Flyers Acquire Defenseman Meszaros from Lightning

The Philadelphia Flyers announced on Thursday that they have acquired defenseman Andrej Meszaros from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a second round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft. It was reported over the past few days that the Lightning were looking to shed some salary and that Meszaros was possibly being shopped. In 81 games last season for the Lightning, he had six goals and 11 assists for 17 points and 50 penalty minutes. Not a bad depth signing for the Flyers, but I'm not sure how they will be able to afford Meszaros without having to shed salary elsewhere. Teams can be over the salary cap during the off-season, but must get back to the cap ceiling by the start of the season, so the Flyers have time to try to fit his salary into their team. Meszaros plays with plenty of toughness and has some offensive skill, but didn't play up to expectations in Tampa Bay. Perhaps the change of scenery will help him get back on his game.