Last summer, after the Flyers acquired the rights of restricted free agent Jakub Voracek from Columbus in the Jeff Carter trade, the ensuing contract negotiations dragged on longer than those for any other unsigned player on the team.
Talks between Flyers' general manager Paul Holmgren and Voracek's agent, former Flyers' defenseman Petr Svoboda, were not contentious. However, the two sides could not come to an agreement on a long-term contract. Instead, the parties agreed to a one-year deal.
A one-year contract for an RFA almost always means a short-term compromise took place. There was still a gap between the salary figures the two sides wanted, and one side or the other (usually the player's side) was not comfortable committing to the final one-year figure for multiple seasons.
Voracek's contract for the 2011-12 season represented a substantial base-salary raise and moderate cap-hit increase from the entry-level contract he originally signed in Columbus. Per capgeek.com, he went from a $1.27 million cap hit in 2009-10 ( $787,500 base salary and $425,000 in performance bonuses) to a $2.25 million (straight up salary per CBA requirements for non-ELCs) this year.
Over the course of the 2011-12 season, Holmgren and Svoboda had a few preliminary discussions about a new contract for Voracek, who is again a restricted free agent this summer. The question now is whether the two sides can hammer out a multi-year deal or if they will end up in another stalemate and settle on another one-year deal.
A long-term contract would clearly be preferable to both sides. However, without being privy to the actual numbers the two camps have in mind, the early indications appear to be that there is still a significant discrepancy between what Svoboda is asking and what the Flyers are willing to pay.
Holmgren is a man who always very measured in what he says in public. Unlike Bob Clarke, the current GM rarely -- if ever -- deliberately puts out false pronouncements about matters related to the status of contract negotiations or trades.
If he's optimistic, he says so directly without divulging further details. If he's less certain, he'll say "I'd like for us to get something done but we'll see." If he's pessimistic, he'll either simply say "We'll see, but nothing is imminent on our end" or he'll say nothing at all. With Clarke, the preferred method of operation was always to publicly deny that something was close to being done, whether it was or wasn't.
At his postseason press conference, Holmgren was very candid in his assessment of Voracek. When asked about the negotiation status, the GM left a clear impression that he is prepared to discuss a long-term deal but will not commit to a huge raise for the Czech forward, who turns 23 this summer.
Said Holmgren, “I don’t know. We’ll talk about that with his agent here over the course of the summer. I think Jake had a good year. I think there’s areas he can still get better at. I think he can work on his shot a little more, he can probably shoot the puck more. But he’s an exciting young player who’s going to continue to get better.”
From my own point of view, Voracek may not have put up huge regular season numbers (18 goals, 49 points in 78 games) this year but he was a player who improved immensely from the start of the season to the end. He played some of his best hockey in the playoffs and also put some good stats (10 points in 11 games) to go with it.
Voracek's ability to protect the puck became more and more like that of his idol/mentor Jaromir Jagr over the course of the season. There were times I had to do a double-take to make sure it was number 93, not number 68.
Just as important, I thought Voracek evolved over the course of the season into one of the team's most reliable two-way wingers. After Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal, New Jersey forward Patrik Elias
gave high praise to Voracek, calling him the Flyers' best forward after Giroux.
I don't know if I would go quite that far yet. I agree with Holmgren that Voracek's shot needs work. Peter Laviolette put the player on the point on the top power play unit this season, to mixed results.
Voracek's instincts were outstanding. He was great when it came to dishing the puck and making an accurate pass. He was also tremendous at spotting the seams in the defense and jumping into a good area for a scoring chance.
Shooting the puck? He wasn't very good. I lost count of the number of times, the team was able to work the puck to a wide-open Voracek for a one-timer or snap shot either near the right point or at the hash marks in the right circle. Time after time, he'd flub the shot or drill it way wide of the net from a good shooting angle.
With even marginally improved shooting, Voracek would have had 5 to 8 more goals in the regular season and a couple more in the playoffs. So that's definitely an area he can work for next season.
The same thing definitely goes for showing a willingness to shoot the puck at even strength. Whether it was off the line rush or circling hard out of the corner (which he does very well), Voracek passed up dozens of open shots in situations where he was in better scoring position than a linemate. All in all, though, he is an above-average playmaker.
In the preseason, Voracek focused on shooting the puck more often. He actually led the team in shots during the exhibition schedule, although he was unable to pot a goal. Voracek got away from that at times during the season.
Entering last season, Voracek was sometimes criticized for his conditioning. He attempted to address it last summer and reported to camp in better shape than he did the previous year in Columbus. However, this is another area where Voracek can continue to evolve.
Of course, any player in the NHL can be nit-picked if you try. While Voracek has some clear-cut areas where he has only scratched the surface of his potential, he also come a long way in a short time. He is a fine young NHL player who contributes in a variety of areas and would not easily be replaced if he were moved as part of a larger deal.
Voracek wanted to play for the Czech Republic at the World Championships following the conclusion of his playoff run with the Flyers. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury -- which he played through in the Stanley Cup Playoffs by taking cortisone injections -- prevented him from participating in the tournament. (It has to be a bittersweet feeling for him with the Czechs advancing to the semifinals against Slovakia, following yesterday's upset of Sweden in Stockholm).
As of this writing, it is not yet publicly known whether Voracek will be on the Flyers' summer surgery list. Hopefully, the information is released by the team today.
Another one-year deal for Voracek wouldn't be the end of the world for him. Actually, if he performs at a high enough level, Voracek could stand to make considerably more money in a multi-year deal reached next summer than one hammered out now.
As of now, the Flyers potentially have a lot of salary cap space that will be opened after next season. Both Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell will be unrestricted free agents after the 2012-13 season.
COMING TOMORROW: A look at Wayne Simmonds.
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