There's so much double-speak with the FLyers anymore, it's hard to get a handle on what their game plan is for free agency and such.
General manager Paul Holmgren repeated his usual mantra of "I like our team" on Monday several times.
He liked it so much he traded away the 2 faces of the franchise last year and basically ripped apart the team and rebuilt it on July 1.
For the first time ever, Holmgren said he wasn't sure whether it made sense to do deals before free agency begins to obtain rights for a player when in hindsight, he probably could have gotten the player, anyway in free agency.
Do anyone really believe that looking back on how he got Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen?
Within minutes after saying that, Holmgren was pressed by Delco Times sports editor Rob Parent on whether his philosophy has changed going this draft. That is, will the Flyers just sit back and wait for July 1 before making a move?
That question drew an entirely opposite response from Holmgren:
Will you be proactive, he was asked?
“Generalizing, yeah, we will," Holmgren replied. "We'll try to improve our team. I like our team, but we’ll try to improve it."
No one truly believes the FLyers won't be players this weekend at the NHL Draft if and when Nashville decides to move either Shea Weber or Ryan Suter. We should mention that even though Suter's agent disputes my report that his client has no interest in playing for an Eastern Conference club, the Flyers are thinking that way and that Weber might be their only top-end option.
Holmgren admits the club has to do something about replacing Chris Pronger, but at the same time, he doesn't want to sound alarmist about it.
Something figures to shake out at the draft.
Always seems whenever there are major free agents out there, the FLyers name comes up. The Flyers don't need Rick Nash or Zach Parise. Yeah, they'd be better with them but neither player addresses the more functional need for a dominating d-man.
Do you really need another top gun, I asked Holmgren during our second session that was transcribed by the Flyers but was for the media only.
“I like our team," he replied, again. "I think our young guys are just going to continue to get better. You can take what you want out of that. We’ll continue to look around and see what makes us better. But I like our forward group."
Something will happen at the draft. Always does.
Now with regards to Jaromir Jagr ... his agent, Petr Svoboda, seemed taken aback when I told him that Holmgren didn't seem very confident his client would re-sign here.
Two weeks ago, Svoboda told me Jagr was coming back and it would be done at the draft. On Monday, he said he would meet with Holmgren at the draft and not to put too much stock into TSN reporting that his client was going to entertain free agent offers.
My gut feeling is Jagr wants a raise and the Flyers, because of their cap situation and the uncertainty of where it will stand "if" they get an impact d-man, will greatly influence what they can pay Jagr.
What is disappointing here is that Jagr said back in January that he felt Philly was his best option, he had never been happier in his life, and that money wasn't important.
In May, on breakup day, he was unhappy with his playing time and his role at season's end. Now, I feel we're back to money.
Like I said at the start of this ... it's hard to get a handle on anything anymore when it comes to the Flyers.
Here's more on what Holmgren said Monday on CSNPhilly.com:
click here 
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»