By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

It’s hard to imagine that throughout the storied 43-year history of the Philadelphia Flyers, there could actually be on-ice occurrences that could still be considered ‘firsts’.  The team has won two Stanley Cups, had numerous All-Star performers, even placing several in the hallowed walls of Hockey’s Hall of Fame.  The franchise has iced winners of the Vezina, Hart, and Conn Smythe Trophies.

Yet there have been three awards that have eluded their players – the Art Ross Trophy for the NHL’s leading scorer, the Calder Memorial Trophy for the Rookie-of-the-Year, and the Lady Byng Trophy, given out to the skater determined to have “exhibited the most sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct”.

The 44th edition of the Flyers could prove to be a very special one, indeed.  With the strong early-season play of Claude Giroux and two rookie forwards, Matt Read and Sean Couturier, the Flyers droughts with regards to all three awards could all come to an end this year.

Philly has had several close calls for the Art Ross – including Eric Lindros finishing the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season in a tie with Jaromir Jagr, but losing out because Jagr had scored three more goals, despite playing in two fewer games than the then-Pittsburgh Penguins superstar.

As the season nears the 20-game mark, Giroux appears to be a contender for the League’s top-scoring honors.  He has 23 points (11 G, 12 A) in the first 18 contests, which includes six multi-point efforts.  He’s tied for third in NHL scoring, just two points behind Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward Phil Kessel.

The 23-year-old native of Hearst, Ontario has accepted added responsibilities with the departures of team scoring leaders Jeff Carter and Mike Richards.  He’s leading all Philadelphia forwards in ice time, playing in every situation possible.  Giroux is the catalyst that drives the Flyers’ power play unit, and also one of their top penalty killing forwards.  His dynamic offensive skill set often presents scoring chances even when the team is shorthanded.

One of the keys to success for Giroux is he is shooting the puck much more than he has in the past.  During his second full NHL campaign last year, he registered career-highs in both shots on goal (169) and goals scored (25), both of which look to fall this season.  Giroux is on pace for in excess of 200 shots and 40+ goals.

If the Flyers played in the Southeast Division, Giroux might be a lock to head the NHL scoring list since he would get to play the Carolina Hurricanes more often.  In just two games against Carolina this year, he has torched the ‘Canes for two goals and seven points.

Another determining factor as to how well Giroux fares in the scoring race could be the health of Jagr, who suffered a “lower body injury” (believed to be a groin pull) early in the club’s game Thursday.  Giroux and the talented 39-year-old Czech have developed an uncanny chemistry, and have formed the Flyers’ most productive offensive line with Scott Hartnell on the left side.

As one of the most valuable members of the Flyers, Giroux may even be a year-end candidate for the Hart Memorial Trophy as League MVP – an award that hasn’t been won by a Flyer since Lindros took it home in the lockout year of ’94-’95.

There have been some serious Flyers’ challenges for the Calder – the names of Bill Barber (and where have you gone, Steve Vickers?), Ron Hextall (runner-up to deserved winner Luc Robitaille), Lindros (just so happened to be a rookie the same year Teemu Selanne electrified the NHL with a record-setting freshman season), and Mikael Renberg immediately come to mind.   From the current roster, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was in early contention last season before his play fell off during the last half.

As many Philadelphia-area hockey fans already know, TSN hockey guru Bob McKenzie made a bold prediction in the preseason that Read would end up being the 2012 Calder winner via Twitter.  The call was made following a very impressive exhibition season from the 25-year-old, and he has done nothing in the regular season to quell McKenzie’s prognostication.  In fact, it would seem he has only strengthened his position.

Despite missing three games after taking a hard hit a couple of weeks ago, Read has come back with a vengeance.  He has notched four points in the four games since his return heading into today’s tilt with the Winnipeg Jets, including spectacular goals in each of the last three contests.

In Miami last Sunday, he scored a third period shorthanded goal on a penalty shot, which proved to be the eventual game-winner in a 3-2 win over the Panthers.

The next night in Carolina, his highlight-reel tally late in the third period – diving to swat home a pass while at full speed, which ended with him crashing violently into the end boards - provided the club with an insurance marker in a 5-3 victory over the Hurricanes.

Thursday night, his goal off of a Max Talbot rebound with just 18.6 seconds remaining in regulation time was the game-winner in a 2-1 triumph over the Phoenix Coyotes.  The Ilderton, Ontario-native was very modest afterwards in describing the goal.  ”Just being in the right spot at the right time, I guess,” he said with a wide smile and almost embarrassed laugh.

