By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

As camera crews for Home Box Office’s ”24/7″ series have made their way through the Philadelphia Flyers’ locker room for the past month in anticipation of the NHL Winter Classic, there is an expectation of something special. It’s a showcase for not only the League, but also the Flyers, their opponents on January 2nd, the New York Rangers, and the respective players and coaching staffs.

(Photo credit: Len Redkoles / NHLI via Getty Images)

Amid all of the ballyhoo, defenseman Matt Carle tries not to act any differently with all of the extra attention.

“It’s a little different having those guys around as much as they are,” the 27-year-old rear guard said after Saturday’s loss to the Boston Bruins. ”But you just try to go about your business and do things as you would normally. Just act like they’re not there, just kind of a fly on the wall.”

While Carle’s philosophy as HBO is filming seems to be just to blend in, his play in recent weeks has forced everyone to take notice.

This is the second straight year that the team has had to endure a prolonged Chris Pronger  absence, and it has perhaps been the most trying on Carle, Pronger’s usual partner.

Carle, a user of the social media platform Twitter, sent out his feelings after it was announced that the Flyers’ captain would miss the rest of the season.

“Tough news about Prongs yesterday…really just hoping the big guy is able to get healthy, not just for hockey, but everyday life #beast“

The loss of Pronger for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs, along with the injuries to Erik Gustafsson and Andreas Lilja, has understandably affected the way head coach Peter Laviolette has been utilizing his defensive pairings.

Subtracting the club’s top defender and leader in ice time, alone, will do that. With the three blueliners out of the lineup, Laviolette’s top four defensemen — Carle, Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, and Andrej Meszaros — have seen a noticeable increase in their amount of ice time.

Through the first 19 games of the 2011-12 campaign, Carle’s TOI hovered in the range of 20 minutes per game. Included in that time frame were five different contests in which he stayed below the 20-minute mark. Maybe not so coincidentally, the 19th game of the season was in Winnipeg, which just so happened to be Pronger’s last appearance for the year.

Since Pronger’s departure, Carle has been averaging closer to 25 minutes a night, topped off by a season-high 27:44 December 7th in a 5-4 overtime victory in Buffalo.

(Photo credit: UPI / Matthew Healey)

In the 2010 Classic, Philadelphia traveled to Fenway Park in Boston. Carle played 21:49 and finished the afternoon with a -1 rating, and the Flyers dropped a 2-1 overtime decision. Carle said his team, which was wildly inconsistent during the first Classic experience, will have a better idea of how to handle things this year. And maybe even savor it some more.

Though he tries to act as though nothing is different with the added exposure, Carle does like the idea of the documentary-type format. He believes it’s an important medium for hockey fans to identify with their heroes, and maybe even further appreciate their daily grind.

“I think it’s (“24/7″) something that needs to be done every year, whether there’s a Winter Classic or not,” Carle said. “It’s a great opportunity for fans to get an inside look at what our daily lives are like, trying to get to know some personalities and players a little bit more.”

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

With the recent wave of injuries experienced by the Philadelphia Flyers, the rumors have begun that something will soon be on the horizon via the trade market.

Photo credit: Jim MacIsaac / Getty Images

In pre-salary cap days, there would be no issue whatsoever in going out and making a deal to get some much-needed help on the club’s ailing blueline.  Ed Snider always gave the go-ahead with a pre-approval – along with a blank check - for whatever his general managers believed would improve the team’s chances of succeeding.

But this is a much different climate and while Snider still has given his blessing to Paul Holmgren to do whatever is necessary to improve the Flyers, a trade at this point in time would be a knee-jerk reaction.

No pun intended.

Dr. Peter DeLuca will perform an arthroscopic procedure on Chris Pronger’s left knee today, to clean out and remove what Holmgren referred to ‘loose bodies’ from the defenseman’s knee in his conference call yesterday.

It was more bad news for the blueline corps, which is already without the services of Erik Gustafsson (wrist surgery) and Andreas Lilja (high ankle sprain).  Both are expected to be out until sometime around the New Year, and rear guards Marc-Andre Bourdon and Kevin Marshall have been filling in during their absences.  The defensemen were recalled on November 21 when it was learned that Pronger (virus) and Coburn (upper body injury) would not be ready to play.

This presents a tremendous quandry for Philadelphia, as they are left with just four regular NHL-caliber defenders – Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, Andrej Meszaros, and Matt Carle – to go along with the AHL recalls. 

Bourdon has actually played pretty well since his recall.  Although he has not scored a point in the four games, he has a +1 rating and four PIMs while providing a physical presence.

Marshall - who was sent back to Adirondack after the November 21 game when Coburn was proclaimed good to go, then recalled again when Lilja suffered his ankle injury - hasn’t fared as well thus far.  In limited ice time in the two games in which he has seen action, Marshall has been a -1 in each.

Oskars Bartulis, or possibly even Matt Walker would be worthy recalls from the Phantoms, but both would have to first have to pass through re-entry waivers. 

If either were to be recalled it is likely they would be claimed by another team, and that scenario would not be a good one for the Flyers.  Another by-product of the mess is if they were to be claimed, half of their respective salaries would count against Philly’s salary cap totals.  Walker being taken off the Flyers’ hands would cost the club an additional pro-rated $875,000, and Bartulis $300,000. 

Just for not playing in Philadelphia.

Another problem the injuries are creating is the amount of ice time the big four are seeing.  In Saturday’s 2-0 shutout loss at Madison Square Garden, Coburn was on for in excess of 28 minutes, Timonen 24:28, Meszaros 23:38, and Carle 22:14. 

Those are postseason-type numbers, where players wear down quickly in the all out pursuit of Lord Stanley’s hardware.  But this is only late-November, and Philly’s defenders are looking battle-weary already.

36-year-old Timonen has especially been banged up over the past two seasons.  Many times as he’s leaving the ice in obvious distress, team management and fans alike must be holding their collective breath.  It’s been said here before in these pages, but any sort of long-term injury to Timonen – especially in combination with the devastation the ranks have experienced this year – would spell an almost certain catasrophic end for the Orange-and-Black.

Holmgren has already had to be ultra-creative just to make his squad cap compliant this season.  He left forward Brayden Schenn off the opening night roster to save a rather large bonus that would have kicked in and pushed the team over the upper limit.

And that is why any kind of band aid moves are likely not to happen. 

Sure, this is a critical stretch with the Flyers in the midst of a four-game road trip, and they can ill-afford to go into a tailspin.  With Sidney Crosby’s healthy return to the Pittsburgh Penguins – and the likelihood of a big run by the Pens – and vastly improved play by the New York Rangers this season, Philadelphia could quickly find themselves losing sight of the teams in front of them in the Atlantic Division, as well as many others in the Eastern Conference race.

Presently, Philadelphia sits two points behind Pittsburgh, and two points ahead of the Rangers.

Yes, when Pronger and Lilja are placed on LTIR the Flyers will have in excess of $5 million in cap room.  And with the Carolina Hurricanes claiming Andreas Nodl off waivers at noon, that’s another $845,000 in wiggle room.  

But any kind of a stop gap measure taken for ‘the now’ will almost definitely come back to haunt the Flyers later when the injured players return.  There is only so much limbo space available for Holmgren to maneuver within cap limits, and having any extra bodies around when everyone is healthy won’t work.

Expect nothing to happen for at least the next week or so, as Philadelphia has some time with which to see how things play out.  For now.  If the team begins to spiral into a freefall, all bets are off.

And if some kind of move is going to be undertaken by Holmgren, you can bet it will involve players with more substantial contract numbers leaving the City of Brotherly Love – in other words, a move that will leave the club in good standing with regards to the upper salary cap limit when the entire core of the team is healthy once again - if that will even be a possibility in this season of seemingly never-ending injuries.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

Amid a huge shake up in team chemistry this summer, some things have remained a constant for the Philadelphia Flyers.  There is a report today from CSNPhilly’s Tim Panaccio via twitter that the club made a move to keep a part of their defensive core intact, signing Braydon Coburn to a four-year, $18 million contract extension.

Photo courtesy of jbehindtheglass.com

Coburn stood to become an unrestricted free agent after the campaign before signing the new deal.

At 6′ 5″ and 220 pounds, the 26-year-old provides the Flyers with a rare blend of size, speed, and toughness on the Philadelphia blue line.  Coburn has the ability to make the quick outlet pass, along with his skating stride and mobility, which enables him to skate the puck out of the zone and on the rare occasion, jump into an offensive foray.

