Ville Leino Confident a Deal Will Get Done With Flyers

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One of the big open questions for the Flyers right now is whether they'll sign winger Ville Leino to a contract extension. The team and Leino's agent have been talking periodically throughout the season, so we know the interest is there on both sides, and in the past two days, both sides have indicated a favorable progress. 

On Sunday, Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly reported that his Flyers sources say Leino has been offered two contracts, one for 3 years and another for 4, both presumably for about $3 million per season. Leino's agent Bill Zito wouldn't comment on that, but did express optimism that an agreement will be made before Leino becomes a free agent. Yesterday, Lisa Hillary caught up with the player himself and ask him about the progress. Leino gave the traditional "I'll focus on hockey and let Homer and my agent figure things out" line (paraphrasing), but it was encouraging to hear that he too is confident a deal will get done.

Video below, plus a look back at the trade that brought Ville to the Flyers, his spin move proficiency, and what he's meant to his linemates.

While it's still very possible Leino's side will wait out the season, we're glad the player and the team are at least in accord that they want a deal done. Leino's shown an ability to be a playmaker and a game-breaker (we've done two separate posts on his spin-o-rama abilities alone), and he was also a catalyst in igniting what has become the Flyers' top scoring line. 

Both Danny Briere and Scott Hartnell endured some struggles last season (on and off the ice), but since Leino joined them, the three forwards have gone on a major tear through the playoffs and continued that play throughout much of the current season. Leino also had a rough overall 2009-2010 regular season, unable to find consistent ice time and often a healthy scratch in Detroit before being traded for OK Tollefsen and a bag of pucks (er, a 2011 5th rounder).

At this point, there's plenty of evidence that their chemistry was no fleeting fluke. Briere's goal total for this season already matches his total for all of the last campaign (26), in 25 fewer games. He was a career minus-30 player heading into the season, and he's a plus-16 so far in 2010-2011. Whether you believe in the value of plus/minus or not, it's great to see Danny notching his first "plus" season as a Flyer. And of course, there was also that monster playoff run with 30 points in 23 games. Since around that time, we haven't heard a peep about Briere being overpaid. It's also no coincidence he's doing it after being moved back to center, but when discussing the line's success, Briere himself talks more about the chemistry than simply his return to center. 

Scott Hartnell already has three more goals this season than all of last. Similarly, we haven't heard much about the fact that he has a no-trade clause in his contract, a familiar chorus during his previous down season. Fans' gripes over Briere's and Hartnell's contracts have been replaced by a desire to get Leino signed. 

Both sides likely see what this line's chemistry has meant at a critical point in each player's career, and it's a driving force in getting a deal done to keep Ville in Philadelphia. The salary cap monster is a reality facing the Flyers at all times, and they have to be careful with any mid-to-long-term deals, but keeping their top scoring line intact appears to be something they want to make a reality. 

Times like these, I love looking back at the posts and comments from when we first got a guy:

Minor Trade! Flyers Deal OKT to Detroit for Finnish Forward Ville Leino

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