That’s three very important third period goals in the last three contests, with two being the game-winning markers.  Certainly a tremendous contribution from the Bemidji State University star, who shows his value game-in and game-out, playing in every conceivable situation – power play, penalty kill.  You name it.  If he can maintain his pace set with his 11 points 6 G, 5 A) in 15 games played thus far, Read could very well be considered Calder material.

While the goals Couturier has scored haven’t had quite the same dramatic impact on the ultimate outcome of games as Read’s, the same can be said for the versatility of the soft-spoken youngster, who doesn’t turn 19 until the first week of December.

With five goals and eight points in his first 18 contests, Couturier will likely be hard-pressed to garner strong Calder consideration.  But his work in the defensive end is extraordinary, and it was evident that he could play at this level from the earliest stages of training camp.  He was not only rewarded for a exceptional exhibition season play by making the opening night roster, he was given important ice time against the Bruins in the opening game in Boston by head coach Peter Laviolette.  Couturier saw significant time in the last five minutes while protecting a 2-1 lead, including during the last minute in the eventual win.

Already part of the top four penalty killing forwards along with Giroux, Read, and Talbot, Couturier has even been seeing some time on power play unit.

It would seem the Selke Trophy (NHL’s top defensive forward), which was last taken home by a Flyer 25 years ago (Dave Poulin), could also be something on the radar for the rookie when all is said and done.

After strenuously earning the monicker of the Broad Street Bullies in the early-70′s, the Lady Byng has never been a serious consideration for anyone donning the Orange-and-Black.  Our friends at Flyers Faithful have even incorporated the phrase “Waiting with bated breath for a Flyer to win the Lady Byng” in their site’s banner.

That wait could be over.

Both Couturier and Read play the game with a determined ferocity, yet do so in a respectful manner.  Each have picked up just a solitary minor penalty all season; Couturier’s being a tripping infraction in game number 17, and Read’s an interference call on October 15th.

If Philadelphia continues to be a leading team in the overall standings throughout the year and finish near the top of the heap, it stands to reason that all three players will have a great opportunity for postseason honors.  That generally is a major factor in the voting for such awards, especially the Hart and Lady Byng awards.

Could Giroux show the League some Hart?  How about Read for the Calder?  And could the unthinkable actually happen?  A Flyer, perhaps Couturier, capturing the Lady Byng?

It could be a special season, indeed.

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

There’s no doubt that coming into this season, Philadelphia Flyers center Claude Giroux would have some extra pressure placed on his shoulders.

After all, GM Paul Holmgren traded away team captain and on-ice leader, Mike Richards, as well as the club’s leading goal-scorer, Jeff Carter.

The intentions of the summer moves could not be masked.  Already having led the Flyers in scoring last year with career-highs of 25 goals and 76 points, Giroux was expected to elevate his game to the next level in order to help replace some of the offense lost in the off-season transactions.

The same could be said for Giroux’s winger, James van Riemsdyk.  After a slow start to the 2010-11 campaign, van Riemsdyk put forth some scintillating play down the stretch, in which the budding power forward offered a glimpse of the fruits of Philadelphia’s faith in selecting him second overall in the 2007 draft.  While Giroux and newcomer Jaromir Jagr showed all kinds of preseason chemistry, van Riemsdyk never really gelled as expected as the line’s third member.  He battled a minor training camp injury and when he returned, played his way onto another unit.

Giroux assisted on Max Talbot's shorthanded goal early in the third against Carolina. (Photo credit: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images North America)

As the auditions for the line’s left wing spot continued, the production of Giroux took flight.  He started off by scoring goals in the first three games and five of the first six regular season contests, many of the highlight reel variety.

His propensity for cashing in on breakaway opportunities against the game’s best goaltenders continued on into this year.  On opening night, he found himself walking in alone on Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins.  Much the same as he did last year in Pittsburgh against Marc-Andre Fleury, Giroux used his signature move to beat Thomas.

It’s a move that NHL goaltenders know is coming, but have yet to find a way to stop.  Giroux moves in on goal, looking to be picking a spot for which to shoot, then as he gets about 10 feet from the net, flips the puck over to the backhand side.  As the netminder takes the bait and pushes off with their left skate to cover the corner, Giroux cuts back over to the forehand and tucks the puck into the vacated corner.

Giroux’s puckhandling abilities and cat-like quickness make it a nightmare in which to defend against.

