Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren and Thrashers general manager Don Waddell were seen chatting before Thursday night’s game, but don’t believe the rumors that the Flyers are willing to part with Jeff Carter and Scott Hartnell for potential free agent Ilya Kovalchuk. The 26-year-old Russian is seeking a long-term contract believed to be worth $11.3 million a season, making him the highest-paid player in the game. The Thrashers are believed to have set the ceiling at $100 million over 10 years. The longer the stalemate drags on the greater the chance of Kovalchuk being dealt as a late-season rental. The team believed to be most interested in Kovalchuk is the Los Angeles Kings, who entered Thursday night’s action sixth in the Western Conference standings after finishing 14th last year. Saddled with three goaltenders – Ray Emery, Michael Leighton, Brian Boucher — the Flyers would love to deal Leighton or Boucher for a reliable defenseman or a third-line winger. Atlanta has a pair of right wings it might be willing to deal. Colby Armstrong, 26, is in the final year of a contract with a cap hit of $2.4 million and Maxim Afinogenov, 29, is in the final year at $800,000.

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