Fantasy Impact: The Philadelphia Flyers have signed center Vincent Lecavalier to a five-year deal worth $22.5 million, or $4.5 million per season.

The Flyers get: a skilled, experienced two-way center who is no longer the 100-point player that he once was, but is still quite serviceable when it comes to posting in the 65-point range. Lecavalier has missed 44 games over the last three seasons due to injury, but prior to that he was quite durable. He has broken his right hand twice and has also had wrist surgery and shoulder surgery over that timeframe.

Fantasy Players Impacted: This will help Claude Giroux in the sense that there is some pretty good depth scoring behind him now. By the same token it will hurt Sean Couturier in the sense that he remains buried on a checking line. Unless he gets traded. But that’s an entirely different column.

This will also see to it that Brayden Schenn sees time more on the wing than at center, barring another move (which will probably happen, but I digress). I don’t think that will impact his production, and in fact it might help him if he plays with Lecavalier.

Rookie Scott Laughton is expected to make the team in the fall. Or should I say – was. If another move isn’t made to clear up the logjam up the middle, he may find himself in junior again. 

Fantasy Players this helps, in order:

1. Giroux

2. B. Schenn

Fantasy Players this hurts, in order:

1. Laughton

2. Couturier