Meet your defenseman: Flyers acquire Andrej Meszaros from Tampa for 2nd rounder

by Travis Hughes on Jul 1, 2010 12:02 PM EDT in Philadelphia Flyers News

According to Bob McKenzie on Twitter, the Flyers have acquired Andrej Meszaros from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a second round pick in 2012. Meszaros, 24, is under contract until 2013-2014. He has a cap hit of $4 million a season, with the salary ramping up at the back end of the contract.

Meszaros is a big defenseman, but a big criticism of him is that he doesn't use his body as well as he can. Here's a quick scouting report on him from Cassie over at Raw Charge.

Fans thought that he was very overpaid for what he did. To be fair, he doesn't get enough credit for his toughness. He took a hit/shot to the face during a game, which resulted in some severe mouth damage, and still wanted to be out playing as soon as they could stitch him back up. Which, of course, the team doctors wouldn't let him do. He didn't miss a game because of that, either. So as defensemen go, he's a seviceable one. He can be a bit sloppy in his own end, but he's quick and has a good shot. Sadly, not many in Tampa are sad to see him go.

At first glance, this seems like an overpayment for a guy that's that expensive. We'll see in time, of course. Still, he hasn't played on a good team in a very long time. It should be interesting, and the Flyers obviously see something here, so we'll see.

It's a bit curious that the Flyers wouldn't at least wait to see what showed up on the free agent market, though.

Tweet Comment 40 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

A big defense men who doesn’t hit and is turnover prone? Really? This is what we traded a 2012 second round pick for?

Looking forward to the Kevin Kolb era.
5-8-10...the day the Purdue Boilermakers basketball team won the 2011 NCAA Championship!!

by EREX21 on Jul 1, 2010 12:08 PM EDT reply actions

Goodbye Coburn?
Whats with the Flyers taking Tampa’s overpaid defensemen?

@Mitchman88 on Twitter

by Mitchell Green on Jul 1, 2010 12:09 PM EDT reply actions

I’m seeing the same thing. Coburn must be gone, and we’ll pick up one more defenseman.

#1 Flyers fan in England (originally from Southeastern PA)

by Orange and Black Forever on Jul 1, 2010 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions

I’d take Coburn over Meszaros, honestly.

@Mitchman88 on Twitter

by Mitchell Green on Jul 1, 2010 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions

This

by Kozlowski22 on Jul 1, 2010 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions

but we might get more than a 2nd with colburn leaving.
Meszaros failed in Tampa but had 3 good years on OTT

bread. butter. cheese. VICTORY!

by Prometheus74 on Jul 1, 2010 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Looks like a 1st and a 3rd for cClburn, and if no one takes him we will get to have the advantage of trying to sign him for cheap

bread. butter. cheese. VICTORY!

by Prometheus74 on Jul 1, 2010 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions

I wouldn’t. Mez is really good

Pilgrim: Be gone pest, and give me the Bird

Yakko: We'd love to but the FOX censors wouldn't allow it

by JpH89 on Jul 1, 2010 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I disagree. And he is certainly not worth $4 mil.

@Mitchman88 on Twitter

by Mitchell Green on Jul 1, 2010 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t really know too much, but it seems a lateral move, so why do it? Coburn wouldn’t make $4 mil, and there better to be had on the market.

by Kozlowski22 on Jul 1, 2010 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions

there is*

by Kozlowski22 on Jul 1, 2010 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m seeing the same thing. Coburn must be gone, and we’ll pick up one more defenseman

…or we re-sign Coburn (he says after the fact while whistling and looking skyward…)

#1 Flyers fan in England (originally from Southeastern PA)

by Orange and Black Forever on Jul 1, 2010 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Hahaha

by Kozlowski22 on Jul 1, 2010 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks. :) I’ll be here all week…

#1 Flyers fan in England (originally from Southeastern PA)

by Orange and Black Forever on Jul 1, 2010 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Coburn signs $ 6.4, 2 year contract.

by Kozlowski22 on Jul 1, 2010 12:24 PM EDT reply actions

IS that speculation or for real???

