Cap Space

L UCA SBISA was getting a stick ready in the Verizon Center, long before most of his teammates had arrived. As he was putting the finishing touches on the tape, a line of Flyers began arriving, led by Mike Richards . Without looking directly at Richards, Sbisa began hopping up and down and grinning. Richards got the message and he began hopping up and down until, at just the right moment, the two hopped into each other, a kind of sideways chest thump. The little byplay brought an ear-to-ear grin from the Flyers captain.

OTTAWA - Harry Zolnierczyk, one of the Flyers' unheralded but productive undrafted free agents in training camp, was recalled from the Adirondack Phantoms yesterday, made his NHL debut against the Senators last night and scored a goal in a 7-2 victory. But Zolnierczyk's presence in the Canadian capital raised a few eyebrows - and question marks. Why didn't the Flyers decide to call up hotshot prospect Brayden Schenn, who has posted eight points in four games with the Phantoms?

Suddenly, the Eagles have a fire burning on their front lawn. It had been a smooth and serene offseason for the team, the to-do list meticulously crossed off one by one until all that seemed left to do was kick back, watch some game film, and try to bolster a solid roster in the draft. Then came Friday's news that Jason Peters, their Pro Bowl left tackle, one of the Eagles' two best players in 2011 along with LeSean McCoy, had ruptured his Achilles tendon, probably ending his season.

When the Flyers signed free-agent forward Glen Metropolit on Tuesday, general manager Paul Holmgren compared his versatility to R.J. Umberger's. He could have called him a poor man's R.J. Umberger. The Flyers signed Metropolit to a two-year, $2 million deal. Umberger, who was traded to Columbus June 20 because the Flyers didn't have enough cap space, will eventually sign a much pricier contract with the Blue Jackets. As a fourth-line center with the Boston Bruins last year, Metropolit, 34, was slightly less productive in the regular season (11 goals, 22 assists)

Though all signs point to the Flyers signing controversial goalie Ray Emery, general manager Paul Holmgren yesterday said both sides are still negotiating. Because Emery played in Russia last season, the team that signs him can announce they have an agreement before July 1, when the free-agent signing period starts. Holmgren isn't prepared to make that announcement. "We're still talking," he said. "I can't say we've decided 100 percent yet. " Holmgren said he has talked with potential free agent Marty Biron and his agent "at length," and he was not ready to close the door on signing him. But the door seems to be almost shut, and if you read between the lines, Emery looks to be the Flyers' guy. For one, he is expected to sign a one-year deal for about $1.5 million, significantly less than Biron, who is seeking a four- or five-year contract that figures to land him about $4 million per season.

Tony Massenburg has been with the 76ers before. Sort of. OK, it was just for three or four days in their 1993 camp for rookies and free agents. "I played well," Massenburg said. But never like this. The 6-9 Massenburg, obtained with Eddie Pinckney Thursday in the deal that sent Sharone Wright to Toronto, was a sudden starter last night, stepping in when Derrick Coleman could not play because of swelling in his right ankle. The remarkable result: 18 points, 11 rebounds and six critical free throws in the fourth quarter of a 121-115 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, which ended the Sixers' seven-game losing streak.

Don't simply consider the 23 games in which Derek Strong played for the Milwaukee Bucks last season. Factor in all the hours coach Mike Dunleavy spent with him one-on-one, working diligently on his footwork, his moves to the basket, his positioning for rebounding. Dunleavy, who is also the Bucks' vice president of basketball operations, liked what he saw. Liked it enough to tender Strong, a restricted free agent, a $250,000 qualifying offer, the procedure necessary for the Bucks to retain a right of first refusal against offers from other teams.

With two visits to doctors, the Flyers' long-awaited roster issues disappeared yesterday with physicians' signatures. At least for the time being. Three moves, with varying salary-cap implications, were made. Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren activated a healthy Michael Leighton to the 23-man roster, but in order to do that, he moved defenseman Matt Walker to injured reserve to make roster space and officially added Ian Laperriere's salary to the long-term injured reserve to create enough cap space for Leighton's $1.55 million salary.

Billy King has not been around the 76ers for nearly seven months, but on the groundwork he laid, Ed Stefanski will try to obtain an impact player for the Sixers as the negotiating period with NBA free agents gets under way. Teams were able to begin talking with free agents and their representatives at 12:01 this morning. Stefanski promised he would not be on anyone's doorstep at that time, but the general manager acknowledged that today would be a busy one, with more than $11 million available to spend on his No. 1 target - a big man who can rebound, score, and defend in the low post.

If there are teams considering making a pitch to the 76ers for Toni Kukoc, they're going to have to get extremely inventive with salary-cap space. And they're going to have to wait until at least Dec. 15, the first date players with new contracts can be moved. A person familiar with Kukoc's contract revealed that the four-year deal, worth a total of $28.9 million, includes a 15 percent trade kicker. That means any team considering acquiring the 6-11 forward would have to pay him roughly an additional $4.3 million.