FLYERS MAKE SERIES OF MINOR MOVES
On the second day of the 2014 free agency season, the Philadelphia Flyers made five moves. Most were geared toward helping their American Hockey League farm team with some veteran talent that could also be called up to the NHL in a pinch.
At the NHL level, the Flyers signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Nick Schultz to a one year, $1.25 million contract. Schultz will step into the seventh defenseman role next season but could also move up to the six spot if another veteran defenseman is traded. As a number seven nowadays, Schultz is fine. As a number six, he may be adequate.
A defensive defenseman with decent skating skills but average-at-best puck skills, Schultz has made an 880 game NHL career for himself by keeping things simple. At age 31 (he'll turn 32 in August), there is no mystery about what Schultz can and can't do.
Last season, the Flyers carried eight defensemen, keeping both undersized puck mover Erik Gustafsson and hulking and ancient defensive defenseman Hal Gill on the roster. It is possible the Flyers could do that again in 2014-15 with Schultz taking Gill's place and perhaps someone such as Brandon Manning in the Gustafsson role. Alternatively, Philly may carry seven defensemen and squeeze out an extra $500,000 in cap space compared to last season (Gustafsson made a $1 million salary and Gill made $700,0000).
The Flyers also signed restricted free agent Jason Akeson to a one-year, two-way contract. I
wrote at length about Akeson's case for the NHL in my blog of May 6.
Originally an undrafted free agent signed in 2011, Akeson has shown that he has NHL caliber offensive skills. The problem is that he's considered suspect in several other key areas. As such, he will have to put up points regularly to remain in an NHL lineup for the long haul.
Flyers coach Craig Berube put faith in Akeson by dressing him in all seven games of the team's first round playoff series against the New York Rangers. He played on the third line, along with Sean Couturier and Matt Read. Akeson played well, scoring two goals in the series and rebounding from a costly double-minor in the third period of Game One.
Akeson will have a chance at making the NHL lineup out of training camp. Whether or not he breaks camp with the Flyers or is waived and assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms will depend on his play in competition with the likes of recently signed Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Blair Jones. If he does beat out the competition for an opening night roster spot, Akeson will still need to avoid slumps in order to stay in the lineup and prevent possible demotion back to the AHL.
Back in May, a long-time NHL pro scout said that the picture on Akeson's NHL ability should be clearer by December of next season: If he's still around, he might just stay with the Flyers for the long haul. If he's back in the AHL, he'll be in danger of the dreaded "career minor leaguer" label that gets progressively harder for a player to shake.
Said the scout, "Akeson has NHL hands and vision, but he has AHL game without the puck and AHL strength. His feet, strength and play without the puck all need to improve for him to remain and have impact in the NHL."
Another NHL pro scout said of the player, "I have to be honest. I would not have thought he would have made it far as he has. He's not a star. He's a role player whose role is score, and that's tough to do at [the NHL] level. What I will say is that he has some offensive skills that can't be taught and he's gotten better in other areas. He still needs to improve away from the puck and to keep his compete level up where it has in the NHL games he's played. If he does that, he's got a chance."
One player with whom Akeson will not have to compete for an NHL spot is power forward Tye McGinn. The Flyers traded the restricted free agent winger yesterday to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. The fact that San Jose was willing to part with a third-rounder for McGinn suggests the Sharks feel McGinn can win an NHL roster spot in the bottom half of their lineup.
Yesterday, the Flyers also signed veteran forwards Andrew Gordon and Zack Stortini to respective one-year, two way contracts. Both players will be slated to play for the Phantoms, but have a bit of NHL experience.
Gordon, 28, is a very solid offensive player at the AHL level (as is Jones) but has been a fourth liner in his 55 games in the NHL. He will play a scoring role for Lehigh Valley. Stortini, who will turn 29 in September, served as an NHL enforcer for three-plus years with the Edmonton Oilers but has been back in the AHL for the last three seasons.
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A MEMORABLE CANADA DAY FOR THE WRONG REASON
I will say one thing and one thing only about the Claude Giroux incident in Ottawa on Canada Day. The Flyers captain, who just collected a $5,000,000 signing bonus for the eight-year contract extension that kicks in next season, got drunk and obnoxious while out celebrating. A police officer was not amused, and Giroux took it too far and would up spending a night in a "drunk tank" holding cell.
There are no charges being filed against Giroux; not even a summary offense along the lines of disorderly conduct or public drunkenness. He caught a break in that regard.
However, the incident was an embarrassment. Giroux deserves the razzing that will be coming his way around the NHL. I hope to never hear Giroux's name and "arrested" used in the same sentence again. Giroux needs to calm down in the off-season. That said, at least this wasn't a DUI case, a bar brawl or an actual fight with the arresting police officer.
Beyond that, I don't think there is much else to say. Quite frankly, the story has already been over-covered elsewhere and I do not plan to write further on it unless there is a real reason to bring it up again.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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