Hal Gill will be on the Flyers for the duration of the 2013-14 season, signed today to a one-year, $700,000 contract, the team announced. He’s the eighth defenseman on the roster and is a clear outcast on a team that’s now overloaded with defensemen, leading us to believe that a trade or some kind of move is coming.
Gill slots behind every other defenseman on the roster: Kimmo Timonen, Mark Streit, Braydon Coburn, Luke Schenn, Nicklas Grossmann and Erik Gustafsson should be the top six, leaving Gill and Andrej Meszaros on the outside looking in. Will Meszaros and his hefty cap hit be sent packing? Gill’s signing would make a lot more sense if so.
Gill’s signing does give the Flyers depth if nothing else. If injuries hit like they did last season, it’ll be nice to have the insurance policy. Bruno Gervais and a number of prospects in Adirondack also help in that department.
For now until another move is made, though, Gill’s just an extra body. A slow extra body. (But a good locker room presence!)
