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Flyers Sign Knuble to 2-Year Deal |
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 Flyers Sign Knuble to 2-year Deal
By Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA -- The last-place Flyers signed right winger Mike Knuble to a two-year contract extension Wednesday, keeping him in Philadelphia through the 2008-09 season.
The 34-year-old Knuble has seven goals and 15 points for the Flyers this season. In two seasons with the Flyers, Knuble has 41 goals and 80 points in 100 games.
Knuble had 34 goals and 31 assists for 65 points in 82 games for the Flyers last season. His goals, assists and points totals were all new career highs. He signed a free-agent deal with the Flyers in 2004 and has 142 goals and 146 assists for 288 points in 610 regular-season games.
"Whenever you have a deal in front of you and you can sign for a couple of years, of course, you feel more secure," Knuble said. "It allows us to do some things in life and kind of takes me through my mid-30s. I feel that I have a lot of hockey left. I really didn't start playing a lot until I was 30, so I feel that I have a lot of years left in me. Hopefully, I will stay even longer than that."
The Flyers (7-14-3) were in last place in the Eastern Conference entering Wednesday's game against Nashville. They'll try to get out of that hole the next few weeks without goalie Robert Esche, who could miss up to a month after undergoing groin surgery Wednesday.
Esche has a 2-4-0 record, 5.64 GAA and .820 save percentage in seven games for the Flyers this season and lost his starting job to Antero Niittymaki.
The Flyers called up goalie Martin Houle from the Phantoms, their AHL affiliate.
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