Welcome back to this edition of Last Word On Hockey and NHL Rumours. In this edition, the onus will be on the Philadelphia Flyers. In particular, the club could be looking to make a major move on its blue line.
NHL Rumours: Philadelphia Flyers Could Terminate Egor Zamula’s Contract
Rumour: Insider Elliotte Friedman discussed during the December 27 edition of Saturday Headlines that the Flyers could terminate Egor Zamula’s contract amid an unceremonious demotion to the AHL.
Analysis: The Flyers have been the subject of plenty of NHL rumors. However, the talk of the Flyers terminating Egor Zamula’s contract is relatively new. The bulk of the chatter has been that the Flyers would like to trade Zamula. But that hasn’t been quite so easy.
The Flyers have tried to move Zamula, as per ongoing NHL rumours. But nothing has materialized. That situation drove the Flyers to place him on waivers earlier this month. Now, the chatter is that there could be a mutual arrangement to release Zamula from his current contract with the Flyers.
Friedman stated:
“One player who I think is trying to work out something is… Egor Zamula. He was sent on waivers earlier this year. He’s at $1.7 million for this year and next. He’s represented by Alex Texier’s agent, who terminated his contract so he could sign as a free agent with Montreal. Apparently, the offer is there to do this, too. I’d think there’d be interest at a lower number. Philly prefers a trade for a player who can help them at the AHL level or later this year in the NHL.”
Zamula’s agent, Daniel Milstein, negotiated Alexandre Texier’s contract termination with the St. Louis Blues. NHL rumours suggested Texier was comfortable with the mutual termination. So, the Blues allowed Texier to walk out of his deal. Texier eventually signed a $1 million pro-rated deal with the Canadiens.
As such, that could be the path forward for Zamula, should NHL rumours come true. Zamula is under contract for the remainder of this season at $1.7 million. He will become a restricted free agent next summer.
Zamula Has Had Frustrating Season in Philly
The 25-year-old defenceman has had a hard time staying in Philly’s lineup. He’s been plagued with defensive issues and a complete absence of scoring. Zamula has managed just one assist in 13 games this season. His struggles are what have driven NHL rumours to kick into overdrive for the Flyers and Zamula.
Zamula has been a healthy scratch at times, with rookie Ty Murchison pretty much taking his lineup spot. That situation prompted the Flyers to place the Russian blueliner on waivers. While there was the risk that another club could claim him, that situation seemed unlikely.
The Flyers’ blueliner cleared waivers, as per NHL rumours, landing him in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In one game with the Phantoms, Zamula has one assist.
As Friedman noted, there could be teams out there looking to land Zamula, as a free agent . However, the Russian rearguard will likely have to settle for a lower-priced one-year deal. If he excels with another club, that could translate into a bigger deal in the offseason.
Main Photo: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images