Coburn was the 8th overall selection in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Thrashers, but things never completely panned out for him in Atlanta.  He played just 38 games over two seasons with the Thrashers, picking up five assists and 34 PIMs.

Acquired on February 24th, 2007 in exchange for an aging defender in Alexei Zhitnik, Coburn’s arrival in Philadelphia late in the campaign was one of the  most positive occurrences in the Flyers worst-ever season.

The defensive partner of Kimmo Timonen, Coburn has seen his offensive numbers decrease in each of the past three seasons.  After a nine goal and 36  point first-full year with the Flyers, his numbers have dropped to seven and 28 in 2008-09, and five and 19 in 2009-10.  Last season, the Shaunavon, Saskatchewan-native notched two goals, 16 points, 53 PIMs, but was a +15.  

In 341 contests with the Orange-and-Black, the longest-tenured Flyer has scored 26 goals and recorded 105 points, while racking up 294 PIMs.  In 54 playoff games, Coburn has scored twice, while recording 16 points and 49 PIMs.

Thus far in 14 games this season, Coburn has recorded three assists and 19 PIMs, while posting a +1 rating.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

An all-Russian goaltending tandem may not be in the cards for the Philadelphia Flyers 2011-12 season after all.

Photo by Rick Stewart / Getty Images North America

When Ilya Bryzgalov signed a 9-year, $51.5 million deal in late June, it appeared that he would pair with the club’s “goalie of the future” and fellow-Russian countryman, Sergei Bobrovsky. 

As speculated in an article earlier in the week, the 22-year-old Bobrovsky may instead be on the move – and from the sounds of it, something could happen very soon.

In a story today on NBC Sports Pro Talk Hockey, GM Paul Holmgren has reportedly already been shopping Bobrovsky’s services for the past couple of months, with confirmation from Philadelphia Daily News Flyers beat writer Frank Seravalli.

After a blistering start to his 2010-11 rookie season in the NHL, Bobrovsky’s play over the last three months was not nearly as impressive.  He lacked consistency, but still ended with some impressive numbers – a 28-13-8 mark, with a 2.59 goals-against average, and a .915 save percentage.

It is well-documented how head coach Peter Laviolette basically buried the youngster in the press box after allowing three early goals in Game 2 of Philadelphia’s first round playoff matchup with the Buffalo Sabres – even after playing very well in a 1-0 Game 1 loss.  Bobrovsky was outdueled by Ryan Miller and yielded just the one goal midway through the third period.

The Flyers shot themselves in the foot by allowing Bobrovsky to play in his 60th game of the year during the postseason – if he had played in 59, he would have still been eligible to be sent to the AHL without having to first clear waivers.  Any such attempt now would have to include waivers, in which he would certainly be nabbed by an NHL club.

Is there any connection in the fact that Holmgren has signed two free agent netminders in less than two months? 

6′ 7″ Finnish goaltender Niko Hovinen was inked back in mid-May, and it was reported by Seravalli yesterday that former first-round pick and current free agent goalie Jason Bacashihua was signed on Tuesday. 

There has been no official announcement of the Bacashihua signing as of yet from the Flyers. 

The 28-year-old native of Dearborn Heights, Michigan is the classic example of a journeyman goaltender.  After being drafted 26th overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, Bacashihua has bounced around quite a bit.

He never played a game for the Stars, and has played in just 38 NHL contests – all with the St. Louis Blues during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 campaigns.  During that time, Bacashihua recorded a 7-17-4 record, with a 3.19 GAA and .897 save percentage.

Since that time, he has played for three different AHL teams – including the 2009-10 Calder Cup champion Hersehy Bears.  In 22 games, Bacashihua posted a 17-3-1 mark that season, with a 2.48 GAA, .911 save percentage, and recorded one shutout.

Last year he got into 42 contests with the Lake Erie Monsters, and went 23-16-3, with a 2.29 GAA, .917 save percentage, and four shutouts.

The two-way contract that would pay him just $525,000 if he were to back up Bryzgalov (and $125,000 if he plays for the Adirondack Phantoms) would give Holmgren another $1.2 million with which to work in continuing the revamping of his team.

No one knows if that is the ultimate result in Holmgren’s end game of wranglings, or if Michael Leighton would be Bryzgalov’s backup should Bobrovsky be shipped out of town.  In that scenario, Bacashihua would likely get a good deal of the games in Adirondack.

Or Leighton’s $1.55 million salary could be buried in Adirondack with Bacashihua as his backup, and Johan Backlund could be Bryzgalov’s second seat with the big club.  Backlund is set to make $800,000 this season, his last of his current deal.

There are all kinds of scenarios but most have a similar ending, with a Bobrovsky trade being a most-likely closing scene in the crease.

The only thing that is for certain is there are obviously other irons in the fire for the Flyers’ GM at this time. 

With the delay in the announcement of the Bacashihua signing - as well as no official word yet on the two-year contract extension that the team supposedly has worked out with defenseman Braydon Coburn – the changing face of the club appears to still have some more modification to undergo before we see the finished product.

And Bobrovsky could be the next in a fast-growing line of ex-Flyers.

McGinn Signed

The Flyers also signed left winger Tye McGinn to an entry level contract Thursday. 

The three-year entry level pact will pay McGinn $775,000 per season.

McGinn, who turns 21 later this month, was a fourth-round pick of Philadelphia in the 2010 draft (#119 overall).  He is participating in the Flyers’ development camp this week.

The 6′ 3″, 207 pound younger brother of San Jose Sharks winger Jamie McGinn scored 31 goals and posted 64 points in 42 games with the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL last season.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

After Philadelphia was knocked out of postseason contention by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in May, Flyers’ GM Paul Holmgren said he was happy with his club.

It was a foregone conclusion that there would be an upgrade to Philadelphia’s goaltending position.  Ed Snider all but guaranteed that would be the case after the rotating carousel of goalies in the playoffs became a disruption for the team.

It’s probably safe to say that no one saw the extreme makeover that was to come to the core of the Flyers’ forwards.  Philadelphia’s list of offensive attackers was leveled, much the same way the Spectrum was last winter just across the parking lot from the Wells Fargo Center.

Within a two week period, there was a turnover that altered the very face of the franchise.

Gone are:  captain Mike Richards (traded to the Los Angeles Kings); leading goal-scorer Jeff Carter (traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets); Kris Versteeg (traded to the Florida Panthers); Darroll Powe (traded to the Minnesota Wild); and most likely Nik Zherdev, who remains an unrestricted free agent, also.

There have been rumors that something big is still to come for the Orange-and-Black, but the likelihood of that happening is decreasing with each passing day. 

• UFA center Brad Richards signed a 9-year, $60 million deal with the New York Rangers over the weekend.  It was thought that Brad Richards could help fill the offensive void that was left with the departure of Carter and Mike Richards, as well as give the team’s ailing power play unit a much-needed boost.  But that act will be on Broadway in the 2011-12 season.
• Many among the Flyers’ faithful have longed to see winger Simon Gagne return to Philadelphia after his one year exile from the City of Brotherly Love.  But the Flyers former 40+ goal-scorer inked a 2-year, $7 million pact with the Los Angeles Kings (AKA, Flyers West) over the weekend.  Not that this would have been an earth-shaking addition, other than the history Gagne has with the club and the love that has been shown for Simon since he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning last year.
• The biggest name of all that has been bounced around as possibly becoming a Flyer has been Lightning superstar Steven Stamkos.  The original word was that Holmgren was going to submit an offer sheet to the restricted free agent on July 1st in hopes that Tampa couldn’t match the exorbitant numbers (10-12 years, $115 million).  After the Flyers said that was not an option, speculation turned to the potential for a trade.  Rumors that he could be dealt stems from the difficulty in which GM Steve Yzerman has had in locking up the 21-year-old sniper with a new contract.  As talk has been that a new pact could be announced soon, it’s likely that the rumor-mongers will turn the attention of their mania to Yzerman then dealing Stamkos to the Flyers.  Holmgren has said he does not believe that will be the case, even though the announcement of defenseman Braydon Coburn signing a two-year contract extension has been delayed for some reason.  Maybe Holmgren just wants to be crystal clear that nothing can be worked out before putting all of his ducks in a row.

Philadelphia opens up their development camp tomorrow, with first-round draft pick Sean Couturier and newcomer Brayden Schenn attending.  Both have a solid shot at making the Flyers opening night roster.

