2009–10 Philadelphia Flyers season
Off-season
Off\-season
-----------

The Flyers began preparing for the season by signing controversial goalie [Ray Emery](/wiki/Ray_Emery "Ray Emery") prior to the official start of free agency.Philadelphia Inquirer, [Flyers fresh start for Ray Emery](http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20090611_Flyers_fresh_start_for_Ray_Emery.html) Emery, who had spent the previous season in the Russian [Kontinental Hockey League](/wiki/Kontinental_Hockey_League "Kontinental Hockey League") (KHL), signed a one\-year contract worth US$1\.5 million. Former Flyer [Brian Boucher](/wiki/Brian_Boucher "Brian Boucher") was signed to a two\-year contract on the first day of free agency to serve as Emery's backup. As a result, the team's goaltending tandem of the past two seasons, starter [Martin Biron](/wiki/Martin_Biron "Martin Biron") and backup [Antero Niittymaki](/wiki/Antero_Niittym%C3%A4ki "Antero Niittymäki"), signed with the [New York Islanders](/wiki/New_York_Islanders "New York Islanders") and [Tampa Bay Lightning](/wiki/Tampa_Bay_Lightning "Tampa Bay Lightning"), respectively, as unrestricted free agents. The Flyers also signed [right winger](/wiki/Winger_%28ice_hockey%29 "Winger (ice hockey)") [Ian Laperriere](/wiki/Ian_Laperri%C3%A8re "Ian Laperrière") to a three\-year contract and lost [Mike Knuble](/wiki/Mike_Knuble "Mike Knuble") as a free agent to the [Washington Capitals](/wiki/Washington_Capitals "Washington Capitals").

Longtime [defenseman](/wiki/Defenceman "Defenceman") [Derian Hatcher](/wiki/Derian_Hatcher "Derian Hatcher") also retired at the beginning of the off\-season (after missing all of last season due to knee surgery), replacing [Eric Desjardins](/wiki/%C3%89ric_Desjardins "Éric Desjardins") as the team's player development coach. Desjardins stepped down due to personal business interests.[Yahoo!](/wiki/Yahoo%21 "Yahoo!") Sports, [Flyers Hatcher retires, becomes development coach](https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/rumors/post/Flyers-Hatcher-retires-becomes-development-coa?urn=nhl,170565) Other staff changes included the Flyers hiring [Jeff Reese](/wiki/Jeff_Reese "Jeff Reese") as their new goalie coach to replace [Reggie Lemelin](/wiki/R%C3%A9jean_Lemelin "Réjean Lemelin") and promoting former [Phantoms](/wiki/Philadelphia_Phantoms "Philadelphia Phantoms") coach [John Paddock](/wiki/John_Paddock "John Paddock") to assistant general manager.[The Philadelphia Inquirer](/wiki/The_Philadelphia_Inquirer "The Philadelphia Inquirer"), [Flyers hire Reese as goalie coach, promote Paddock to front office](http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20090710_Flyers_hire_Reese_as_goalie_coach__promote_Paddock_to_front_office.html)

At the entry draft, the Flyers made a blockbuster trade for [Anaheim Ducks](/wiki/Anaheim_Ducks "Anaheim Ducks")' defenseman [Chris Pronger](/wiki/Chris_Pronger "Chris Pronger"), a former [Hart Trophy](/wiki/Hart_Memorial_Trophy "Hart Memorial Trophy") winner as league MVP and [Norris Trophy](/wiki/James_Norris_Memorial_Trophy "James Norris Memorial Trophy") winner as the league's best defenseman. Along with Pronger, the Flyers also received minor league [forward](/wiki/Forward_%28ice_hockey%29 "Forward (ice hockey)") [Ryan Dingle](/wiki/Ryan_Dingle "Ryan Dingle") in exchange for [winger](/wiki/Winger_%28ice_hockey%29 "Winger (ice hockey)") [Joffrey Lupul](/wiki/Joffrey_Lupul "Joffrey Lupul"), defenseman [Luca Sbisa](/wiki/Luca_Sbisa "Luca Sbisa"), first round picks in 2009 and 2010 and a conditional third round pick.[The Philadelphia Inquirer](/wiki/The_Philadelphia_Inquirer "The Philadelphia Inquirer"), [Chris Pronger, Holmgren's big gamble](http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/bob_ford/20090707_Bob_Ford__Chris_Pronger__Holmgren_s_big_gamble.html) They quickly signed Pronger to a seven\-year contract extension worth approximately $34 million.[The Philadelphia Inquirer](/wiki/The_Philadelphia_Inquirer "The Philadelphia Inquirer"), [Flyers sign Pronger to 7\-year extension](http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/Flyers_sign_Pronger_to_extension.html) Nearly a month after signing, the NHL announced they had launched an investigation on Pronger's deal to determine whether it was a circumvention of the [salary cap](/wiki/Salary_cap "Salary cap") under the [collective bargaining agreement](/wiki/Collective_bargaining_agreement "Collective bargaining agreement"). Because the contract is front\-loaded, with annual salaries of just $525,000 in the final two years, and expires by the time Pronger is 42, the investigation was launched with the focus on the potential of negotiations between Pronger and the Flyers to retire before contract expiration. However, as Pronger's contract took effect after his 35th birthday, under the terms of the current collective bargaining agreement, his over\-35 contract cannot be deleted from the Flyers' cap space unless he is placed on long\-term injured reserve, and even then it would come back on the team's cap space during the offseason.


Why was an investigation launched into Chris Pronger's deal?