When captain Chris Pronger was felled by an eye injury just over a week ago and knocked out of the lineup, Giroux inherited yet another piece of team responsibility.  Along with Kimmo Timonen and Danny Briere, he was given the ‘A’ to wear on his sweater as an alternate captain.

The additional show of confidence in Giroux coincided with coach Peter Laviolette’s tinkering with line combinations.  It was at that time that Scott Hartnell, who had been struggling mightily and had been cut to about 10 minutes of ice time per game, was placed to the left of Giroux and Jagr.

It was as if Laviolette had just made the move to solve an Orange-and-Black Rubik’s Cube.

Hartnell came to life, scoring four goals and picking up nine points in the last four games.  Jagr, who led the Flyers in goals scored during the exhibition but had not lit the lamp since the commencement of the regular season, also caught fire.  Over the same four game span, he scored five goals and posted seven points.

“It’s good to have a good line,” Jagr said after Saturday night’s 5-1 victory over the Hurricanes.  ”You need the three guys to mix together, and everybody brings something special.”

Giroux, the catalyst for the trio, scored two himself and assisted on five others in the four contests.  Included in the totals was a four-point night (goal, three assists) on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes, in which Giroux tied his career-high for points in a single game.  He currently sits in a three-way tie for second-overall in League scoring with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists in 11 games).

Giroux backchecking against Carolina's Alexei Ponikarovsky (Photo credit: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images North America)

It will be interesting to see what Giroux does the rest of the way, but nothing seems impossible for the Flyers’ new ’Mr. Everything’.  He does it all – excels at five-on-five play, thrives on the power play, forechecks and backchecks with an intense ferocity, and kills penalties.  All the while, leading in his own quiet way.

As Giroux continues the trek of entering superstardom, it seems as though he has welcomed the additional responsibility.

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

With less than a minute left in overtime Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jack Johnson scored on a power play to lead the Kings past the New York Rangers by a score of 3-2. Johnson tallied the game winner after receiving a swift pass from the Kings newly acquired center Mike Richards.

The Kings started their 2011-2012 season overseas by facing the Rangers in Stockholm, Sweden on Friday. While the team wore their home jerseys, they were far from being the home team. The sold-out arena fully supported the Rangers mainly to support goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, a living legend in Sweden. While it may have been a home crowd for Lundqvist, he had to share the spotlight with a King.

Kings center Anze Kopitar put his team on the board first halfway through the first period and silenced any doubts about overcoming last season’s ankle injury. While in the Rangers’ zone, right-winger Justin Williams capitalized on a turnover and fed the puck to Kopitar, who rifled it past Lundqvist. Kopitar would continue on to play a solid two-way game with multiple chances and eventually snagging an assist in Johnson’s overtime goal. It appears the “Slovenian Superstar” is picking up right where he left off last season before his injury.

While the Kings dominated most of the first period, setting quite an impressive tempo for them compared to last season, the Rangers regrouped and tied the game five minutes after Kopitar scored. Rangers’ captain Ryan Callahan was able to cash in on a bad-angle shot, beating Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick who wasn’t square with his post.

Photo Via JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images

The second and third periods saw a much different game however as both coaches began the chess match of line-swapping. Both teams took to their strong defensive games until halfway through the third period, Marian Gaborik put the Rangers up 2-1 with a shot from just outside the crease. Richards would tie the game for the Kings with under five minutes left in regulation with a center-line drive that has only further excited Kings fans to see how he’ll fit in this season. He would earn his first goal and assist as a King in his first game as a King.

Johnson would earn the game-winning goal in overtime while on the power play. Rangers’ defenseman Ryan McDonagh opened the door for the Kings at a critical moment when he was called for holding. While the game winner was scored on the power play, the Kings still need to tweak their power play system. Going 1 for 4 on the power play seems to show signs of last season’s issue of having trouble with special teams scoring.

The Kings traveled to Berlin, Germany directly after the game in order for Saturday’s game. Awaiting the Kings in Berlin are Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres.

Chris Van Deusen
NHLHS Los Angeles Kings Correspondent
Twitter – @TheCrazyWhls

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

By now most everyone in the hockey community has heard about the reprehensible and cowardly act of some idiot in the stands at the John Labatt Centre, London, Ontario during the exhibition game last night between the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers.

The Background

For those who have been without internet or smart phone access, or stranded on a desert island for the past 26 hours, here’s a brief recap of what occurred:

The game was not available to watch in the Philadelphia area as it was not televised, and the live stream available on the Flyers’ official website was not working properly.  So for those of us interested in the play of some of the rookies battling for roster spots, as well as the players that are new to the team through the numerous summer transactions, details would only be forthcoming via Twitter from the club’s group of beat writers.