As of right now this is the way the 2011-12 Philadelphia Flyers roster appears to be shaping up:

(* 20 players under contract, $5.077 million left under the ceiling):

Forwards

Scott Hartnell-Danny Briere-Jaromir Jagr

James van Riemsdyk-Claude Giroux-Jakub Voracek

Schenn-Couturier/Ben Holmstrom-Wayne Simmonds**

Jody Shelley-Blair Betts-Andreas Nodl

Extras:  Couturier / Ben Holmstrom, Matt Read, Eric Wellwood, Mike Testwuide

(* At the time of publication, center Max Talbot’s 5-year, $9 million contract is not in compliance with the rules of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, and as such, he is not listed as one of the club’s centers, and his $1.8 million cap hit is not reflected in the team’s remaining cap space.  It’s expected that Holmgren will adjust the salary number in Talbot’s fourth year to make the contract CBA-compliant.  That would also adjust Philadelphia’s remaining cap space to $3.27 million below the upper limit.)

(** At the time of publication Simmonds has yet to be signed, though Holmgren made the following statement on the subject of Simmonds’ contract talks in a conference call on July 1st:  “Well, we’re continuing to talk.  Fair to say we are close.”)

Hartnell and Briere and van Riemsdyk and Giroux are set, it just depends on which line Jagr best fits as to where he and Voracek end up.  Jagr plays an upgraded game similar to that of the departed Ville Leino; strong on the puck on the cycle, and excellent hands to set up both Briere and Hartnell.  Even at 39, Jagr should still prove to be a better goal scorer than Leino.  My money is on Jagr landing on that line in Leino’s spot. 

Even if Jagr plays on the right of Giroux and with van Riemsdyk on the left, that would prove to be an equally lethal line.  Both of those youngsters have blossomed, and look to be the new faces of the franchise in place of Richards and Carter.  Holmgren explained that the development of Giroux and van Riemsdyk facilitated the Richards and Carter trades.

“Certainly the emergence of Claude over the last few years has been a factor,” Holmgren said via conference call on June 23rd.  “I think the ascension of James over the last part of the season and particularly the playoffs – I think we have two good young players there that are on the verge of doing even better things for our team.  So that certainly was a factor, particularly Claude.  I view Claude as sort of Mike Richards-like in his competitiveness and his ability to do a lot of things for us offensively and defensively.”

Giroux plays a much larger game than his 5′ 11″, 172-pound frame would suggest, and with van Riemsdyk (6′ 3″, 200 pounds) and Jagr (6′ 3″, 240 pounds) providing big bodies from both wings, the trio could be a nightmare for opposing goaltenders. 

Schenn and Couturier are likely going to be given every opportunity to make the Flyers opening night club.  The two have a little bit of history together, also.  “We played together at World Juniors,” Couturier said.  “It was a good experience just being around him and everything.”

Couturier said he has every intention on making the big squad in October.  “My main goal is to make the NHL next year,” he said.  “Once I get to camp, I’ll be prepared.” 

As for what he could bring to the Flyers, Couturier’s game sounds NHL-ready.  “Probably my hockey sense, my two-way game is pretty solid,” he said.  “I’m pretty reliable defensively, and offensively I’m pretty good at protecting and controlling the puck.”

The game of the 6′ 4″, 200-pound center has been compared to that of Jordan Staal of the Pittsburgh Penguins.  “It’s a pretty good honor to be compared to him, but for sure, we’re similar in some ways.”

The fourth line needs to contribute more than they did last season, especially as the club looks for added offense to replace what has been lost with Richards and Carter gone.  At this time, two-thirds of the trio remain the same.  Betts and Shelley seem destined to return with Nodl taking the place of Powe, who was moved to Minnesota for a draft pick.  If Shelley is bought out of his contract, that would pave the way for big Tom Sestito (6′ 5″, 230 pounds) to take his place – and at exactly half of Shelley’s $1.1 million salary.  This could happen, depending on if any additional movement is needed to keep under the cap limit.

As we’ve seen first-hand this summer in the Philly-area, things can change in a hurry, and nothing is completely set in stone.  This is especially true when it comes to the forward ranks of the Flyers this offseason.  Even with the unlikelihood that Stamkos is in their future, it seems hard to imagine that Holmgren is completely done re-tooling.

But one thing is for certain – the Flyers needed to get bigger on the wings, and Holmgren did just that with his acquisitions in the Carter and Richards deals.

Defense

Chris Pronger-Matt Carle

Kimmo Timonen-Coburn

Andrej Meszaros-Andreas Lilja

Extras:  Erik Gustafsson, Oskars Bartulis, Matt Walker

This unit will likely resemble the blue line that the team iced last season.  The club’s top five all return for another year, and UFA signing Lilja takes the place of Sean O’Donnell, who left for the Chicago Blackhawks via free agency.

Health will certainly play a huge part in just how effective the rear guard position performs in 2011-12.

Pronger missed 32 regular season games last year with three different injuries that required corrective sugeries, and saw action in only three of the 11 Philadelphia playoff contests.  It is of the utmost importance that he be healthy this coming year, especially during the postseason. 

When Pronger is unscathed, Carle’s contributions seem to be much more pronounced.

Timonen had a variety of ailments that he attempted to play through, but it was obvious that his effectiveness was limited from what we’re used to seeing from the veteran defender.  The announcement of Coburn’s contract extension is expected to be made sometime in the coming days, and that would likely guarantee his pairing with Timonen until the Finnish vet calls it a career.

Both Pronger and Timonen will turn 37 during the regular season, so it’s imperative that the other defensemen be prepared to log more ice time.

When all are in the lineup and at peak shape, Philadelphia has one of the best top-five in the NHL.  They just have to do everything in their power to see that happens often enough in the upcoming season.

Meszaros proved to be invaluable last season, his first with the Flyers.  His versatility may have been one of the most-underrated aspects of any success the 2010-11 team acheived, as he moved around the lineup as Peter Laviolette saw fit while Pronger was unable to go.

Gustafsson almost made the big team out of training camp last season and was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal year for the Adirondack Phantoms.  This season, he could just make the Flyers out of camp.

Bartulis underwent long periods of inactivity during the past season.  He did get the call and stepped in when O’Donnell suffered a knee injury, but then was injured himself when given a questionnable hit by ex-Flyer and then-Phoenix Coyote Scottie Upshall.  It remains to be seen just how well Bartulis’ shoulder has been rehabilitated and how it will hold up in cotact situations. 

Walker endured one injury after another and saw very little playing time in the four games in which he appeared.  A buyout of his inflated $1.7 million contract seems a likely solution.

Goal

Ilya Bryzgalov-Sergei Bobrovsky

There is no doubting that this Russian pairing provides the Flyers with their best tandem heading into a new season since the 1986-87 campaign (Ron Hextall-Bob Froese, even though at the time, they did not know what they would get from the then-rookie Hextall at that time).

The organization finally made the long-awaited commitment to the crease in orchestrating Bryzgalov’s addition to Philadelphia’s lineup.  After acquiring his negotiating rights from the Phoenix Coyotes, Holmgren promptly signed the best-available free agent to a 9-year, $51.5 million pact.

Following years of question marks between the pipes, the Flyers now have the most stability at the goaltending position that they’ve had for the better part of two decades.

Laviolette now shouldn’t be besieged with inquiries as to who will be his starting netminder, and that should give him one less thing to worry about.

And it should give the team an added piece of mind not witnessing the rotation of goalies they did during the playoffs this past May.  There is no doubt the constant change in netminders led to letdowns at times in the team’s performance.

Bobrovsky, who the Flyers have called their “goalie of the future”, should be a solid backup.  But he also could find himself in a precarious position if additional cap space is needed.  The 22-year-old’s contract pays him $1.75 million, or $200,000 more than that of Michael Leighton.

If the roster stays the same until the new season commences, Bobrovsky will be Bryzgalov’s backup.  But if moves are made and salary needs to be trimmed, “Bob” could become a cap casualty.  He cannot be sent down to the minors without first clearing waivers.

Conclusion

As it stands right now, the Flyers should be a much better defensive team than they have been in the past several seasons.  They not only have assembled an excellent defensive unit, but now have added the piece that had been their missing link for some time – Bryzgalov.

With some of the changes up front, they just may find themselves in need of cutting down on the number of goals allowed.  While Philadelphia added a good deal of size to their wings, there are also some wildcards that come along with their unknown commodities.

Schenn and Couturier may make the club, but how much offense can the teenagers be counted on to supply?

Voracek and Simmonds are both in their early-20s and have both experienced some amount of success with their previous teams.  Can they score enough to help offset the goals that were sent out of town?

Can Jagr, nearing the end of a Hall-of-Fame career, recapture enough of his old game to help propel the Flyers to the next level?

