured Achilles tendon, according to NHL.com—may give the Flyers a little more leverage and add urgency to the Predators' need to acquire a natural center.

The Lecavalier signing did not work out for the Flyers. The cost thus far is that they have been unable to dive into free agency like many of their division rivals.

New general manager Ron Hextall hopes to get out from under this cap crunch, but first he will have to undo the damage done by his predecessor. Moving Lecavalier fits the bill because he both has a substantial cap hit and does not fit into the team's system or plans. The Flyers will get next to nothing in return, but that's the price they will willingly pay to get out from under past mistakes.

The Flyers have been relatively quiet as expected in free agency since they have no wiggle room under the salary cap. Thus far, they did manage to re-sign backup goalie Ray Emery.

On day two of free agency, Ron Hextall was able to sign veteran defenseman Nick Schultz. He also traded depth forward Tye McGinn.

Here's a look at the Philadelphia Flyers moves thus far in free agency, beginning with the most recent.

Update: July 2, 5:45 p.m. by Brad Kurtzberg

The Flyers have signed defenseman Nick Schultz to a one-year deal. Schultz will be 32 by the time the season starts. He split last year between the Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets and will give the Flyers an inexpensive upgrade in their own zone.

The Flyers also traded the rights to Tye McGinn to the San Jose Sharks for a third-round pick. 

--end of update--

Update: July 1, 4:33 p.m. by Brad Kurtzberg

The Flyers have re-signed backup goalie Ray Emery. It's a one-year deal worth $1 million. Emery fit in well with Philadelphia last year. He provided experience in the locker room and had a good attitude. Many fans recall his brawl against Washington's Baden Holtby last November 1.

--End of Update--

The Philadelphia Flyers hope to add some talent in free agency this summer, but they first have to get under the salary cap. According to CapGeek, the Flyers are presently a bit more than $236,000 over the league's $69 million salary cap for 2014-15.

Since the Flyers have used both of their compliance buyouts, they will need to make a trade to create cap space. According to CSNPhilly.com's Tim Panaccio, general manager Ron Hextall was trying to trade Vincent Lecavalier to clear some room under the cap, but a proposed deal with the Nashville Predators fell through. The issue remains Lecavalier's high cap number.

The Flyers are particularly eager to unload Lecavalier before Tuesday, when they will owe him a roster bonus of $2 million.

If the Flyers are able to add free agents, they will be looking to upgrade overall team speed. Some particular areas of need include a backup goalie, some depth at the wings and, obviously, some help on defense.

This will be Hextall's first summer as general manager. It is vital for the team that he finds a way to add quality free agents without handing out some the of bad contracts that have plagued the Flyers in recent years.

As the free-agency period in the NHL gets ready to begin, there have already been a handful or rumors surrounding the Philadelphia Flyers.

Teams can begin signing free agents on Tuesday, but the Flyers currently aren't going to be able to do much. According to CapGeek.com, the Flyers are currently over the cap by just $236,000. However, the team can clear up cap space through trades, and that's a real possibility once free agency begins.

Now that free agency is nearly here, let's take a look at a few of the latest rumors surrounding the Flyers organization.

Flyers Almost Traded For No. 1 Overall Pick

Even with a new general manager in Ron Hextall, the Flyers nearly made another draft-day splash this year—this time involving the No. 1 overall pick.

Dave Isaac from USA Today reported that the Flyers made a very enticing offer to the Florida Panthers for the top pick in the 2014 NHL draft, and the Panthers nearly pulled the trigger before deciding to draft Aaron Ekblad.

"We were close," Panthers general manager Dale Tallon told Isaac. "They made a legitimate attempt. We had a number of conversations with Ron. They teased me. It was not an easy decision. They were willing. It was enticing."

Had the Flyers actually been able to pull off the trade, Ekblad would have likely still ended up being the No. 1 pick. After all, the Flyers were clearly interested in adding defensive talent in the draft, taking Samuel Morin with the No. 17 overall pick, then grabbing Robert Hagg in the second round.

The trade would have also likely let the Flyers clear up some much-needed cap space. While Hextall wouldn't publicly say what he offered the Panthers for the top pick, it would have likely involved shipping away a veteran or two with a big contract. The Panthers have over $32 million in cap space, per CapGeek.com, so it would have been possible.

However, the move didn't end up happening, so the Flyers will have to look elsewhere if they want to clear cap space.

Vincent Lecavalier Allowed to Speak to Teams Regarding Trade

After he was bought out by the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Flyers decided to pull the trigger on Vincent Lecavalier last year, giving him a five-year deal for $22.5 million, according to Spotrac. However, just one year in, the Flyers are apparently ready to trade away the 34-year-old.

It seems that the Flyers are ready to part ways with Lecavalier, and according to TSN's Darren Dreger, the team has given his agent permission to talk to teams about a potential trade. However, Dreger also points out it will be unlikely the team works out a trade until after free agency begins so that they won't have to pay the $2 million bonus.

2013-14 wasn't a bad season for Lecavalier, who had 20 goals and 17 assists. However, considering he's a fourth-line center on a team with more concerns about cap space than anything at this point, it makes sense for the Flyers to want to trade him away.

While the Flyers are going to want to trade away Lecavalier, it's not going to be easy. In fact, according to Tim Panaccio from CSN Philadelphia, the Nashville Predators nearly traded for the 34-year-old but decided that they didn't want to pay him for the next four years.

The Flyers will keep waiting to try and trade Lecavalier away, but if teams are as concerned with the cap hit as the Predators reportedly were, it won't be easy.

Could Matt Read and Brayden Schenn Be Traded to Clear Cap Space?

With all of the talk about the Flyers not having any cap space, they may potentially try to trade two of their talented young players to have some money to spend during the free-agency period.

According to Randy Miller from NJ.com, Matt Read and Brayden Schenn could have been traded to Florida for the No. 1 overall pick, and they may still be available, saying:

Remember Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon saying that he was "close" to trading the first overall draft pick to the Flyers? Well, that deal reportedly would have included two of Hextall's best young forwards, center Brayden Schenn and left wing Matt Read.

Maybe Hextall only was willing to trade Schenn and Read because he was that hungry to draft defenseman Aaron Ekblad, Florida's top pick.

Or maybe Hextall has decided that Schenn, who turns 23 in August, and Read, 28, aren't part of his long-term plan a la top-line left wing Scott Hartnell, who was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets on June 23 for veteran forward R.J. Umberger.

If one or both players were in fact traded away, it wouldn't create a ton of cap space but would be enough to make some moves. According to CapGeek.com, Read is set to make $3,625,000 each of the next four years, while Schenn will make $5 million over the next two.

Still, it will be hard to convince the Flyers to get rid of either of these guys, even if it means clearing some cap space. Schenn played in all 82 games this past season, putting up 20 goals and 21 assists. Meanwhile, Read put up another 40 points on 22 goals and 18 assists.

It's a very tough decision, but if the Flyers don't trade away either of these players, they'll likely be sitting back and won't be making a splash in free agency this year.