Philadelphia Flyers sign Scott Hartnell to pre-lockout contract

There's all sorts of lock-out talk going on out there, like how it's going to happen and how it's the owners' fault for the insane contracts they dish out like candy. Scott Hartnell apparently figured he needed to get some chocolate before the owners turned the candy into butterscotch disks of a new CBA, so he signed a six year, $28.5 million contract extension with the Flyers today.

The contract seems like a big one for a guy who benefits from playing with players such as Claude Giroux, but you could make the arguement that Giroux benefited from playing with Hartnell as well. Known for creating space on the ice and intimidation (as well as falling down a lot), Hartnell gave Giroux the space necessary to light the league on fire last season.

 

Hartnell is a penalty minute machine (1,279 penalty minutes in 843 regular season games is impressive), but generally for all of the right reasons. He's dedicated (he's only missed three games in five seasons), works constantly at improving his game, and is just the sandpaper that the Flyers need to compete in a pretty rough and tumble Atlantic Division.

He also got in a fairly reasonable deal before the current CBA expires, which should be every player's goal. God knows what the next CBA brings. Heck, God knows when the season'll start. Get paid while you can, Hartsy.

 

About Laura Astorian

Laura Astorian is the head editor for the SB Nation blog St. Louis Game Time and has been a Blues fan from childhood. She promises that any anti-Blackhawks bias will be left at the door. Maybe.

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