If not Carter then Who?

In my last post I talked about the possibility of Jeff Carter being traded away to make space for Ilya Bryzgalov, who was acquired on Tuesday. Several reporters have said what many Flyers fans hate to hear, and that is the Flyers organization will try their best to not trade Carter.

Holmgren has said in the past when these rumors had come up that Carter is part of the core of the team and he will not look to trade him. Right now is the biggest test to those words. The Flyers are in huge need of a goalie and some salary cap relief. But if Homer stands by his words who or whom may be destine for another team?

1) The easiest guy to pin is winger Kris Versteeg. He has only been with the Flyers for half a season, and a somewhat disappointing one at that. Steeger is set to make 3 million next season in the last year of his contract with the Flyers. Given the small chance that the Flyers will be able to resign him makes him an easy out.

2) Running in a close and very similar second is Matt Carle. Carle had a great season this past year but he failed to set himself apart from Meszaros or Coburn. Next summer Carle and Coburn will be free agents, given that Coburn is younger and has more tenure he will likely be the one they decide to keep a hold of. Meaning Carle may be in his last season as a Flyer, much like that of Versteeg.

3) Set to be an unrestricted free agent, Ville Leino wil most likely not be coming back. This won't provide any cap relief but is a glaring side-effect of signing Bryzgalov and trying to keep Carter. Leino made under 1 milliom the past two seasons.

4) Another option to explore is the cap relief that the retiring of Ian Laperriere would bring to the Flyers. It sounds sad, but that's the NHL that we live in today. One of the most loved Flyers may be asked to hang up the skates in order to give his team a better chance at a championship. Lappy is in the last year of his contract set to make 1.15 million.

More rumors will undoubtedly come out as time progresses and headlines set away from the Stanley Cup Finals. I did read an article in my last post that the Carter for Voracek deal would happen, if at all, at the draft.