The Philadelphia Flyers should go after Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman and soon to be free agent Brooks Orpik for many reasons. First, they are currently playing with a dismal defense. Second, veteran leadership in the locker room is a must for contenders or soon-to-be contenders. Third, he would make a great pair with Luke Schenn. Orpik brings the experience to the table to be an excellent mentor for a young, aggressive defensive defenceman in Luke Schenn. There are certainly many tricks the wily veteran could teach to a young protege and help him in his career.
The 33-year old defenseman’s contract expires after this season and the Flyers could use a talented defender who can bring a physical game in his own end of the ice, while also adding a few goals and assists. They could potentially sign Orpik to a relatively small salary-cap hit given a player of his talents due to his age. A short-term deal would be ideal.
One could also make the argument that the Flyers do not need another pair of old and deteriorating legs on defense. However, the team is going to be lacking a blueline leader when with the expiring contract of Kimmo Timonen, who will likely not be re-signed.
While the Flyers would also have to battle the Penguins’ front office for Orpik’s signature, the Penguins may not be able to give Orpik a competitive offer due to the number of large contracts they have on the books. With the number of young defencemen the Penguins have in the pipeline, one has to question if his re-signing will be a priority for Pittsburgh.
If the Flyers do want to improve this team as they so claim, then they must make moves in the offseason. While signing Brooks Orpik isn’t exactly necessary, it would be a constructive move in the right direction for the Orange and Black.
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