November 19, 2010, Atlantic Division notebook on Philadelphia Flyers locking up Jeff Carter for next 11 years for HockeyPrimeTime.com

Carter deal illustrates Flyers' long-term approach

Atlantic

Written by Denis Gorman

Friday, November 19, 2010 12:00

Jeff Carter joins Mike Richards and Chris Pronger under long-term contract in Philly. The Flyers' Stanley Cup aspirations are high and their depth is enviable. Only their salary-cap situation is not. The present and future of the Philadelphia Flyers became brighter last Saturday afternoon, as the franchise agreed to an 11-year, $58 million contract extension with 25-year old center Jeff Carter. The 11th overall pick in the 2003 draft has skated in 400 NHL games. He has recorded 153 goals, 139 assists (292 points) and 271 penalty minutes. In 19 games this season, Carter has 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) and 22 penalty minutes. AROUND THE ATLANTIC Carter’s name had been mentioned repeatedly in trade rumors dating back to last season. Now it appears that speculators will need to find another perennial 30-goal scorer to covet in potential trades. “I’m sure as everyone knows by now, we have reached an agreement with Jeff Carter on a long-term contract. We’re happy to have Jeff signed for the foreseeable future. He’s an integral part of the core of our hockey team. This took a little bit of time to get done, but we’re happy to have it done,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren told reporters in a pregame press conference Saturday prior to Philadelphia’s 5-2 win over Florida. Holmgren noted that contract discussions with Carter began during the summertime, that the deal has a limited no-trade clause, and the term "doesn’t hurt us.” For a group that has legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations, news that Carter will ostensibly be a Flyer for life was met with a great deal of approval. “Well obviously him and Richie [Mike Richards], they’ve been here probably the longest and they’re going to be here the longest,” defenseman Kimmo Timmonen said. “Obviously, as a GM standpoint it’s really easy to build your team based on these two guys and they’re young, they’re going to be here forever. They’re good players and they’re going to be great players down the road and people are going to enjoy them for a while.” “Yeah, any time you get a guy like Jeff Carter for 11 years, you know you’re going in the right direction. He’s been playing well for us the last few years, even this year, so we’re pretty happy to have him for 11 years,” praised Claude Giroux. “As far as Jeff goes, I think it really says something about him as a player for this organization and what he has done. Jeff has put up a lot of points. He's young and talented. He's a big guy that plays center ice for us,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “I always say you have to be strong down the middle and he certainly is that for us. It is a great deal for him, our organization and our fans. It seems to be a good fit.” A dissenting opinion was offered by broadcaster Mike Milbury. The frequent contrarian sniffed on Hockey Night In Canada's Hot Stove segment that contracts like Carter's were hurting the free agent process because the NHL's premier young players were eschewing the open market for long-term security. Offering such contracts brings its own set of risks. But why would a player would pass on the opportunity to sign a multi-year, large-money pact with an organization they are comfortable with? Philadelphia has done a good job making its young players feel welcome: Along with Carter, Giroux and Mike Richards have signed extensions, and Holmgren and Ville Leino said that both are looking to work out a deal to keep the left wing. “I’ve had some conversations with Ville’s agent. Obviously he’s a guy we want to keep in our organization so we’ll do what we can,” Holmgren said after the game. “If he keeps getting a couple points a game it gets harder and harder. Maybe we should sit him out. We’ll see. I think Ville likes it here, he’s found a niche here so hopefully we can get something done. “I enjoy it here. I enjoy playing here and staying here, but right now I am focusing on playing well and making sure we are winning. That’s where I want to be in my priorities and then see where it brings me,” added Leino. “Well they definitely signed the good guys who will be important for this team in the future.” Leino did point out that Philadelphia’s salary cap could make a pact difficult. According to capgeek.com, the Flyers do not have even a dollar’s worth of cap room. “Yeah it’s tough with the cap. These guys are signing big deals, so we’ll see what it is. We will see in the future,” Leino said. “I enjoy being here. It’s a good fit. I like being here. You guys probably want to ask [Paul Holmgren] that.” Florida head coach Peter DeBoer praised the Flyers’ depth after the game. DeBoer said that “any team that can move Jeff Carter to the wing that has that luxury; everyone is looking for a centerman around the league except Philadelphia. Philadelphia has the luxury of moving a 6-4 centerman that scores 30 goals to the wing, that’s a pretty deep team.” The signings of Carter, Giroux, Richards and Danny Briere are examples of how quality depth equates to on-ice success. The quartet are key components as to why Philadelphia possesses arguably the best top two lines in the NHL and why the team boasts a 12-5-2 record. The Flyers lead the Atlantic Division and are second overall in the league and Eastern Conference. Only Washington has a better record. “To be honest with you, we didn’t really think much about other teams. The guys you’re talking about are good hockey players on our team and it’s important to have them locked up for the success of our team,” Holmgren said. “Mr. [Ed] Snider is committed to having a good team here with the Flyers and getting Jeff done today and Claude done a few days ago are two big signings for us.” Notes The Islanders announced Monday that the franchise fired head coach Scott Gordon. The decision was ridiculed by The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell and ESPN.com’s Scott Burnside. … The Penguins are fifth in the NHL with an 88.2 percent penalty-kill rate. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examined why the Penguins have been successful killing their opponents’ man advantages. … The Devils recorded their first 2010-11 NHL regular season home win Friday night when Ilya Kovalchuk lasered a power-play one-timer past Edmonton goaltender Devan Dubnyk with 1:33 remaining in overtime. … The Rangers’ 8-2 rout of Edmonton was marked by a third-period line brawl. Twitter: @DenisGorman Photos by Getty Images

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