Vincent Lecavalier is trading his blue and white for black and orange.
The most sought-after free agent on the NHL market agreed to a five-year, $22.5 million contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.
Lecavalier was bought out by the Lightning last Thursday after 14 seasons in Tampa Bay.
The 33-year-old center reportedly drew interest from more than a dozen teams during his brief stint as a free agent, with the Bruins, Canadiens, Stars and Red Wings all rumored among the finalists. He leaves Tampa Bay as one of the most decorated players in franchise history, having earned four All-Star nods during his tenure as well as a Stanley Cup championship in 2004.
Lecavalier is the Lightning’s all-time goals leader with 383 and ranks second all-time in both points (874) and assists (491) behind Martin St. Louis.
He’ll join a Flyers team that limped to fourth place in the Atlantic Division this season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2007. Philadelphia’s offense and special teams were solid, with top-liners Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek leading the team in points and goals, respectively, but the 2.9 goals against average shared among four goaltenders ranked 22nd in the NHL.
The Flyers booted the disappointing Ilya Bryzgalov early this offseason, leading many to believe they may make a run at former Bruins goalie Tim Thomas in free agency.
