Carolina Hurricanes goalie Brian Boucher, who had been working out with Flyers players, was acquired by Philadelphia(Photo: Matt Rourke, AP)
The parade of expected signings and trade began before 10 a.m. when the Philadelphia Flyers announced they had signed free agent defenseman Kurtis Foster and acquired backup goalie Brian Boucher from the Carolina Hurricanes.
By the end of the day, the Hurricanes had made another trade, teams shored up their defensive depth and Scott Gomez was told to stay home.
The Hurricanes also signed backup goalie Dan Ellis (one year, $650,000) and acquired Kevin Westgarth from the Los Angeles Kings for Anthony Stewart and two draft picks. The move was the first made this offseason by the defending Stanley Cup champions.
MORE: Season schedules[1]
Among the defensive signings: Mike Mottau to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Radek Martinek returning to the New York Islanders (one year, $600,000) Cam Barker to the Vancouver Canucks (one year, $700,000).
Gomez was asked not to attend the Canadiens’ camp because the team plans to buy him out next summer. If he gets hurt this season, he would not be eligible for a buyout.
Each team will get two compliance buyouts starting next summer to help them get under the $64.3 million salary cap in 2013-14.
Gomez, 33, will get paid his $5.5 million salary as he sits home. He scored two goals in 38 games last season and had seven the year before.
MORE: Fans jam training camps[2]
Foster, who signed for $950,000, is joining a Philadelphia defense that includes Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, Luke Schenn, Nicklas Grossman, Andrej Meszaros, Bruno Gervais, Andreas Lilja and the injured Chris Pronger. Meszaros has been cleared for contact after a heel injury but is iffy for the opener.
“We just felt it was a gaping hole in our organizational depth, and we were able to be aggressive with Kurtis,” general manager Paul Holmgren said.
Foster, 31, played for the Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild. He played for Tappara in the Swedish League this season.
The Flyers sent Luke Pither (playing in East Coast Hockey League) to Carolina for Boucher and Mark Alt. Boucher started his career with the Flyers in 1999 and this will be the fourth time he’s part of the organization.
“It’s a bit embarrassing. I’m sure there’s a lot of people scratching their heads saying what is going on, but from a personal standpoint it’s a good situation.”
PHOTOS: Opening day of camps[3]
Boucher, 36, lives in South Jersey, but will be sent to American Hockey League Adirondack (Glens Falls, N.Y.) as an insurance policy for Ilya Bryzgalov and Michael Leighton.
Also Sunday:
-The New York Rangers re-signed defenseman Michael Del Zotto to a two-year deal. They also added defenseman Matt Gilroy, who split last season between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators. He began his career with the Rangers.
-The Washington Capitals brought back winger Eric Fehr, who had played for the Winnipeg Jets last season. Fehr scored twice for Washington in the 2011 Winter Classic. He’ll make $600,000 this season.
-The Buffalo Sabres re-signed forward Jochen Hecht for one year at $1 million. He had concussion issues last season but is healthy and was playing for Germany’s Adler Mannheim during the lockout.
Contributing: Randy Miller, (Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post
References
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nhl/schedule/ (www.usatoday.com)
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2013/01/13/nhl-training-camp-fans/1831041/ (www.usatoday.com)
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/sports/nhl/2013/01/13/nhl-teams-open-training-camps/1831079/ (www.usatoday.com)