$3.2 million for COBURN??? That’s absurdly high. About 150% of what I’d think is reasonable.

by MaximumTalbot on Jul 1, 2010 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

For real, or at least thats what the twitter heads have said.

by Kozlowski22 on Jul 1, 2010 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Also, was that with the Flyers or elsewhere? MORE INFO PLEASE.

by MaximumTalbot on Jul 1, 2010 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

With Philly

by Kozlowski22 on Jul 1, 2010 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Gonchar to Ottawa

Glad he left Pitts

by bteribery on Jul 1, 2010 12:25 PM EDT reply actions

My main concern

…Is that with picking up a $4 million a year contract, the Flyers don’t have the room to get either Coburn signed long-term or the ability to grab another FA defenseman like Michalek or Tallinder – assuming that Holmgren still wants to look at tier-two goalies like Mason and Ellis. If he doesn’t think any FA goalie is an upgrade over Leighton, then there’s still room to get another D-man in the $2 million range, and possibly a forward in the similar payscale. (Capgeek reports about $5.8 million in the piggy bank now with Meszaros’ salary).

by MaximumTalbot on Jul 1, 2010 12:25 PM EDT reply actions

http://twitter.com/tpanotch/status/17504001980

Coburn re-signed for two years

by The Legend on Jul 1, 2010 12:30 PM EDT reply actions

tpanotch:
FLyers have a 1-thru-5 very, very strong defense … that says they think they can buy time for their young goalies and get by w/others

This kinda scares me.

by Kozlowski22 on Jul 1, 2010 12:32 PM EDT reply actions

Well I didn’t see them trading for anybody. A 2nd Rounder???? I guess we hate 2nd round picks (when’s the last time we had one).

I agree that Meszaros was great in Ottawa, but maybe a change of scenery will do him well same as it did for Carle. I don’t like his cap hit though, it’s a bit steep.

I just went to capgeek and they have coburn having 2 years at 3.2M each, plus him, we only have 2.6M of cap space with everything so far.

I am not liking how this is turning out if all the numbers are true.

#1 Flyers Fan in New York

by Lindbergh 31 on Jul 1, 2010 12:34 PM EDT reply actions

this is a sucky deal – so signing a veteran goalie is out of the question now?

by fitzy first on Jul 1, 2010 12:43 PM EDT reply actions

YEP.

Unless Homer swings a real deal for Mason or Ellis, or a trade happens, your starting goalie for the 2010-2011 season is Lights-Out-Leighton!

by MaximumTalbot on Jul 1, 2010 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions

I like Leighton but is nickname needs to go to Light-Didn’t Turn On But Should Have-Leighton or something like that to cover that Kane goal.

by chrislanci on Jul 1, 2010 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions

LOL

by MaximumTalbot on Jul 1, 2010 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Light-shines-between-his-legs Leighton

by fitzy first on Jul 1, 2010 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions

That sounds like an American Indian nickname, like Dances-With-Wolves.

#1 Flyers fan in England (originally from Southeastern PA)

by Orange and Black Forever on Jul 1, 2010 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions

he calls his hockey stick the “Big Tomahawk,” and he usually refers to the opposing players as “the little scalps”

by fitzy first on Jul 1, 2010 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Ah, “Slapshot” – the movie that never disappoints… :)

#1 Flyers fan in England (originally from Southeastern PA)

by Orange and Black Forever on Jul 1, 2010 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions

As it stands

But it does sound like there’s a trade coming sooner or later. Apparently the Coburn deal was reached last night (per Sporting News – see 12:25 update) so they knew they had Coburn BEFORE making the deal for Meszaros. Knowing that, and with all the rumors of Boucher being given his papers, I’d say the Flyers are far from finished just yet.

by Aphilfan on Jul 1, 2010 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

if we wave boosh, what’s the cap hit?

by fitzy first on Jul 1, 2010 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

If I'm reading this right

and I’m not as up on NHL cap rules, but the savings look like they’d be the full $925k.

I didn’t mean to imply that Boucher would be the only trade/move I think they’d make, since they’d need more to fill out their needs, just the most obvious.

by Aphilfan on Jul 1, 2010 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions

Too much for a 5th dmen, I’m guessing Coburn will leave.

by edbro on Jul 1, 2010 1:11 PM EDT reply actions

Meszaros

“A big defenseman who doesn’t use his body as well as he should.” Sounds alot like another Kjell Samuelson.

by common.sense on Jul 1, 2010 1:45 PM EDT reply actions

defense

I suppose I was spoiled in the Broad Street Bully days, but when I think of defensemen, I think of guys like Ed Van Impe. I remember the game against the Russians when he knocked the snot out of the Russian and they walked off of the ice. That is what I want and expect from our defense. Let the opposing players know you are there. Meszaros better learn to throw his body around. We don’t need another Kjell Samuelson. For as big as he was, opposing players almost always got the better of him.

by common.sense on Jul 1, 2010 1:55 PM EDT reply actions