Frank Seravalli: Flyers strengthen defense with trade for Hamhuis

AS THE FLYERS packed their bags and sauntered out of town last week before the puck drops on another season on Oct. 7, Paul Holmgren hashed out an offseason checklist.

Holmgren was able to cross off one of the items on his list on Saturday when he sent restricted free agent Ryan Parent back to Nashville for the rights to highly coveted free agent Dan Hamhuis.

But Holmgren has just 10 days to ink Hamhuis to an extension before he is free game for the rest of the NHL. Parent just earned Holmgren exclusive negotiating rights until July 1.

Holmgren was not granted permission to negotiate with Hamhuis by Nashville general manager David Poile before the trade. He went into it blind, knowing he has the cap space to sign the 6-1, 209-pound defenseman. Doing so would unquestionably lessen the load that was slung on Chris Pronger's back during the regular season and playoffs.

Pronger, who visibly ran out of gas during the Stanley Cup final, averaged 25 minutes, 56 seconds over 82 regular-season games and 29:03 in 23 playoff games.

Hamhuis, 27, will fit firmly between Kimmo Timonen and Matt Carle on the Flyers' defensive depth chart as a smart and patient puck mover who can also play a shutdown role against opponents' top forwards. Hamhuis and Timonen sometimes skated together in Nashville. Hamhuis will not match Carle's point totals but is reliable and durable, having missed just seven games over the last four seasons.

That will come at a price. Hamhuis' deal likely will exceed the 4-year, $14 million that Pittsburgh's Kris Letang got last summer. Holmgren and Hamhuis' agent, Wade Arnott, are scheduled to begin negotiating today with the hopes of completing the deal before the NHL draft commences on Friday in Los Angeles.

If that happens, signing Hamhuis could limit how the Flyers round out their defense. The apparent goal was to not only strengthen the unit, which Hamhuis does, but also make it deeper. The salary cap, expected to rise about $2 million to $58.8 million, could limit its depth since restricted free agent Braydon Coburn is due a raise.