Thursday, September 26, 2013

Tim Thomas and the Florida Panthers Agree to One Year Contract

The Florida Panthers and 39-year-old goaltender, Tim Thomas have agreed to a one year contract.

The deal has a cap hit of $3.75 million for the 2013-14 season with $2.5 million being the base salary and $1.25 million in player bonuses, according to capgeek.com.

 Thomas signed a pro tryout contract with the Panthers in the beginning of training camp.  He has yet to play in a preseason game, but is in net for tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Thomas has been out of hockey for a year after deciding to sit out the final year of his contract with the Boston Bruins in the 2012-13 season.

The goaltender has played in 378 career games and they have all been played with the Bruins, where he compiled 196 wins, 121 loses, a .921 save percentage and a 2.48 goals against average.  He also has played in 50 playoff games and won a Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins. 

The 39-year-old has been selected to the All-Star game four times in his career (2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012).  He has won the Veniza Trophy in both the 2008-09 and 2010-11 seasons as the best goaltender in the NHL.  Thomas also won the William M. Jennings Trophy with Manny Fernandez as the top goaltending duo for the 2008-09 season.  He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy for being the playoff MVP in 2011.

Thomas is currently the third goaltender on the roster for the Panthers behind 23-year-old Jacob Markstrom and Scott Clemmenson, who is currently out with a knee injury.  It should be interesting to see who the Panthers keep between the pipes for the upcoming season, which starts on Thursday, October 3rd on the road in Dallas. 
Thomas is                  

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Philadelphia Flyers and Matt Read Agree to Contract Extension

The Philadelphia Flyers and forward Matt Read have agreed to a four year, $14.5 million contract that has a cap hit of $3.625 million per season.

The new deal won't start until the 2014-15 season, since Read is in his last year of a three year, $2.7 million contract.  The cap hit for this season remains at $900,000.

The Flyers signed the undrafted right winger, out of Bemidji State University, in 2011.  He played 11 games for the Adirondack Phantoms, the Flyers AHL affiliate, that same season.  

In his rookie season, Read played in 79 games tallying 24 goals, 23 assists and 47 points.  He also played in 11 playoff games scoring three goals and setting up two others for five total points.

Read has proved to be a versatile player in his first two seasons with the Flyers.  He usually plays the point on one of the power play units, gets significant time on the penalty kill, and is trusted to be out on the ice during the last minute of a one goal game.

The right winger can both score and setup his teammates.  He works hard every night and can play on any line, whether it be the top line or the third line.