Simon Gagne's final days as a Flyer ticking away?

by Bob Herpen
The Phanatic Magazine

Multiple outlets in the region have stated that Flyers forward Simon Gagne, the longest-tenured player on the club, has agreed to waive his no-trade clause in anticipation of an upcoming deal.

Sources Friday night and Saturday have indicated that the Flyers' most likely trading partner will be the Los Angeles Kings, who are simultaneously haggling with unrestricted free-agent forward Ilya Kovalchuk on a long-term deal.

The Kings, who are a Western Conference club, have multiple connections with the Flyers, including head coach Terry Murray and assistant general manager Ron Hextall.

According to reports, no deal will be completed until the American July 4th holiday has completed, meaning both sides will have until at least Tuesday to mull over the implications.

Apparently the most tradeable commodity according to Philly general manager Paul Holmgren, Gagne posted 17 goals and 40 points in only 58 regular-season games with the team last season. Despite the fact that he missed four playoff games over two weeks with a broken foot, the 30-year-old finished with nine goals and 12 points in 19 playoff tilts.

Gagne is due $5.25 million dollars in the final year of his current deal which is complete at the end of the upcoming season -- at which time he will be an unrestricted free agent.

With only a limited amount of cap space available due to the four signings made by Holmgren at the start of Free Agency on Thursday, Gagne's departure most likely signals a salary dump in order to provide money for additional contracts.

As of now, the Flyers still have to deal with the following free agents: UFA's Arron Asham, Lukas Krajicek and Danny Syvret; restricted free agents Dan Carcillo and Darroll Powe.

UFAs Mika Pyorala, Ray Emery and Sebastien Caron will come off the books as they are highly unlikely to return.

Nonetheless, Gagne's impending departure will strip the Orange and Black of one of its most-respected veteran presences on the forward line. It also deprives the club of a player who amassed 259 goals and 524 points in 664 games since breaking in with Philadelphia for the 1999-2000 season. Gagne added 32 goals and 47 points in 90 playoff appearances, and would go out having climbed within two games of a Stanley Cup triumph.