There’s been no indication that the Philadelphia Flyers are interested in any particular defenseman remaining on the free agent market, so perhaps this isn’t even all that newsworthy.
But common sense says that Paul Holmgren should be interested in any number of guys still left, and at the top of that list could be Blues’ UFA defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo. As it turns out, the Detroit Red Wings are a bit more interested.
A source told MLive.com that the Red Wings have made a two-year offer for about $2.5 million a season.
Colaiacovo, 29, is a good skater and puck-mover with some offensive ability, having averaged 27 points a season the past four years with the St. Louis Blues. He shoots left and can play the point on the power play.
Also interesting from the MLive.com report: Calgary’s asking price on a trade for defenseman Jay Bouwmeester is reportedly very high, news that also impacts the Flyers’ search for another defenseman this summer.
Colaiacovo would be a solid option to shore up the Flyers’ defense in the absence of Andrej Meszaros and following the departure of Matt Carle via free agency. Bouwmeester is a big, mobile puck-moving defenseman that can eat top-pairing minutes, but it’s tough to see Holmgren parting with the pieces necessary to make the deal happen.
After Colaiacovo, the UFA market evaporates pretty substantially.
