Gagne to Tampa Bay

			2009-2010 NHL Statistics				2011 Cap Info
To Tampa Bay	Position	Age	GP	G	A	P	Years	Cap Hit
Simon Gagne	Forward	30	58	17	23	40	1	$5.25 million
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To Philadelphia	Position	Age	GP	G	A	P	Years	Cap Hit
Matt Walker	Defense	30	66	2	3	5	3	$1.7 million
2011 4th Round Draft Pick

The Tampa Bay Lightning got a touch more offensive with a deal that brings in Simon Gagne from the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday. Of course, this happens not long after I say the Lightning may not have enough to get me too excited for the 2011 season. I'm just about ready to retract that statement with the move that brings in a top six forward to a team that could use a little bit more skill in their top six.

In exchange for Gagne, the Flyers will receive veteran defenseman Matt Walker and a 4th round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft, which works out to be a solid cap dump for the 2011 season.  The Flyers have already stocked up on a lot of defensemen and have substantial depth up front and a pair in net, so they could, in theory, go to war with the team that they have signed on now.

With this deal being done, I now have the Flyers with 12 forwards, 8 defense and 2 goalies (no buyouts) at an annual cap hit of $58.2 million, which is below the new salary cap ceiling number. The Lightning, on the other hand, have 8 forwards, 5 defense, 2 goalies and 2 buyouts for an annual cap hit of $46.9 million, still in really good shape to add forwards and defense. A team that could take on Gagne's contract helped out a team that couldn't handle it anymore and the Flyers have now made enough room for Nikolai Zherdev to flourish.

I get the feeling that the addition of Walker to the Flyers' blueline might make one of their higher-priced blueliners a little more expendable, possibly to free up just a little more room for comfort purposes. It's a pretty big logjam on the blueline for the Flyers, which would lead me to believe that they are not quite done, probably moving a guy like Braydon Coburn out and trying to save some of that $3.2 million cap hit. Just a thought...