Will Giroux and van Riemsdyk continue their development and vindicate management in their decision to deal away Richards and Carter?

There are no easy answers to any of these questions at this time, but some things may seem more clear than others.

There were obviously problems in the locker room and schisms within the team.  Whether or not trading two of the franchises most-recognizable and counted on players rectifies that divisiveness remains to be seen.  

A divided room will self-destruct, and that’s what appeared to happen with last year’s once-promising season.  It was like watching two different clubs from the midpoint in the NHL calendar through the end of the playoffs.

It was apparent that something was necessary to repair the Flyers, and Holmgren made aggressively bold moves in order to mend his broken team.  Give him credit.  Even with input from over his head, I cannot imagine many others making such major moves with a team that was considered a “championship contender”.

The GM almost certainly knows that how the upcoming Flyers’ season progresses will likely have a directly proportional affect on his position moving forward.

There has been a much different feel about the team in the past two weeks, and it hasn’t all been negative after the initial shock subsided.  Many of the key pieces are still in place, and others that have been added should aid in correcting areas in which Philadelphia was glaringly lacking.

Are the Flyers a better team after the makeover?  Perhaps the key part of that question is the “better team” portion.

Only time will tell if the end justifies the means.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

Philadelphia Flyers’ GM Paul Holmgren will not be putting together an offer sheet for Tampa Bay Lightning’s pending restricted free agent Steven Stamkos.

Justin K. Aller / Getty Images North America

The rumored offer the Flyers were contemplating was in the 10-12 year, $100-$115 million ranges.

While the prospect of adding Stamkos to a group of centers that includes Claude Giroux and Danny Briere had Flyers’ fans salivating, it would have been a long-shot that the 21-year-old superstar would be wearing Orange-and-Black when the 2011-12 season began.

After all, Stamkos has scored at an almost every-other-game pace in his three NHL seasons (119 goals in 243 games).  When you consider that he has 96 goals in 164 games in the last two years, it’s no wonder why there is so much interest in the Markham, Ontario-native.

Even if Holmgren had decided to tender an offer, there were a number of situations that would have thrown a monkey wrench into his plans:

• There was a good chance that another team would offer more money than the Flyers for Stamkos’ services.  There are currently eight teams that are in excess of $10 million below the $48.3 million cap floor, meaning that they need to spend more to be cap-compliant.  That group includes the New York Rangers, who would love to add such a marquee name to their ranks and are usually big players when free agency begins; the Florida Panthers who, despite adding over $10 million in salary over the past week by acquiring Brian Campbell and Tomas Kopecky, are still the team with the least amount of money committed to their payroll for next year at just over $26 million; the New York Islanders, who are desperately attempting to restore a winning team to the Island; and the Winnipeg Jets, who would just love to make a big splash to further elevate the level of excitement that has been brewing since the official announcement that NHL hockey was finally returning to the Manitoba city.
• If any team makes an offer, Bolts’ GM Steve Yzerman will have the final say on where his star player ends up.  Stevie Y has the right to match any offers for his young sniper, and any thought that he wouldn’t do just that doesn’t add up.  Stamkos has become the face of a franchise that just last season began the unenviable task of rebuilding its credibility after several years of incompetence in ownership.  Jeff Vinik bought the team a year and a half ago, and soon after hired Yzerman to bring the Lightning back to respectability.  Having lost a 1-0 Game 7 decision to the eventual-Cup champion Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals, it was justifiably nothing but rave reviews for Yzerman in his first year.  With 17 players already under contract for next season, Yzerman has more than $18 million in available cap space.  However, if Yzerman has to match an exorbitant offer, he could be looking at nearly 40% of his club’s salary tied up in just three forwards – Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier ($7.727 million per year), and Martin St. Louis ($5.625 million).  Add in the issue of needing to re-sign RFA Teddy Purcell and UFA Sean Bergenheim - two forwards that proved to be incredibly valuable last year - and Yzerman could be looking at being right around the upper limit very quickly.

If Holmgren would have been successful in making an offer and somehow would have ended up with Stamkos, there would have been dire consequences to any such acquisition:

• The GM would have had to start immediately lopping off salary from his existing roster.  While the best-case scenario would have been to start by shipping Scott Hartnell and his $4.2 million contract off to another destination, the fact remains that the 29-year-old winger possesses a no-trade clause in his existing deal.  While “Bird Dogg’s” 24 markers placed him fourth in team goal-scoring and 49 points was sixth among Flyers’ skaters, his salary is the second-highest among Philly forwards (to Briere’s $6.5 million).
• Even if he could get him to waive his NTC and moved Hartnell, it still wouldn’t have been enough.  With the recent acquisition of RFA forwards Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds in the Jeff Carter and Mike Richards deals, Holmgren will need even more room.  This would have possibly made other players like winger Kris Versteeg ($3.083 million), defenseman Matt Carle ($3.437 million), and maybe even defenseman Braydon Coburn ($3.2 million) vulnerable to being moved.
• Along those same lines, UFA winger Ville Leino would have been another casualty if Stamkos was signed.  The popular Leino was a steal when picked up from the Detroit Red Wings for defender Ole-Kristian Tollefsen in February of 2010.  Since the 2010 playoffs, Leino has been one of the best bargains in the entire NHL at $800,000, while putting up excellent production on a line with Hartnell and Briere.  Leino is reportedly looking for somewhere in the vicinity of $4 million per year in a new deal.

It wouldn’t have been the first time a Flyers’ GM had made a run at an up-and-coming Lightning forward if Holmgren had gone after Stamkos.  In the late-90′s, then-GM Bob Clarke signed Chris Gratton to an offer sheet.  The entire affair blew up into a total disaster as Bolt’s GM Phil Esposito attempted to deal Gratton to the Chicago Blackhawks, but an arbitrator ruled that Clarke had submitted a legitimate, signed offer sheet prior to the completion of the trade.  The signing eventually fell into the “be careful what you wish for” file, as Gratton fizzled in his year and a half stint in Philadelphia.  The burgeoning power forward was sent back to Tampa Bay after posting just 23 goals and 70 points in 108 games with the Flyers.

While Stamkos is obviously a much different story than Gratton and is one of the most dynamic players in the league, the risks would have been similar.  Philadelphia got burned with Gratton because he never really developed into the power forward that was predicted, and he didn’t really fit into the chemistry of the club.  Stamkos will still be one of the most dominant offensive stars in the NHL.  But with how many pieces Holmgren would have had to part with to fit his salary into the cap structure, the Flyers could have ended up taking a huge step backwards.

Finally having addressed the goaltending position by trading for and signing Ilya Bryzgalov to a 9-year, $51.5 million pact, the team seems to be prepared to make a run at the Cup next season.  And with Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen another year older, the time appears to be now.

With the Stamkos situation so volatile and not being able to control his own destiny, it is a better option for Holmgren to instead sign Leino and go after a couple of other available UFAs.

Holmgren has just under $8.3 million to work with as of right now.  Under the assumption that he can likely get Leino, Voracek, and Simmonds signed for a combined amount of $7 million, that would give the Flyers 21 players under contract and less than $1.3 million left.

The probability of UFA Sean O’Donnell not returning leaves a hole at defense, and Erik Gustafsson and his $900,000 cap hit would be a good addition to the blue line next year.  That would leave Gustafsson or Oskars Bartulis open to take over the #6 spot, with the other filling the seventh.

As you can see, that would leave somewhere around $400,000 to add depth up front.  With Bill Masterton Trophy winner Ian Laperriere set to go onto Long-Term Injured Reserve, that will add nearly $1.667 million to the number with which Holmgren can work.

Erik Cole is a winger that the Flyers had interest at the trade deadline in March, and there is talk that he would love to come to Philadelphia and reunite with head coach Peter Laviolette.  Cole played for Laviolette in Carolina when he guided the Hurricanes to the 2006 Stanley Cup, and he would add more muscle to a growing position for the team.

Other players of interest could include Jamie Langenbrunner (Philly had attempted to acquire him last year when the Devils traded him), (ex-Pittsburgh Penguin and perpetual Flyer-killer) Tyler Kennedy, Anthony Stewart, John Madden.

