TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Monday evening that the Philadelphia Flyers, as well as the other teams affected, will receive salary cap relief for the players charged in the 2018 World Junior Championships Hockey Canada criminal proceedings. Carter Hart, who was charged with sexual assault, was designated non-roster status by the Flyers on Feb. 1.
From a hockey perspective, this news is significant for the Flyers. Hart’s salary is easily the largest of the four players charged in the investigation, at $3.979 million. Depending on the extent of the relief, the Flyers could be open for business once again.
Last summer, we saw general manager Danny Briere utilize his cap space in the Ivan Provorov trade in order to bring back even more valuable assets. Briere also retained salary in the Kevin Hayes trade and bought out misfit defenseman Tony DeAngelo.
DeAngelo’s buyout allowed the Flyers to add the NCAA’s leading scorer in Massimo Rizzo.
In terms of NHL trades, cap hits and cap space have been thorns in the sides of many contenders looking to make upgrades. For example, the Columbus Blue Jackets are the only team in the Metropolitan Division with cap space ($4 million) more than or equal to Hart’s cap hit of $3.979 million. Including Columbus, this can only be said about six total teams in the NHL.
The Flyers have their own trades to work out, with teams calling about Scott Laughton and burgeoning interest in defensemen like Nick Seeler and Sean Walker. There’s also the possibility that Marc Staal, a pending free agent, draws interest on the NHL trade market as well.
Regardless of what happens there, the Flyers and Danny Briere are about to get a major break on behalf of the NHL.
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