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Flyers acquire rights to Mark Streit from Islanders; buyouts for Bryz, Briere?

Harrison Mooney

The Philadelphia Flyers announced Wednesday that they have acquired the rights to impending UFA Mark Streit from the New York Islanders for a fourth-round draft pick in 2014 and prospect Shane Harper.

From the Flyers:

Streit, 35, is a pending unrestricted free agent, but the Flyers now own his rights and will have an opportunity to sign him to a new deal before he hits the free agent market July 5 and could sign with any of the 29 other teams in the NHL. He made $4.1 million last season as a member of the Islanders.

“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.”

Really, this news should come as little surprise. The Islanders did their best to retain Streit, who captained them to a return to the Stanley Cup playoffs, but when it became clear he was headed to free agency, Garth Snow did the wise thing in getting something for him.

The Flyers were a logical trading partner. They're an aggressive club, and they've been after a defenceman for quite some time.

Will they have more success than the Islanders? They're wasting no time in their efforts. According to Renaud Lavoie, talks between the Flyers and Streit will begin immediately. Streit made $4.1 million this past year, and it will probably take closer to $5 million a year, on a long-term deal, to get Streit him to forgo free agency.

And, since the defender officially hit old-timer status when he turned 35 back in December, that contract will be guaranteed. But something tells us the Flyers won't mind that at all! Money? What's money! Here, have some of this green paper candy we keep in barrels in the back!

Heck, it's going to cost the Flyers far more than just the dollar amount on Streit's contract to get him in the lineup. With the cap going down, they'll have to make plenty of room for a big-ticket signing like this, and that means sweeping a bunch of other big-ticket signings, like Daniel Briere and Ilya Bryzgalov, into the trash.

Never change, Flyers. Your commitment to flexing your financial advantage, even in the salary cap world, is a treasure and a delight.