A couple of Ex-Flyers may be of interest:

• Michal Handzus would be a good third line center, and would provide the club with a much-needed late-game guy to take the important faceoffs.  Holmgren should be concerned about Handzus’ slow foot speed as the 34-year-old may be nearing the end of the line.  He had just 12 goals and 30 points in 82 games with the Los Angeles Kings last year.
• Feisty 27-year-old winger Scottie Upshall would be a good energy guy.  He posted 22 goals and 34 points in 82 games split between the Phoenix Coyotes and Columbus Blue Jackets.  He still plays on the edge, as his hit on Bartulis in Philly late in the season last year can attest.
• Nik Zherdev sometimes seemed a bad fit for the Flyers last year, but he also played pretty well down the stretch.  He was one of Philadelphia’s better forwards in that time and into the postseason.  It would depend on if Laviolette felt it would have a chance of working this time around.
• Simon Gagne, Arron Asham.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

National Hockey League GMs looking to add players to their respective rosters got some good news overnight.  As reported early this morning by TSN, the NHL’s salary cap  is being increased to $64 million for the 2011-12 season, a $4.6 million increase from last year.

reuters.com

This was especially welcomed news for Paul Holmgren of the Philadelphia Flyers.  The GM is attempting to sign UFA goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, whose negotiating rights he obtained last week for draft picks.

There had been concern that inking the elite-Russian netminder would cause Holmgren to have to dump a good deal of salary to fit his club within the constraints of the league-imposed limit.

Rumors had either leading goal-scorer Jeff Carter ($5.27 million cap hit in 2011-12) being moved, or a combination of forward Kris Versteeg ($3.083 million), one defenseman – likely either Matt Carle (just under $3.5 million) or Braydon Coburn ($3.2 million), and possibly even Bryzgalov’s fellow-Russian goalie, youngster Sergei Bobrovsky ($1.75 million).

Of that group of players, Versteeg, Carle, and Coburn will all be UFAs after the upcoming season.  So something may still be in the works for any of those players if Holmgren believes he will have difficulty getting them to sign extensions beyond the 2011-12 campaign.

While Holmgren will still likely need to move a portion of salary – the Flyers are currently at $58,969,155, according to CapGeek.com – the damage to Holmgren’s existing core should not be nearly as severe as first thought with the increased amount of the upper limit.

The number is in excess of the rumored $61-$63 million range, so Holmgren has an extra few million dollars with which to work than originally thought.

His team now has over $5.1 million in cap space, a significant amount more than the $430,000 Holmgren had before the increase.

Bryzgalov’s agent, Ritch Winter, is reportedly seeking a deal that would be in the neighborhood of $30-$49 million over the course of 5-7 years.  Winter and Bryzgalov – who will likely be able to celebrate his 31st birthday on Wednesday in grand style - were in town to meet with Holmgren late last week.  Even though no one would discuss the talks publicly, negotiations were reported to have gone very well.

There was a feeling that a deal could be announced by this coming weekend at the NHL Entry Draft in St. Paul, Minnesota, along with some rather weighty trades to clear cap space in order for Bryzgalov’s deal to reach fruition.  But the good news concerning the raising of the cap ceiling may just accelerate the declaration of a mutual accord.

As reported by Philly Sports Daily’s Dave Isaac yesterday, Bryzgalov told a Russian reporter that ”everything was constructive and we understood each other” during his visit to the City of Brotherly Love.  He also said he feels that the ball is now in the Flyers’ court.

While that may indeed be true, the playing field for Holmgren got a much-needed boost with the announcement of the cap number for next year.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

After a trip to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals and falling just two wins shy of winning it all, the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2010-11 season fell well short of high expectations.

Subsequent to getting past the Buffalo Sabres in a tough seven-game first round series, Philadelphia’s season came to an abrupt and disappointing finish in a quick four-game sweep at the hands of the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The result is likely to bring about a very active off-season for GM Paul Holmgren in retooling his squad in preparation for the 2011-12 campaign.

Without further ado, it’s report card time for the 2010-11 version of the Flyers; complete with comments as to the performance over the course of the season, as well as each player’s role moving ahead to next season.

In this issue, the defensemen and netminders are examined.

DEFENSEMEN

Oskars Bartulis:  INCOMPLETE

2010-11:  After playing in the first two regular season games, Bartulis was the Flyers’ forgotten man.  Over the next two months, the 24-year-old would see action in just one more contest.  Bartulis was pressed into service when Chris Pronger suffered a fractured right foot, playing in nine games from December 18th through January 11th.  The six-foot, two-inch, 184-pounder would sit again upon Pronger’s return, only returning when Sean O’Donnell went down with a knee injury at Madison Square Garden on February 20th.  In his first game back in the lineup on February 22nd, Bartulis suffered a separated shoulder when he took a late hit into the boards from ex-Flyer and current Phoenix Coyote forward Scottie Upshall.  He would miss the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.  Bartulis finished having played in just 13 games, recording no points with a -4 and four penalty minutes.  2011-12: Signed for two more seasons at $600,000 per year, Bartulis is likely to stick around in Philadelphia.  The club is once again at the upper end of the salary cap, with less than $500,000 in space left with just 18 players signed.  Affordable options like Bartulis will be valuable, but he will need meaningful playing time in order to develop his game.  Even before his injury this season, he was not receiving that.

Nick Boynton:  INCOMPLETE

2010-11:  Holmgren plucked Boynton off the waiver wire from the Chicago Blackhawks in late-February as a depth move when O’Donnell suffered a knee injury and Bartulis separated his shoulder.  Like forward Kris Versteeg, Boynton was on the roster of Chicago’s Stanley Cup championship team last June, and it was thought he might be able to step in and provide some stability to the blue line.  And his pro-rated $500,000 salary also didn’t hurt matters for a team that had very little cap space availability.  The 32-year-old rear guard’s time in Philadelphia started off better than expected, as he played well in back-to-back games on March 10th (at Toronto) and 12th (home against the Thrashers).  Boynton kept things very simple, not trying to do too much, and played physical at the right times.  Unfortunately, his third game was not so good, as he finished a -2 in only 5:39 of time on ice in a 3-2 Flyers’ victory over the Panthers in South Florida.  Boynton would end up seeing action in just 10 regular season contests with the Orange-and-Black, and logging double-digit minutes of ice time in only half of those games.  He was not in the Philly lineup after April 1st.  2011-12: An unrestricted free agent, it’s highly doubtful Holmgren makes any attempt to re-sign Boynton this fall.  The organization has a couple of young defenders that appear ready to make the big club’s roster at training camp, and it would seem that Boynton doesn’t fit into the club’s plans.

Matt Carle:  B-

Photo Credit: Bridget Samuels / Flickr

2010-11:  Many experts insinuated that Matt Carle’s excellent play last year was likely because he played alongside of stalwart blue liner Pronger.  But in a season where Pronger missed 32 games due to a myriad of injuries, Carle was forced to play much of the time with various partners.  He responded by leading all Flyers’ defensemen in scoring with 40 points (one goal, 39 assists), and tied with Andrej Meszaros for the team lead with a +30.  The 39 assists and +30 were career-highs for the former member of the San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning.  Like most of his Flyers’ teammates, the six-foot, 205 pound native of Anchorage, Alaska struggled defensively in the club’s recently-completed playoffs.  He finished seven of the 11 postseason contests on the minus side of the plus / minus ledger, posting a -8 overall.  2011-12: Carle is entering the last season of a four-year contract that pays him just under $3.5 million before becoming an UFA next summer.  While he is still a valuable member of the team’s defensive corps, Holmgren may attempt to trade the 25-year-old defenseman at some point during the upcoming summer or 2011-12 season.  But his excessive salary, as well as the fact that he is the perhaps the least-physical defenseman on the club’s roster, will almost certainly make him a pretty tough sell.

Photo Credit: Bridget Samuels / Flickr

Braydon Coburn:  C-

2010-11:  Braydon Coburn signed a two-year contract extension last summer that pay him $3.2 million annually, and played on Philadelphia’s second defensive pairing with Kimmo Timonen. The 26-year-old defender picked up two goals and 16 points, while posting a +15 during the regular season, but showed only flashes of what he is capable of when playing at his peak effectiveness.  When using his long stride to skate the puck out of his own end and taking advantage of his large six-foot, five-inch, 220-pound, Coburn can be a force.  But after recording career-highs in goals (9), assists (27), and points (36) during the 2007-08 campaign, Coburn’s offensive numbers have decreased in each of the last three seasons despite increased ice time.  The native of Shaunavon, Saskatchewan recorded a +7 in the seven-game first round triumph over the Buffalo Sabres, and scored his most-important goal of the year against Ryan Miller in the closing minute of the first period in Game 7 to begin the rout.  But Coburn then proceeded to post a minus in each of the four games against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.  2011-12: Just like Carle, Coburn is heading into the final year of his contract.  The former eighth overall pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2003 will become an UFA next summer, and also like Carle could be trade bait.

