When people think of the Philadelphia Flyers, the one common missing ingredient has been a top-flight goalie. The Columbus Blue Jackets think they have that base covered with Steve Mason,* but they have a major shortage of something the Flyers hold in abundance: scoring centers.
Ever since Rick Nash emerged as the elite winger the Blue Jackets were hoping for, it seems like the team has been looking for a suitable center – or at least another dangerous winger – to ease some of the scoring burden. When they tried to fill that gap with expensive veterans (see: Fedorov, Sergei), those guys proved to be over the hill. Their two attempts to draft top-flight Russian wingers with Nick-like names (Nikolay Zherdev and Nikita Filatov) seemed to fail miserably as well, although Filatov probably deserves a few more years before he’s a dead-on bust.
They’ve had a bit more success when they swing for singles rather than home runs, though. Derick Brassard seems like a solid talent, but injuries and inconsistency will probably reduce him to a second line ceiling. R.J. Umberger scored 74 goals in his three seasons in Columbus, proving to be a serviceable center at a reasonable price.
Yet even with some solid options in support roles, the Blue Jackets still lack the “Robin” to Nash’s “Batman.” The Blue Jackets are hoping to make some big changes this off-season and the Flyers will need to make some space for Ilya Bryzgalov or another dependable goalie, so perhaps the latest Carter trade rumor could have some credence. Aaron Portzline reports that the Blue Jackets might try to pry Carter away from the Flyers for a fairly handsome package.
Multiple NHL sources have told The Dispatch that the Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers have discussed a trade that would send Flyers center Jeff Carter, an All-Star in 2009, to Columbus for a top-six forward and the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft. That top-six forward, presumably, is 21-year-old Blue Jackets winger Jake Voracek, a restricted free agent.
Though it could occur sooner, it’s likely such a trade wouldn’t be completed until the first round of the entry draft is held on June 24 in St. Paul, Minn.
But the likelihood of the deal took a sizable step forward on Tuesday, when the Flyers acquired the rights to goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov from Phoenix.
The Flyers perspective
The Flyers would save some money and could also hope that Voracek would fill some of the void left by the probable departure of Ville Leino. Voracek could be the next Leino in many ways, too; he’s a talented specimen who hasn’t progressed as much as Blue Jackets brass would like but could conceivably generate more offense in Philly’s attacking system. He is a free agent just like Leino, but Voracek’s restricted status, younger age (he’s six years from the unrestricted mark of 27) and unproven results will make him easier to retain.
The draft pick works for both teams
The eight overall pick is a nice dangling carrot, as well, especially since it’s unlikely that the Flyers will receive a high draft choice anytime soon. The Blue Jackets can live with losing that pick because it’s a weaker draft and they haven’t had the greatest track record of making the right choices with their high-end picks anyway.
Carter isn’t perfect, but he makes sense for Columbus in many ways
Carter might not be the perfect fit for Nash since they’re both better at scoring goals than setting them up, but talented players typically learn how to make great music together. If they fail to co-exist, he could still be useful on a different line, forcing the opposition to pick their poison.
While Carter isn’t the most versatile player, he’s a proven goal scorer (115 goals in the last three seasons) and his cap hit is a very manageable $5.27 million. Sure, the 11-year term is risky, but he’s just 26 years old so Columbus would benefit from a nice amount of prime years from the sniper.
***
It’s important to take every Carter trade rumor with a grain of salt, but the deal actually makes a lot of sense for both teams. The Flyers dump salary, gain an intriguing player and a high-end draft pick while the Blue Jackets would finally receive a top-line center with a semi-reasonable contract. Now that you’ve learned the PHT perspective, how would you feel about this theoretical trade? Let us know in the comments.
* – I have some serious doubts about that, but maybe he’s the victim of a talent-poor roster.
