(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
In what everyone thought was going to be a bid for Jay Bouwmeester turned out to be an outcome of Chris Pronger becoming a Philadelphia Flyer.
Anaheim will receive the rights to Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa and this year's and next's first-round draft picks. The Flyers also acquired 24-year-old center Ryan Dingle from the Ducks.
"I made it sort of clear myself, would I like to get a hammer, a guy who makes life miserable for the other team… this is one of those guys," Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said.
The news is still breaking as we speak, but Chris Pronger is now a Flyer. Pronger, 34, played all 82 games last season for the Anaheim Ducks and provided 11 goals and 37 assists for 48 points. He is due to make $6.25 million this season, his final year of his current contract.
"This goes back a few weeks ago. We told them(Anaheim) if Chris was going to be available, we'd have interest," GM Paul Holmgren said during a conference call.
"Chris said he was interested and we took it from there."
"He's a proven winner, the size, how he passes the puck, and he's an ideal fit for this team," Holmgren added.
Holmgren also added that they have some space to move around some more. He also stated that the move was made because they want to win now.
The Flyers beat out the Ottawa Senators to get the veteran blue liner.
Obviously a massive deal by the Flyers, how they’re going to fit Pronger in under the cap is for later discussion. But, this is a much needed piece to the main puzzle.
Pronger spoke via an audio conference call.
"I'm very excited. It’s obviously a city that’s very passionate for the sport of hockey. The style of the play that the Flyers have been known to play certainly fits my game. They’ve got some great young talent and I hope to help not only develop the team into being regarded as one of the top teams in the league, but winning a Stanley Cup," Pronger stated.
Pronger said he also thinks he could be the missing piece to the puzzle for the Flyers.
"I’d like to think so, but I don’t really know a whole lot about the team right now. I’ve seen them play a few times in the playoffs, and I like what they have up front. I think they’ve got a good core group of defensemen on the back end."
Pronger finished his call with a little scouting report of his own on Ryan Dingle, the other player the Flyers acquired in the trade.
"He’s a little spark plug. He’s a skilled guy, very fast, competitive guy. He plays off the puck give and go, and he’s one of those guys who wants to score.
The club was aggressive in the move, but, was the price of giving up Lupul, Sbisa, and two first rounders worth it for a 34-year-old? Time will tell.
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