Andrej Meszaros:  A

Photo Credit: Bridget Samuels / Flickr

2010-11:  Acquired on July 1st from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a draft pick, Meszaros was a revelation for the Flyers.  Many criticized the move because of Meszaros’ $4 million price tag, and the fact that he would likely be on the club’s third pairing because the first two were already set with Pronger-Carle and Timonen-Coburn.  But Mez became an invaluable piece of the Philadelphia roster this year, leading the defensive ranks in goals (8), and tying Carle for the top plus / minus rating (+30).  As the 25-year-old’s confidence grew over the course of the season, so did his effectiveness for the team.  He jumped up into offensive rushes, used his six-foot, two-inch, 223-pound body to hit with a reckless abandon, and even scored two game-winning goals in overtime.  Maybe the most-valuable attribute that Meszaros brought to the club this year was his versatility.  With Pronger’s frequent absences from the Flyers’ lineup, the native of Povazska Bystrica, Slovakia played on several defense pairings where needed.  He started the year playing on the team’s third pairing with O’Donnell, but would also see action with Carle as part of the top duo in Pronger’s spot.  With the high level at which he performed, it made Pronger’s time out of the lineup less debilitating.  Meszaros appropriately won the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers’ top defenseman as a reward for a fantastic season.  In the postseason Meszaros led all Philly defenders in goals (2), and tied Timonen for the lead among Flyers’ defensemen (6).     2011-12: Meszaros still has three more years remaining on his contract, and figures to be a key member of the Philadelphia blue line.  If he continues to play the way he did this past season, he will be a mainstay for many years to come.

Sean O’Donnell:  C

2010-11:  Signed as an UFA to a one-year, $1.3 million contract on July 1st, O’Donnell was one of the steadier defensemen for the Flyers for the first half of the season.  Paired with Meszaros for much of the early going, both rear guards were near the top of the overall NHL plus / minus leaders.  Following a knee injury in a late-February game against the New York Rangers, the 39-year-old veteran was nowhere near as effective.  O’Donnell was supposed to miss several weeks to recover from the injury but his replacement, Bartulis, was lost for the rest of the season in the next game with a shoulder injury.  O’Donnell returned early, and was noticeably less mobile than he had been prior to suffering the injury.  The six-foot, two-inch, 237-pounder played a physical game for Philadelphia, and was one of the most-knowledgable students of the game on the club.  O’Donnell still ended the regular season at a +8.  2011-12: It’s not known if O’Donnell is in the plans for the team in the fall, especially if he expects a raise as part of a new one-year deal.  There are a couple of young blue liners primed to grab a spot in the coming year, and O’Donnell turns 40 in the second week of October.  There’s no doubt that he could be of great assistance to the younger defenders but with the cap limitations facing Holmgren, it is unlikely O’Donnell’s salary could be squeezed in.

Photo Credit: Bridget Samuels / Flickr

Chris Pronger:  B

2010-11:  After playing in all 82 games during his first campaign in Philadelphia, Pronger suffered through an injury-plagued 2010-11 season – one in which he appropriately referred to as a “year from hell”.  Commencing the year on the shelf following off-season knee surgery, it set the tone for what was to come over the course of the year.  The Flyers’ top defenseman would play in just 50 regular season contests due to various ailments.  The 36-year-old blue liner was just getting back into top form again when he suffered a fracture in his right foot after blocking a slap shot in Montreal in mid-December.  It is no coincidence that Philadelphia was the NHL’s top team at the time of the injury, because as Pronger goes, so go the Flyers.  This was evident again in late-February, when he took a shot off his right hand late in a game against the New York Islanders.  After X-rays proved negative, Pronger played in four more games.  The club had been developing bad habits, and the veteran defender had called players out behind closed doors for their careless play.  After a home win over the Oilers in early March, it was announced that Pronger had sustained a break in his hand that had gone undetected previously.  He again required surgery, and the team struggled without their on-ice leader in the lineup.  It was originally thought that Pronger would return for the final weekend of the regular season, but after suffering a “set back” in early-April, the six-foot, six-inch, 220-pounder wasn’t ready for the beginning of the postseason.  The Flyers’ defensive play was faltering down the stretch without him, and also suffering in Pronger’s absence was the club’s power play unit.  Without his big shot from the point, Philadelphia’s output with the man advantage was paltry.  With the Flyers trailing their first round series with the Sabres, 3-2, Pronger came back for Game 6.  He played just 4:33 - all of the power play - but his mere presence was a lift for his teammates.  The Flyers won in overtime on Easter Sunday to force a Game 7 back in Philadelphia.  Pronger played in that contest and saw 17:27 of ice time, picking up an assist in the 5-2 triumph.  The power play was anything but an advantage for Philly without him, but upon his return the unit improved to 3-9 in Games 6 and 7.  Unfortunately for the Orange-and-Black, Pronger was laboring with back pain that persisted through a loss to the Bruins in Game 1 of the second round.  He would not play the rest of the way and after the team’s elimination from the playoffs, it was announced that the hulking defenseman had a herniated disc in his back.  Surgery was once again required, and a successful discectomy was performed on May 12th.  It will be about six weeks from time of the surgery that Pronger can begin full exercise.  2011-12: The results with and without the dominant defender on the Philly blue line this year spoke volumes about his overall value.  His presence is obviously a key to success, but it isn’t the only issue for Philadelphia regarding Pronger.  There are still six years remaining on his contract, at an annual cap hit of more than $4.9 million.  Since it is an over-35 pact, the club is on the hook for the full amount, regardless if Pronger is able to play or not.  Pronger’s health is a must for Philadelphia to again be among the league’s elite squads.  If the majority of the news surrounding Pronger this year involves injuries and surgeries, the outlook for the Flyers will indeed be bleak.

Photo Credit: clydeorama / Flickr

Kimmo Timonen:  A-

2010-11:  Timonen turned 36 during the regular season and was once again one of the Flyers’ best defensemen.  He finished second in goals (6) and points (37) among Philly blue liners, and was the only defender to score shorthanded (which he did twice).  The native of Kuopio, Finland finished with a +11 rating, and was the unit’s leader with Pronger out for much of the season.  Timonen scored a goal, recorded six points, and was a +3 in the postseason.  When the team didn’t play well down the stretch and when they were bounced out in the second round by the Bruins, Timonen was visibly upset and voiced his displeasure at the disappointing finish.  ”That’s what pisses me off the most,” Timonen told Teemu H. of Broad Street Hockey after their elimination.  ”We weren’t even close.  There was no effort which I find unbelievable.”  There is no doubt that Timonen cares about the team’s performance, and he was to meet with Holmgren last week.  You can bet that the 12-year veteran gave the GM an earful as to what he felt was wrong with the club, and what he believes is necessary for the Flyers to achieve the ultimate success.  2011-12: With two seasons left on a contract that pays him $6.33 million per year, Timonen is the highest-paid Philadelphia defenseman.  At five-feet, 10-inches and 194 pounds, he is one of the team’s smaller defensemen.  But Timonen, who is entering his fifth year in the City of Brotherly Love, is both savvy and smooth.  He should remain as one of the most effective Philly blue liners at least through the end of his deal.

CONCLUSION

OVERALL DEFENSEMEN GRADE:  B-

After going through the first half of the season as one of the best defensive teams in the league, the Flyers struggled to keep the puck out of their net for much of the stretch run.  They ended up yielding 223 goals this season, which was only sixth-best among playoff-qualifying Eastern Conference clubs.

While the club’s blue line and goaltending was partially responsible, Philadelphia’s forwards also didn’t play well in their own end.

The team will need to acquire more depth for the upcoming season, especially with the question marks where Pronger’s health is concerned.  Not having the big defenseman in the lineup for a good portion of the year definitely hurt, but the general state of confusion defensively was mysitfying, given the number of veteran leaders on the team.

Pronger’s rehabilitation from back surgery will be an important development to keep an eye on as the summer progresses, and there are other question marks heading towards training camp.  Will O’Donnell be re-signed?  Will both Carle and Coburn be on the Flyers’ blue line next season, or will they be dealt before becoming UFAs next summer?

Will Holmgren attempt to bring in a legitimate right-handed shooting defender, especially with Vancouver’s Kevin Bieksa and Sami Salo, and Montreal’s James Wisniewski available as UFAs?  The Flyers have not had a decent righty since Eric Desjardins retired during the 2005-06 season, and it has been one of the adverse affects on an impotent power play.  Without a right-hander to man the left point on the man advantage, one-timers from that side of the ice are non-existent.  Holmgren brought Matt Walker to Philly in the Simon Gagne trade, but he was a complete bust.  Due to various injuries, Walker saw action in just four NHL contests this season.  When he was in the lineup, he was ineffective – even in pre-season matches.

