Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
The addition of Vincent Lecavalier gives the Philadelphia Flyers a veteran presence and scorer that they desperately lacked in last year’s up and down season. Last year’s addition of Jaromir Jagr seemed to give young Flyers star Claude Giroux a huge jolt as he provided scoring and tutored the young play-maker in one of his most productive seasons in the league.
The Flyers hope Lecavalier brings a similar type of presence to the club in their push for a playoff berth and Stanley Cup. Lecavalier was an absolute star for the Tampa Bay Lightning in his younger years and has still been quite productive well into his 30s as a play-maker who can also light the lamp when called upon.
Vinny, in all likelihood, will center the second line and add much needed size to the center ice position for the Flyers. Moving Brayden Schenn to wing along with Wayne Simmonds at the other wing gives the Flyers two pretty formidable lines for opponents to defend.
Lecavalier was courted by 10-15 NHL teams, and the Flyers obviously made a very good impression on him. The Flyers were looking for a veteran presence and scorer after buying out Danny Briere, and Lecavalier fits that bill perfectly as an upgrade over the well respected Briere in my opinion.
The Flyers still need to figure out their cap situation, add a goalie, and potentially look into upgrading their defense and scoring, but this is certainly a nice start on their way to becoming a contender in 2013. Look for moves to come in the coming days out of GM Paul Holmgren and company.
