The NHL Trade Deadline is always fun to watch unfold..but as opposed to offloading like many had hoped the Flyers would do prior to the 3PM EST deadline, the team have actually re-signed two players to contract extensions.
According to an official announcement from the team, both G Michal Neuvirth and FW Pierre Edouard-Bellemare have signed two-year extensions.
Bellemare, the only Flyer to appear in all 62 games this year, is actually getting a substantial raise too. The deal is reportedly worth $1.45M per year. He was previously making $712,500 per season in the multi-year contract signed back in March of 2015.
The 31-year old has spent the last three years with the orange and black, scoring 32 points in that time. This year has been a bit of a down season for the veteran, amassing just six points on the year despite leading the Flyers forwards in shorthanded time-on-ice.
For Neuvirth, it’s a two-year deal worth $2.5M per season. This may seem confusing to some, but given the never ending “Goalie controversy”, it appears that the Flyers have made their decision. Neuvirth is one of those players who if he breaks out, will command a big price..and it’s not as if the 28-year old hasn’t shone during his time in Philly.
With a 10-9-1 record this season and a .887 save percentage, it’s probably a little lower than what the Flyers would like to have seen from one of the men making up their Goalie tandem. Injuries have held him back but despite the dip in form this year, he still has a 28-17-5 record and a .910 save percentage in the 56 games he has contributed in for the Flyers.
What does this mean for Steve Mason? The writing seems to be on the wall. But it’s certainly going to be interesting to hear the GM’s response behind such an expensive contract for Bellemare and the decision to seemingly go with Neuvirth as the goalie they intend on retaining.
Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