Simmonds (Photo credit: AP Wire photo)

One of the players of interest in this pre-season has been winger Wayne Simmonds, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings along with Brayden Schenn in exchange for former-Flyer captain Mike Richards in one of the summer’s largest-scale blockbuster trades.

And Simmonds has been one of the club’s best players, scoring a goal in each of the two games in which he has appeared.

With the Flyers trailing Detroit 3-1 and less than three minutes left in regulation, goals by James van Riemsdyk (his second of the night, with 2:45 remaining) and Simmonds (with just 53 seconds on the clock), sent the game into overtime.

No winner was determined in the extra five minutes, so the contest would be decided in a shootout.

Philadelphia was the first team to shoot, and Simmonds was the Flyers opening shooter.  When I saw what transpired next through Frank Seravalli of the Daily News, I had to read his tweets multiple times because I didn’t think what I was reading could be correct:

@DNFlyersFrank Seravalli

“And I’m not kidding you, it was a banana. I need to get confirmation when I go down to the locker room. #stunned“

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

Over the course of the summer, there seemed to be a growing sentiment in the hockey community that the Philadelphia Flyers would crash and burn in the upcoming campaign following the deluge of personnel changes during the off-season.  To say that the there is a shroud of uncertainty surrounding the Orange-and-Black could be taken as one of the great understatements of the entire summer.

Richards and Carter (Courtesy of jbehindtheglass.com)

While there is no doubting the 2011-12 version of the Flyers will be a new-look team, that doesn’t necessarily mean their eventual destiny will all be negative.  Pundits have panned some of the moves, while wondering aloud how the team can succeed.

One of the good things about watching the team for so many years is that you can draw off past experiences when looking to the future.  This is not the first time in franchise history that we have seen such a myriad of new faces in Philadelphia heading into a new hockey season, which in turn led to speculation of a possible miserable year.

As a matter of fact, the feel of this Philly off-season is very much like that back in the summer of 1984.

There are two glaring differences between the two years:

Management

• 1984:  The team fired GM / head coach Bob McCammon amid chants of “Bob Must Go” from the angry Spectrum crowds, replacing him with a Flyer legend.  Bobby Clarke, the Hall-of-Fame centerman, retired as a player to become Bob Clarke, the GM of the team.  In a rather bold move, he promptly hired Mike Keenan to lead his club.  “Iron Mike”, who despite success at the AHL and Canadian college levels, had never led an NHL club.  Both Clarke and Keenan were new to their respective jobs and at the time, it remained to be seen just how well they would perform.
• 2011:  The hockey operations are well-grounded with GM Paul Holmgren and head coach Peter Laviolette providing a constant from a changing of the guard of the team’s forward and goaltending ranks.  Both have had success in helping their clubs reach the Cup Finals, with Laviolette winning Lord Stanley with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.

Established Goal-Scoring

• 1984:  The roster contained players who were proven goal scorers.  Tim Kerr led the way the previous year with his first of four straight 50-goal seasons (54), followed by Brian Propp (39), Dave Poulin (31), Ilkka Sinisalo (29), and Darryl Sittler (27).
• 2011:  After leading goal-scorer Jeff Carter (36) and sidekick Mike Richards (23) were traded, the top remaining goal contributors are Danny Briere (34), Claude Giroux (25), Scott Hartnell (24), and James van Riemsdyk (21).

While the NHL of the 1980′s were much more goal-friendly than the defense-first philosophy of today, the mid-80′s club possessed a ton of firepower that were known commodities.

Claude Giroux (Courtesy of jbehindtheglass.com)

The potential is there for some of the younger players to excel – especially with Giroux and JVR assuming bigger scoring roles with the exit of both Richards and Carter - but the number of consistently reliable NHL snipers is lacking.  The addition of 39-year-old Jaromir Jagr should also help with offensive output, as well as bringing along some of the younger players in their development.

And that’s about where the extent of major deviations between the two summers ends.

The list of similarities is rather lengthy:

Coming Off a Disappointing Season, New Direction Needed

1984:  That team was coming off another disappointing playoff finish.  Although they had racked up 98 points during the year, the Flyers would fall in the first round of the postseason for a third straight year – this time to the Washington Capitals, after two consecutive bitter losses at the hands of the hated New York Rangers (AKA “The Smurfs”, for those of you old enough to remember those disappointments).  The defeat by Washington ran the streak of consecutive playoff game losses to nine.

