[Signing] Flyers sign Andrew MacDonald to 6 yr extension ($5mil AAV)

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

i'm fine with that as long as its not with us

Well I guess that depends on what the other options are as if he leaves another defenseman needs to be signed and I don't want to see a $5+ million defenseman from this years weak crop of UFA defensemen.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Well I guess that depends on what the other options are as if he leaves another defenseman needs to be signed and I don't want to see a $5+ million defenseman from this years weak crop of UFA defensemen.

Well there are options like the waiver wire after training camp too. I wouldn't mind Butler back at a reasonable salary, but he shouldn't be paid anything more then a No 4-5 d-man.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Well there are options like the waiver wire after training camp too. I wouldn't mind Butler back at a reasonable salary, but he shouldn't be paid anything more then a No 4-5 d-man.

Don't care about salary. At all.
Just term.
Happy to have him back, but no more than 2 year term.
And that's why it will either have to be over priced, or won't happen at all, imo. Butler will naturally want longer term - and Flames must stay away from that.

[Dajazz]

Holmgren is hilarious. How does he still have his job... Flyers should have imploded already, but somehow they always seem to recover.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Well there are options like the waiver wire after training camp too. I wouldn't mind Butler back at a reasonable salary, but he shouldn't be paid anything more then a No 4-5 d-man.

Like Eldrick said I would be okay giving him close to market value on a two year deal max. Chances are he may be in the $4 million range to which I would probably investigate the rest of the market. The thing about Butler is you either bring him in a long term deal for low dollars without a NTC (so you can move him easily when you feel younger players are ready to step up) or a short term deal for close to market value. They can't sign him at market value for long term as IMO that would be a mistake.

[Philly06Cup]

I watch every Flyers game. Judging by the 19 games he's played with the Flyers, he's been their best D-man. LoL at calling him a 3rd pair D-man, and the comparisons to Butler.

He's been averaging more minutes than any other Flyers D-man since his arrival. Timonen is a UFA -- either going to retire or see a reduced roll -- and Streit is also an aging Dman. MacDonald fills the void of a good, young, puck moving defenseman. He also leads the league in blocked shots.

5 mil a year is fair for what he brings, especially looking at the UFA D-man pool.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Like Eldrick said I would be okay giving him close to market value on a two year deal max. Chances are he may be in the $4 million range to which I would probably investigate the rest of the market. The thing about Butler is you either bring him in a long term deal for low dollars without a NTC (so you can move him easily when you feel younger players are ready to step up) or a short term deal for close to market value. They can't sign him at market value for long term as IMO that would be a mistake.

IMO I would go with 2 years, $2.5M per.. which I guess compared to this might look low, but the key is that Butler/contract have to be readily moveable and should never be seen as an anchor. Look at this years trade deadline, how many teams had to eat salary..... these days, teams simply can't afford to have players paid well above their worth, and Butler's contract has to be movable.

If not..... like I said, at the end of training camp, there are always 5-6 guys available on the waiver wire who can probably come in and fill that bottom pairing role. Might not be as good as Butler, but won't come with an anchor contract too. And there is always the waiver wire... I'm hoping that Butler takes a discount and we lock him up for $2.5M for a few years. Especially for a team that isn't likely to challenge for a playoff position, its not a huge problem to fill taht No 5-6 position that it might have been a few years ago when we had to plug that No 5 position with a guy like Marchment or Staois.

[saillias]

Originally Posted by Philly06Cup

I watch every Flyers game. Judging by the 19 games he's played with the Flyers, he's been their best D-man. LoL at calling him a 3rd pair D-man, and the comparisons to Butler.

He's been averaging more minutes than any other Flyers D-man since his arrival. Timonen is a UFA -- either going to retire or see a reduced roll -- and Streit is also an aging Dman. MacDonald fills the void of a good, young, puck moving defenseman. He also leads the league in blocked shots.

5 mil a year is fair for what he brings, especially looking at the UFA D-man pool.

Blocked shots are an interesting stat because of what they don't tell. Butler is 2nd in that category, by the way. The reason his blocked shots number is so high is because when he's on the ice, the other team is controlling the puck in our end, and taking a lot of shot attempts. It's basically a compensation skill in his case. Not sure about Macdonald.

[moon]

I think it is too much but he is a much better player than Butler or Wideman.

The term is the worst part of the deal. I think 4 x 4 makes sense for him but no need to add the extra money term. If he didn't sign it wasn't like the Glyers were screwed they could go out and get someone similar easily.

[FAN]

Originally Posted by moon

I think it is too much but he is a much better player than Butler or Wideman.

I agree but Wideman was signed for his offense. Everybody knew he wasn't good defensively and a potential bench warmer in the playoffs because he is a defensive liability.

[FireGilbert]

Wow, I guess that is the going rate for a second pairing defenseman now. That's a lot for MacDonald though in money and term. I can see why the Islanders weren't able to re-sign him.

Philly seems to have a strategy of acquiring soon to be UFA defensemen and signing them to large extensions. It worked out with Pronger until he got hurt but hasn't really worked out with the others.