Streit to Philly

In a move that underscores the Philadelphia Flyers' desperation for a number one defenseman, the Flyers traded a draft pick (2014 fourth round pick) and a lower-level prospect (Shane Harper) to the New York Islanders to obtain the negotiating rights to impending free agent defenseman Mark Streit.  It is believed that the asking price that Streit set for the Islanders was too high for the Islanders and instead of letting him walk for nothing, got something in return.

As for the Flyers, they have been beset by injuries to their blue line the last few years, with Chris Pronger (likely to retire, if he hasn't already), Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, Andrej Meszaros, and Nicklas Grossmann all missing time to injuries.  As for what the 35-year old defenseman from Switzerland can bring, he is an offensive force from the blue line, amassing six goals and 21 assists this past season.  However, he also has a reputation as a liability in his own zone, something that the Flyers should be able to compensate for, as the Flyers are known for having a better than average defense, and Streit could be paired with someone like Luke Schenn.

This also highlights a bigger problem for the Flyers in recent years, as they've been unable to develop a top-flight defenseman.  Their best young defensemen?  Erik Gustafsson, Oliver Lauridsen, and Brandon Manning, all of whom are on the current Flyers roster (updated as of today), yet none of the three are anyone's idea of a number one (or number two, for that matter) defenseman.