2011:  The current version of the club is just 15 months removed from a surprising trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, but the results of this past season were surprisingly disjointed.  After storming out of the gates and battling for the overall league-lead in points into mid-January, the club staggered down the stretch and into the postseason.  The playoffs were a major disappointment – struggling to outlast an overmatched Buffalo Sabres club in seven games in round one, before being swept away by the eventual Cup champion Boston Bruins.

A Trade Leads to the Search for a Captain

Dave Poulin

1984:  Clarke’s retirement caused a need for a replacement to act as captain.  On the day that Sittler believed he was to be given the “C”, he was instead informed that he had been traded to the Detroit Red Wings in return for a young forward named Murray Craven.  The change in direction led to Poulin being named the seventh captain in team history, a position he held until December of 1989.

2011:  The deal that sent Richards to the Los Angeles Kings for Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds sent shock waves throughout Philadelphia, as well as the overall hockey community – especially coming less than an hour after the announcement of Carter’s trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets.   The vacancy at captain was filled by Chris Pronger last Friday.

A Large Group of Young Forwards with Promise

1984:  A tremendous group of young forwards made a mark in their respective rookie seasons; Rick Tocchet, Peter Zezel, Craven, Derrick Smith, (and Todd Bergen as a late-season call-up), as well as the Sutter twins (Ron and Rich), who were still in their NHL infancy, each made an impact on the roster and pushed the club to one of the most successful years in team history.

2011:  A youth movement is in the wings up front for the Flyers – literally.  Weak on the flanks in past years, Holmgren acquired big, young wingers Jakub Voracek, Simmonds, and Schenn in the Carter and Richards deals.  Schenn is a natural center and will almost certainly make the team, but may end up playing the wing because of the club’s wealth at the pivot position.  Add in returning youngsters Giroux and James van Riemsdyk - and possibly 18-year-old first-round draft pick Sean Couturier, as well as Matt Read, an undrafted free agent signing earlier this year, and Ben Holmstrom, Mike Testwuide, Eric Wellwood, Zac Rinaldo, and Tom Sestito, all of whom will be in a battle to secure a roster spot- and Philadelphia appears to be building a solid core of forwards for years to come.  It just remains to be seen if this impressive stable of youngsters can become the same type of difference-makers right off the bat as the 1984-85 group.

Stability on the Blueline

1984:  Headed by the pairing of Mark Howe and the late-Brad McCrimmon manning the blueline, the Flyers had one of the best collections of defensemen in the league.  Stay-at-home defender Brad Marsh, Doug Crossman, Thomas Eriksson, Miro Dvorak, and Eddie Hospodar rounded out the strong cast.

2011:  The list of rear guards heading into this season is also currently among the best in the NHL.  The top three pairings of Pronger-Matt Carle, Timonen-Braydon Coburn, and Andrej Mesazaros-Andreas Lilja should provide excellent protection for their netminder.

Success Dependant upon Health of a Future Hall-of-Fame Blueliner

1984:  Howe’s chronic back problems – caused by a horrific freak incident while playing for the Hartford Whalers, where he was almost impaled by the sharp edge on the backing of the old-style nets - were worrisome for most of the decade.

Pronger (Courtesy of jbehindtheglass.com)

2011:  Pronger is coming off an injury-plagued campaign in which he was only able to suit-up for 50 regular season games and three playoff contests.  The most troublesome of the trio of maladies was back surgery he underwent after the club was ousted from the playoffs.

One of the keys to the good fortunes of the 1984 version was their heavy reliance on Howe’s ability to remain in the lineup and play at an elite level.  There is no question that the Flyers overall success this year will hinge greatly on Pronger’s health, and being able to perform up to his usual high standard of play.

Meltdown Between the Pipes Causes Need for Change

Though the result was not identical in the area of the crease, both summers being examined did have ripple affects from the previous year’s play of the goaltending.

1984:  Pelle Lindbergh was looked upon as the number one goalie for the 1983-84 season after a very good rookie season the year prior.  But when he struggled mightily, rookie Bob “Frosty” Froese took over the starting duties.  Froese faltered in the 1984 postseason, and a change was necessary.  Instead of looking outside the organization, Lindbergh took back the reigns in a big way in 1984-85.  He ended up winning 40 games and led the Flyers all the way to the Finals, then took home the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender at season’s end.

