Philadelphia Flyers getting closer to signing Jeff Carter
The Philadelphia Flyers are inching towards signing team sniper Jeff Carter to a contract extension. The 25-year-old centre is currently on the final year of a three-year $15 million deal.
Carter’s contract ends on the completion of the 2010-11 season and the youngster is able to become a free agent on 1 July 2011. The Flyers have been working to re-sign the London, Ontario native for some time, but seem to be finally making some headway.
“You know me, I don’t say much, but I will acknowledge that I’ve had some conversations with [Flyers general manager] Paul [Holmgren] and we’re making progress,” said Carter’s agent Rick Curran. “For the moment, that’s probably all I’m going to say. I don’t
like to discuss negotiations.”
Carter has been the Flyers' top scorer for the past two years and has blossomed into a bona-fide sniper, potting 29, 46 and 33 goals in the last three years respectively.
Carter already makes $5 million a season and it should prove difficult to lock up the youngster considering Philadelphia has no cap room. If Carter were to get a raise on his extension, as is expected, the Flyers would be forced to dump some salary next
season. The likely candidates are Nikolai Zherdev, who is making $2 million this season, but whose contract expires at the end of the year, and Daniel Carcillo, who makes $1.075 this season and whose contract also expires at the end of the season.
“I’m not sure which way it’s going to go yet. We’re looking at a couple of different things,” said Flyers GM Paul Holmgren. “That’s the hard part. If you want a smaller cap number, you’ve got to give more years. It’s [the balance] delicate.”
So far in nine games this season Carter has three goals and three assists.
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