Carter, Dudley And More
A crescendo is building as the calendar creeps toward the two most important stretches on the NHL off-season schedule — the entry draft and free agency. After making news the last two days, the drumbeats are getting louder around the Blue Jackets, with a bigger flurry possible.
On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Flyers acquired the rights to goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov from the Phoenix Coyotes with the hope of signing Bryzgalov to a long-term contract before he hits free agency on July 1.
If the Flyers sign Bryzgalov — they don’t tend to mess around on these things — they’ll need significant salary cap relief. They already have $58.5 million committed to salaries for the 2011-12 season with still a few players to resign, and Bryzgalov is likely to make at least $6 million per season.
Talks have simmered between Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson and Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren for more than six months now — they last chatted at the NHL scouting combine two weeks ago — and a Bryzgalov signing could be the trigger.
Sources have indicated to The Dispatch that the Blue Jackets would trade a roster player, quite possibly winger Jake Voracek, and their first-round pick (No. 8 overall), to the Flyers for veteran center Jeff Carter.
Carter is signed through the 2020-21 season at $5.27 million per season according to capgeek.com. Of those two numbers, it’s the term — 11 more seasons — that would scare off some clubs, but the Blue Jackets have reached a point where they need to start taking measured risks.
He’s a proven top-six center, which remains a roster need. He’s a proven scorer, with 115 goals the last three seasons. At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds Carter could give the Blue Jackets a formidable 1-2 punch with captain Rick Nash, which they’re currently missing. He is a player who has gone where few in the Blue Jackets dressing room have ventured — deep in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Blue Jackets would be reluctant to trade Jake Voracek, their first-round pick in 2007 and the first draft pick made by Howson when he took over as general manager. Howson has always held Voracek — his potential, really — in high regard.
But a player of Carter’s caliber won’t come easy. Howson already has stated a desire to move the No. 8 draft pick for immediate help.
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