If Holmgren is to bring in a big name defenseman, more room will have to be made to fit them into the club’s bloated cap situation.

Meanwhile, Erik Gustafsson, who nearly made the club out of training camp last year, should be ready to claim a spot this fall.  The 22-year-old has two years left on his entry-level contract at $900,000 per season, and had a very good season with the Phantoms.  The five-foot, 10-inch, 180-pound native of Kvissleby, Sweden did not look out of place in three games with the Flyers this year, and possesses slick offensive creativity from the blue line.

Others who may get a long look in camp are Marc-Andre Bourdon (21, 6′, 0 “, 205 pounds, $875,000) and Kevin Marshall (22, 6′, 1″, 191 pounds, $845, 833).

GOALTENDERS

Photo Credit: clydeorama / Flickr

2010-11:  Signed as a free agent last May, Bobrovsky was looking like an early season front-runner for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie-of-the-year.  The 22-year-old slumped down the stretch, but still finished with a 28-13-8 record, with a 2.59 goals-against average and .915 save percentage.  Head coach Peter Laviolette named Bobrovsky as his starter for the postseason, and the native of Novokuznetsk, Russia did not disappoint in his first game.  Bobrovsky held his team in the game into a scoreless third period, eventually yielding a goal to Patrick Kaleta in a 1-0 loss.  In Game 2, he gave up three early goals, was pulled in favor of Brian Boucher, and disappeared from the lineup as Michael Leighton was brought back into the rotation.  As the Boucher-Leighton tandem eventually faltered, Bobrovsky again played.  He started the fourth and final game of the Boston series, playing well in keeping the Flyers tied into the third period before taking the loss.  2011-12: There is no question that Bobrovsky is the team’s goaltender of the future.  With two years remaining at $1.75 million per season, the only issue regarding Bobrovsky is when he will be ready.  With Pronger and Timonen heading into their late-30′s, the time to win for Philadelphia is now.  Goalie coach Jeff Reese said he believes Bobrovsky is “two-to-three years away from being a workhorse”, so talk around Philly is that Holmgren will attempt to bring in a legitimate number one guy over the summer.  Bobrovsky could be the backup, or maybe even end up being the starter with the AHL’s Adirondack Phantoms.

Photo Credit: Jayne Shives / Wiki

Brian Boucher:  B

2010-11:  Finishing up the last year on his two-year deal ($925.000) this past season, Boucher was the perfect soldier for the Flyers.  He did everything asked of him, and without complaint.  When he thought he would be the starter when Leighton had off-season surgery but the job was instead given to Bobrovsky to open the campaign, Boucher filled the backup role to perfection.  He finished the regular season with a respectable 18-10-4 mark, and led the team in GAA (2.42) and save percentage (.916).  Boucher got the win in the final regular season contest in relief of Bobrovsky, when the Flyers absolutely had to get a victory to win the Atlantic Division crown.  In the playoffs, Boucher recorded all four Philadelphia wins in the Buffalo series.  But as each netminder took a turn falling flat when given the reigns to take control of the net, the 34-year-old native of Rhode Island may have fallen the hardest.   2011-12: Again an UFA, it remains to be seen if the team will attempt to re-sign Boucher.  It would seem unlikely, given Ed Snider’s comments about the carousel of goalies the club experienced during the postseason never happening again.

Photo Credit: Resolute / Wiki

Michael Leighton:  INCOMPLETE

2010-11:  Leighton’s year has been one full spectrum of contradictions.  After coming onto the scene off the waiver wire and taking Philadelphia to within two wins of capturing the Stanley Cup, Leighton was re-signed (two years, $1.55 million annually) as an UFA last summer.  Expecting to be the team’s number one, he instead began the year on injured reserve after undergoing back surgery during the pre-season.  The 30-year-old came back to find Bobrovsky had wrestled the starting job away from him, and Leighton was sent to Adirondack.  He played in just one NHL regular season game with the Flyers this year, and made a return during the playoffs.  That didn’t end up so well, as he lost Game 5 of the Sabres series in overtime, then was yanked for good after giving up three soft Buffalo goals in Game 6.  2011-12: With one year left on the contract he signed last year, it is unclear where Leighton fits into the Flyers’ plans.  If it is deemed necessary for Bobrovsky to get the bulk of the workload in Adirondack, it is conceivable that Leighton could back up whichever goaltender Holmgren brings in to lead Philly.

CONCLUSION

OVERALL GOALTENDER GRADE:  B-

While Bobrovsky played better than anyone could have foreseen and Boucher was the consummate backup, the Flyers lack of a clear cut number one created a circus-type atmosphere around the team in the postseason.

Even though the organization has historically ignored the crease area, the signing of Bobrovsky last year as a free agent was a huge step in the right direction for Philadelphia’s future.  With the recent signing of Finnish netminder Niko Hovinen to a free agent pact and Joacim Eriksson and Jakob Kovar looking ready to make the trip to North America very soon, the Flyers’ net situation appears bright for upcoming years.

With Snider’s proclamation that the team’s goaltending situation will indeed be rectified this summer, the speculation as to which goalie Holmgren will attempt to secure has commenced.  Ilya Bryzgalov is the biggest free agent fish, and Holmgren inquired about his availability when the Russian played for the Anaheim Ducks back in the 2006-07 season.  Bryzgalov won the Cup in Anaheim that season, and has established himself as one of the best netminders in the world in Phoenix the past two years.  In order to afford the kind of contract it will take to sign Bryzgalov, salary will have to be moved off the current payroll.

Other names of interest include Tomas Vokoun (UFA, played with Florida Panthers in 2010 for $5.7 million), Miikka Kiprusoff (Calgary Flames; three more years remaining at $5.833 million annually), and Niklas Backstrom (Minnesota Wild; two years remaining at $6 million per season).  Holmgren could choose to trade for either Kipper or Backstrom, and both the Flames and Wild are looking for more scoring up front.  It just so happens that if the Flyers try to deal for a netminder, forward is the spot where they would have to move salary.

While it’s bound to start the Jeff Carter ($5.272 million) rumors, there are other forwards that would be more desirable to deal.  Much-maligned winger Scott Hartnell ($4.2 million) tops the list, but he would have to waive his NTC in order for anything to happen.

Holmgren could also go a cheaper route if he finds it impossible to land an expensive backstop.  Pitches could be made for Jonathan Bernier (L.A. Kings, $1.25 million), Anders Lindback (Nashville Predators, $875,000), or Cory Schneider (Vancouver Canucks, $900,000), but the question of experience and how far these guys could take the Flyers would be genuinely pertinent.

*All salary numbers were obtained from www.CapGeek.com.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove NHL / Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent

The Philadelphia Flyers brought a stampede of goals to the Wells Fargo Center Tuesday night as they soundly defeated the Sabres, 5-2, in game seven to take their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series, 4-3.

Head coach Peter Laviolette had stressed many times down the team’s stretch run that the most important thing was to win home ice advantage - especially for the purpose of game sevens.

It was very evident why on Tuesday night, as the home crowd was deafening.

“Loud,” Mike Richards said when asked about the Flyers’ faithful.  “It was exciting in there. I think right when you walked out there you had goosebumps just listening to them.  That’s why we play the whole season for, is that home crowd behind you in game seven.”

In an otherwise even series - in which every game ended in a one-goal decision – with the exception of game three, which Kimmo Timonen scored an empty-netter – Philadelphia scored the game’s first four goals.

Goals by Braydon Coburn, Danny Briere, James van Riemsdyk, Ville Leino, and Dan Carcillo led a ferocious Philadelphia attack that chased the Sabres’ Ryan Miller for the first time in his NHL postseason career.

The series had been all about goaltending coming into the night, and the fact that one team (Buffalo) had an elite back stop, and the other (Philadelphia) did not.  Philadelphia had handicapped their games with multiple weak goals allowed by their netminders, so it was surprising that Buffalo’s Miller would be the first to blink and yield a goal of the “soft” variety.

With the ice tilted towards the Buffalo end and after stopping all 15 Flyers’ shots, Miller let a Coburn offering trickle through the five-hole with just 18.5 ticks left on the clock in the opening period.

The goal provided some sort of relief for Philadelphia.  After dominating a period so soundly, it would have been frustrating to go to the locker room scoreless.

“It was nice to go in with the lead,” Richards said.  “After you played so well you have something to show for it.”

