(Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons)
The Flyers acquired the rights for veteran defenseman Mark Streit this afternoon. They gave up right-winger Shane Harper and a fourth round draft pick in the 2014 NHL Draft.
For the past two seasons, Streit has been the captain of the New York Islanders. He has spent the past four seasons with them. Over his NHL career, he has scored 65 goals with 223 assists in 491 career games. He was also selected to the 2009 NHL All-Star team.
Before being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 2004, he played eight seasons in the Swiss Elite League.
The 35-year-old defenseman is a pending unrestricted free agent and can not be signed until July 5th. This trade gives the Flyers the chance to negotiate with him exclusively.
“Mark is a player we would have had interest in on July 5th," said Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. "We now have exclusive negotiating rights and we are hopeful that we can get an agreement in place prior to him becoming an unrestricted free agent.”
This move can be a great move for the Flyers depending on what kind of contract Streit will receive. The addition of Streit brings in a veteran defenseman with strong offensive ability. Last season, he led Islander defensemen in scoring with 27 points and was tied with superstar John Tavares for team playoff points with five points in the first round.
This move is only the beginning of what should be a busy summer of remodeling for the Philadelphia Flyers.
