Just one year after signing a free-agent contract to join the Philadelphia Flyers, Vincent Lecavalier might be wearing a different sweater in 2014-15.
The veteran forward is on the trade market, per TSN’s Darren Dreger.
“He’s a fourth-line forward making $4.5 million and I can’t believe that (Flyers general manager) Ron Hextall is going to want to pay him that,” Dreger said on Wednesday’s edition of Insider Trading.
“So the word on the street is yes, Lecavalier most definitely is in play. But keep in mind that he has a no-move clause. I know that his agent, Kent Hughes, has already talked to Hextall about the possibility of moving his client. There are no specific teams yet, there’s no list, but if they want to move him they are going to have to go to Vinny and identify a specific place.”
Lecavalier tallied just 37 points (20 goals, 17 assists) in 69 games this past regular season, then posted two points in seven playoff games while averaging 10:41 of ice time (hasn’t reached the 55-point mark since 2009-10). His skating has deteriorated greatly over the last few years, partly because of injuries. He’s also no longer a top-unit power-play guy, and his durability is a concern (nine or more game missed in each of the last four seasons).
The 34-year-old center won’t be easy to move. His contract still has four more years left on it with a salary-cap hit of $4.5 million, per CapGeek. That’s a steep price for an aging player with declining skills and production. The Flyers might have to retain a good portion of his salary to make a deal work, but there are a few teams that need scoring depth near the cap floor who could be trade partners.
The Flyers don’t have any more compliance buyouts to use. They used them on Danny Briere and Ilya Bryzgalov after the 2012-13 season.
Photo via Twitter/@HSHScom