The 16-2 count in first period shots was a good indication of the level of play, as it was the best the Flyers looked in the entire series.

“From start to finish we dominated the shots, chances, and stuff like that and played like we are capable of,” said van Riemsdyk, who scored his fourth goal of the series in the second period.  It turned out to be the game-winner.  The 21-year-old left winger recorded five shots tonight and a total of 43 in the series, which leads all playoff players.

Defenseman Chris Pronger, the anchor club’s blue liner, saw 17:27 of ice time, taking a regular shift for the first time in the series after returning in game six from a hand injury.

“For a guy to jump in the way he did after not playing for so many games and play the way he did tonight, again is another calming influence on the game,” Laviolette said after the game.  ”His body, his presence, his passes, and his defense are certainly an advantage to us.”

When Pronger was asked about the team’s ability to finally control a game in the series, he explained why that was the case.   “I think it was just the magnitude of the game and what was at stake,” he said.  “I think we all understood that it was game seven in our building.”

Goaltender Brian Boucher stopped 26 of the 28 Buffalo shots in giving the Flyers the solid start they so deperately needed.

“He was great,” said center Claude Giroux.  “He shut down the door for us, and that’s what we needed.  He was of the best players tonight for sure.”

Leino’s goal 1:39 into the third gave Philadelphia a 4-0 lead, and Sabres’ coach Lindy Ruff did something he has never had to do to Miller.  The longest-tenured NHL bench boss gave him the hook, bringing in Jhonas Enroth to close out the game.

“To be honest with you, I felt like they were conceding the victory,” Boucher said after the game.  ”Not to take anything away from Enroth but to me, Ryan Miller is their key piece.  He battled hard but they did score two goals after the goalie change, so I guess you can’t argue that move by their coach.”

Briere finished with a team-high six goals against his former team.  When asked if the win was more special because it came against Buffalo, Briere was reflective.

“You know what, honestly it was probably one of the toughest series I’ve had to go through,” he said.  “Knowing you are facing a lot of friends, and you are going like that.  It’s no secret, in the playoffs there are no friends.  You are out there and it doesn’t matter who has the puck, you are going through them.  Honestly that was one of the toughest things to do.”

Briere also beat Buffalo’s Paul Gaustad on two offensive zone faceoffs to start scoring plays, showing even more value than just putting the puck in the net.

“Yeah I guess they were key, especially the one I had at the end of the first period,” Briere said of his draw that led to the Coburn goal.  “I thought that was a huge momentum swing getting a goal.  We had peppered Ryan Miller most of the first period.  We barely let them come into our zone.  It was still 0-0 at that point.  To get a little deflection; to see the puck go in was a huge relief and also a huge momentum swing coming back into the room.”

Philadelphia’s much-maligned power play ended the night 2-4, and Giroux explained why they were able to have success.  “I think we just kept it simple and went to the net, got pucks to the net with traffic. ”

The man advantage unit, which had been 2-26 in the first five contests of the series, went 3-9 in games six and seven.  And it was not lost on Briere that the power play’s resurgence coincided with Pronger’s return to the lineup.

“I think he (Pronger) helped us settle down,” Briere explained.  “It was also something that we started talking about after game five.  We realized that we were forcing too many plays instead of controlling the puck and taking the shots.”

During the team’s hand shake at the series conclusion, Boucher and Miller had a brief conversation.  “I said great series and if it wasn’t for him I don’t know if it would have been a series,” Boucher said afterwards.  “He was fantastic.”

Miller was fantastic, and probably was the major reason for the Sabres that the series extended to a seventh game.

But the series may have truly been won on Easter Sunday.  The Sabres held leads of 2-0 and 3-1 early, and 4-3 in the third period with the chance to eliminate the Flyers in game six.  Their inability to do so looked to take a toll on the team, especially with their flat start to begin game seven.

“I think it just boils down to the heart and character in the room and guys understanding that you have to have a ‘never say quit’ attitude,” Pronger said about Philadelphia’s gutty comeback to take the series.  “From the drop of the puck until the end buzzer you have to be prepared to sacrifice and we were able to do that tonight and we were able to win the game.”

The Flyers will have to await the outcome of two other game sevens tonight, as their second round opponent is dependant upon which teams pull through.

With the Washington Capitals already having dipsoed of the New York Rangers in five games, if the Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruiins, Philadelphia will play the winner of the Pittsburgh Penguins-Tampa Bay Lightning series.

If the Bruins are triumphant over Les Habitants, the Flyers will play Boston for the second-consecutive year.

The bottom line is that whichever team comes knocking, the Flyers will open at home in the next round.  And Tuesday night they showed just why home ice is such valuable weapon.

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Taking a Flyer:  Buffalo’s Derek Roy played in his first game in four months.  After tearing his quadricep tendon just prior to Christmas, it was thought Roy would miss the remainder of the season.  He had a great scoring chance on an early-second period Sabres’ power play, and finished with 20:01 of ice time…The Flyers are now 9-6 in seventh games and 6-3 when they are played at home.  They have won three consecutive seventh games dating back to the 2008 postseason…This is just the third time the Flyers have ever won a series that they trailed 3-2 after five games.  The others were the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals against Boston and the 1989 Patrick Division Finals against Pittsburgh…Briere’s six goals are the most for a Flyer in a playoff series since R.J. Umberger scored eight in the 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals against Montreal.  Briere now has 94 points (41-53-94) in 93 career playoff games.

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If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove NHL / Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent

One of the most tried and true hockey sayings is that “defense wins championships”.  It’s been proven time and time again, and still holds true to this day.

Over the course of the first 60 games of the regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers’ overall team defense was near the  top in the Eastern Conference, and challenging the Vancouver Canucks for the overall lead in the National Hockey League.

That was before a terrible last quarter of the season, in which the team struggled in almost every area, particularly marred by giveaways and blown coverage in their own zone.

A stretch of yielding 13 goals in their last three contests and 20 in their last five, Philadelphia saw its goals-against drop to seventh best  in the East and 11th overall in the league.

Not a good sign just as the playoffs are about to commence.

If the Flyers are hoping to experience any type of a repeat of last year’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals, they will need to be much better in their own end.

Coming into this season, Chris Pronger-Matt Carle and Kimmo Timonen-Braydon Coburn (a restricted free agent who was re-signed on July 1) were already etched in stone as the club’s top two pairings on the blue line.

But GM Paul Holmgren vowed after the Finals loss and just prior to the opening of free agency that his defensive unit would be improved for the 2010-11 campaign.

Philadelphia added Sean O’Donnell as an unrestricted free agent on July 1, bringing another big body to the Flyers’ blue line.  At six-foot, two-inch, 237 pounds, the 39-year-old O’Donnell is a much-needed physical presence and has also won a Stanley Cup – with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, as a teammate of Pronger’s.

Holmgren also acquired defenseman Andrej Meszaros from the Tampa Bay Lightning on the same day for a second-round draft pick.

Many in the Philadelphia area decried the move.  The train of thought was that Meszaros’ $4 million annual price tag was too steep for what amounted to a fifth or sixth defenseman, especially on a team that was always up against the salary cap limit.

With what Meszaros brought to the Flyers this season, he has been worth every penny.

Having to show some tremendous versatility with injuries subtracting Pronger from the Philadelphia lineup at three different points in the season, Meszaros has been a god-send.

Copyright David Strehle, 2010

Pronger could provide a relatively quick fix if he can return in a healthy capacity.  The club’s defensive leader is recovering from his third surgery of the season, this one being a fractured bone in his right hand.

Pronger’s right side has taken a beating this season – just prior to the commencement of the regular season, he underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee, causing him to miss the first two games of the new year.  In December, he took a slapshot off of his skate and suffered a broken bone in his right foot.  Following surgery, Pronger missed 13 contests.  Pronger took a shot off of his right hand in a March 8th home game in a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, and missed the final 16 regular season tilts.

The Flyers have failed to clear the front porch down the stretch for goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky and Brian Boucher with Pronger not in the ranks.

And the forwards have not been effectively helping out with the backcheck.

In addition to a diminished defensive zone awareness as a team sans their blue line anchor, the power play minus Pronger’s booming shot from the point has left the man advantage unit stagnant and ineffective.

The silver lining could be that Pronger should be much more rested than prior to last year’s postseason run.  Having played in only 50 games, he should definitely have more left in the tank than he had in last season’s finals against the Chicago Blackhawks.

That’s really what it’s all about for this team - playoff success.  And that can be best acheived for Philadelphia with an overall renewal of a commitment to taking care of their own end and protecting their net.

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If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle.