The Philadelphia Flyers announced Tuesday that free agent forward Daniel Cleary had accepted an invitation to attend the team's training camp on a professional tryout deal, but general manager Paul Holmgren said reports of a contract agreement were false.
Holmgren told the Philadelphia Inquirer "there are no promises" of a contract for Cleary, who had nine goals (five on the power play) and six assists in 48 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season. He raised his play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, finishing second on the team with four goals and 10 points in 14 games.
"He's a glue guy and he can play in all situations," Holmgren said of the 34-year-old.
The Detroit Free Press reported Monday that Cleary and the Flyers had agreed to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $2.75 million. However, according to CapGeek.com, the Flyers are more than $2 million over the salary cap and would have to wait until the end of the month, when they can place injured players on long-term injured reserve, to clear cap space.
Cleary spent the past eight seasons with the Red Wings and was part of the 2008 Stanley Cup championship team. He had back-to-back 20-goal seasons in 2007-08 and 2008-09, but is more regarded for his defensive play and toughness.