2011:  Rookie Sergei Bobrovsky took over the number one job for a good portion of the season with Brian Boucher serving as the backup after Michael Leighton was injured in pre-season.  Bobrovsky stumbled a bit down the stretch, but still was the Game One starter in the postseason with the Sabres.  He played well in that contest (a 1-0 loss), but was pulled after yielding three Buffalo goals in Game Two and oddly banished to the press box.  With Boucher handling the starting duties, Leighton – who played most of the season in the AHL after back surgery and had appeared in just one NHL game all year – was brought up to serve as backup.  As each goaltender took a turn – and Bobrovsky playing well in a Game Four loss to the Bruins upon making a return to the now three-goalie rotation – it was apparent that a new direction was necessary.  Holmgren traded for the rights to the top UFA goaltender, Ilya Bryzgalov.

How the Two Clubs Finished

1984:  Even though they suffered a five-game loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals, the season couldn’t be described as anything other than a complete and utter success.  New, young leaders emerged to carry the team through one of the most prosperous stretches the franchise ever experienced – probably second only to the consecutive Cup wins in the mid-70′s.

2011:  ???  (Yet to be determined)

Until the games are actually played and we get to see firsthand what the results of Holmgren’s off-season roster tsunami yields, there will be continued speculation.  But that will not be the case for too much longer as the pre-season commenced last night, and the regular season is only two weeks away.

Pre-Season Game One Notes:  The team looked very impressive in its first pre-season game last night, picking up a 4-0 victory over the Maple Leafs in Toronto.  Even though it was just a pre-season game and both teams didn’t play with their full NHL rosters, there were some very good signs:

The standout performers included many of the young forwards mentioned above – Couturier (goal and an assist, +2), Simmonds (PP goal in which he deflected Carle’s point shot past Toronto goalie James Reimer, resembling Holmgren as a huge body wearing #17 in front of the opposition net; also played aggressively on the PK, tipping a pass away from the point man and nearly scoring a SH goal on the subsequent breakaway), Schenn (assist), Voracek (assist, showed good hands the entire game by threading the needle with beautiful passes), Read (assist, showed great speed and quickness; likely to make the opening night roster if he continues to play like he did last night, especially with the one-way contract), Rinaldo (beauty of a goal off Read feed, culminating with a backhander between Reimer’s legs in tight) and Testwuide (goal, +2).  As a matter of fact, the line of Voracek-Read-Rinaldo was impressive all night, along with the rest of the squad.  The play of the youngsters could lead to a further shake among forwards, which could come at the expense of Andreas Nodl , who was expected to make the opening night roster.  6′ 5″, 225-pound winger Tom Sestito could also give incumbent enforcer Jody Shelley a run for his money.  The play of the fresh faces could also mean a very short stay for two older veteran players attending camp on a tryout basis, namely soon-to-be 39-year-old Michael Nylander and 32-year-old Adam Mair…Yes, it was pre-season, and you can’t take too much away from it, but it was good to see the Orange-and-Black dominate play.  If not for the play of Reimer - who only faced 22 shots, but more of the difficult variety - the score would have certainly been even more lopsided…Bobrovsky turned 23 yesterday and celebrated by stopping all 27 Toronto shots for his first-ever shutout for Philadelphia.  The birthday boy made several difficult saves, and was particularly tested on four Phil Kessel offerings.  “Bob” played well enough that the planned splitting of the game with Leighton didn’t end up happening.  The pair are vying for the right to back up Bryzgalov, who is slated to get the start in tonight’s rematch with the Leafs at Wells Fargo Center.

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

Dear 2011 NHL Off-Season,

What the hell?

No, wait, wait. That came out wrong. Let me start over…

What the hell?!

You’ve been all over the place this summer. Granted, maybe we fans should have seen it coming, what with Brian Rafalski from the Detroit Red Wings retiring and the Philadelphia Flyers shipping off Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, then signing Ilya Bryzgalov for like $16 million/season (I mean, did they see how he played in the playoffs? Wait, I’m getting off-topic.); Teemu Selanne, however, is still taking his sweet time deciding what he’s doing, per normal, and it wouldn’t be a complete off-season without an esteemed veteran toying with everyone – just look at what Jaromir Jagr pulled, debating between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit, then both teams pulling out, then Philadelphia snagging him.

Let’s not forget about the Brad Richards debates. Oh. And then Chris Osgood, Kris Draper, and Adam Foote retired as well. I’m sure I’m missing some guys in there, too.

Do you even want me to bring up all the tragedies? What could hurt a community more? Three players passing away out of the blue and creating horrific headlines for the hockey community and disgusting revelations about the life of an enforcer in the NHL, and then we had that plane crash in Russia that killed an entire hockey team.

The hockey community was – and still is, for that matter – shaken to its core. Red Wings fans didn’t anticipate this off-season being so horrific, but with three veteran players bowing out and then Brad McCrimmon, Ruslan Salei, and former prospect Stefan Liv on that fated Russian plane…what could really make it any worse?

Okay, Off-season, maybe we can’t blame you entirely. Perhaps we should have seen you coming; after all, the post-season should have been some sort of indication. Each round was littered with sweeps, upsets, seven-game series, suspensions, fights, and several teams coming back from 3-0 deficits only to lose it in the seventh game.

Heck, even the regular season should have warned us! The New Jersey Devils tanking and Ilya Kovalchuk doing nothing for so long, the Toronto Maple Leafs actually being undefeated at the start of the season, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby both going down with lengthy injuries, the Washington Capitals having a terrible winless streak, those few weeks in the middle of the season with goalie fights, bench-clearing brawls, seven players in the box at the same time, and 157 penalty minutes just in one game, and who can forget Montreal Canadiens fans calling the cops on Zdeno Chara‘s hit on Max Pacioretty that makes us all cringe in pain just thinking about it?

So I guess it all really boils down to this:

Dear 2011-2012 NHL Regular season,

PLEASE DON’T SUCK.

Sincerely,

Hockey fans around the world.

PS – To the upcoming season – we know you’ll suck at some point for various reasons, so at least don’t give us as many heart attacks. Let us at least have our good health.

Christina Roberts
NHLHS Detroit Red Wings Correspondent
Twitter: @franzenmuth
Email: christina.roberts@nhlhotstove.com

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

With many clubs around the NHL experiencing their share of difficulties inking their restricted free agents to new deals, Philadelphia Flyers’ GM Paul Holmgren avoided any potential stand-off with James van Riemsdyk next summer by signing the 22-year-old winger to a 6-year, $25.5 million contract extension.

Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images

The New Jersey-native’s 3-year entry-level contract has just one year left at a cap hit of $1,6654,166 annually, with the new deal carrying a $4.25 million hit beginning in the 20012-13 season.

The 6′ 3″, 200-pounder overcame a slow start last year to record career-highs in both goals (21) and points (40), with the most exciting production coming down the stretch and playoffs.  Van Riemsdyk scored five goals in his last nine regular season contests to top the 20-goal mark (ending with 21), then put on a dominating display with seven tallies in just 11 postseason games.

It was evident that the performances of both van Riemsdyk and center Claude Giroux in the postseason made it much easier for Holmgren to make a tough decision and move forwards Mike Richards and Jeff Carter this past June.

With the loss of offensive production from Richards and Carter (59 combined goals last year), as well as Ville Leino and Nikolay Zherdev (another 35 combined goals), there is no doubt that van Riemsdyk will be counted on to pick up where he left off in May and continue with the hot goal-scoring hand.

Very adept at social networking, van Riemsdyk announced the deal via Twitter earlier today, mentioning how much he loves playing in Philadelphia.  He also thanked Ed Snider and the organization for showing confidence in him.

Here is the transcript of the conference call held with van Riemsdyk earlier today:

On signing his extension:

“I couldn’t be happier, obviously.  Over the two years I’ve been here, and even prior to that when I was with the organization,  I’ve seen how well they treat their players and how highly everyone around it talks about it.  Even before I signed, Jim Dowd was actually telling me how lucky I was to be coming to the Flyers and how well they treat their players, and I’ve seen that first-hand.  When these talks of an extension started to come up, that was in the back of my mind, and I knew this was the place I really wanted to be.”

Q: Do you feel like this forces you into a primary role with the team?

“I think I was already kind of handed those responsibilities.  I don’t really think contracts come into play when it comes to taking more responsibility.  [Contract or not], I was ready for that opportunity and challenge coming into this season, so now it’s just up to me to go out there and play and do the things I like to do out there.”

Q: How long has this been discussed?

“I think between my agent and [Paul Holmgren] for a few months, and I think they started really getting down to numbers and stuff over the last couple of weeks.  It kind of went from there.  But I think they talked about it a little bit, nothing too formal, but then the formal talks kind of got underway a week or two ago.”

Q: On the importance of team’s long-term success

“That’s something I’ve always been all about.  I went through that, talking about that with my agent.  Obviously you want to make a good living doing what you love to do but at the same time you want to be in a great place like Philadelphia, that wants you to be here, and not only that but be a part of a great team.  Obviously with the salary cap, there are some constraints on what teams can do.  I think it’s a very fair deal for both sides and I’m happy to be committed here for the next six years.”

On the offseason and how the team looks now:

“It’s a much different feel and a lot of new faces compared to the end against Boston there.  But at the same time, stuff like that happens in the salary cap world, and there are important decisions to be made, and there were some shakeups.   While you don’t expect to see two guys like that go, that stuff happens.  It’s part of the business and that sort of thing.  So while they were great teammates and great guys, it’s going to be up to us to move on and fill their shoes, so to speak.” 

_______________________________________________________________________

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

As GM  Paul Holmgren alluded to yesterday at a press conference to introduce new goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to the local Philly media, it has been an off-season of major changes for his Philadelphia Flyers.

“I know it’s been a bit of a whirlwind of a summer around here,” he said in what could only be described as an understatement.

Gone are 11 players from the roster at the end of the postseason, including:

• Seven forwards (Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Ville Leino, Nikolay Zherdev, Kris Versteeg, Darroll Powe, Dan Carcillo).
• Three of the Flyers’ top five regular season scorers (Carter, Richards, Leino).
• The team’s captain (Richards), and top regular season goal-scorer (Carter).
• The only goaltender to win a playoff game for the Flyers (Brian Boucher).

As you can see these were not just minor tweeks, by any stretch of the imagination.  But it was clear, especially over the last three months of play, that something was horribly wrong with the very makeup of the team.

Claude Giroux, James van Riemsdyk, Danny Briere, and Scott Hartnell still remain in Philadelphia’s stable of forwards, which has been one of the deepest in the league over the past five seasons. 

So deep, in fact, that Holmgren has sacrificed many over the last four summers in order to address his squad’s needs in other areas.  In addition to the recent departures, others include Simon Gagne, R.J. Umberger, Scottie Upshall, Joffrey Lupul, Mike Knuble, and Steve Downie.

With the additions of Jaromir Jagr, Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds, and highly-touted rookie Brayden Schenn, offense may not end up being a problem at all for the club.

The Real Problem – And For a Long Time

As a matter of fact, one of the most-glaring problems in Philadelphia reared its ugly head in the postseason.  It’s an issue that Holmgren – and Bob Clarke before him, as well as his predecessor, Russ Farwell - had failed to address for the better part of the last two decades.

It’s no secret within hockey circles that over the above-mentioned time frame, the Flyers’ goaltending has been their Achilles heel. 

While Clarke consistently iced an All-Star lineup of forwards throughout his tenure, the backstops he got to man the goal crease were perpetually suspect.

There were no workhorses in place to tend the Philly cage, which led to what amounted to band-aid moves with aging goalies brought in to try and plug the hole in the dam.  Sean Burke, Jeff Hackett, and John Vanbiesbrouck all took their turns as “the answer”, with each experiment failing miserably. 

Although the best of those three trials, Vanbiesbrouck’s acquisition was perhaps the most frustrating.  He was the “more economical option” when it was clear that Curtis Joseph was the supremely better choice at the time. 

Compounding the annoyance level for Flyers’ fans was that this all occurred when money was not nearly as much of a concern as it is now.  Ed Snider made it clear to his GM that no player that could help his team bring the Stanley Cup back to Philadelphia was too pricey.  There also was no salary cap in place at the time to constrain Clarke from making those necessary additions.

Holmgren attempted to get a net minder that he thought could be a bonafide number one guy when he picked up Martin Biron from the Buffalo Sabres at the 2007 trade deadline.  Biron had backed up started Ryan Miller as Buffalo made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in consecutive years.

Biron and backup Antero Niittymaki would provide the Flyers with a stable tandem as they got back on track in making the playoffs, but in the end could not get the club over the hump and to their desired final destination.

After a trip to the Finals with Michael Leighton and Boucher in 2010, and a red-hot start this past regular season with rookie Sergei Bobrovsky added to the mix, the team stumbled badly after the calendar turned to 2011.

Rock Bottom

It’s funny how hockey can often times emulate life.  Sometimes you just have to hit a low point before you can see what is necessary to make the required improvements.

One of the lasting memories of the past postseason for Flyers’ faithful is the three-goalie rotation that head coach Peter Laviolette was forced to employ.  As each goalie took their turn and came up short, Laviolette’s juggling act became a sideshow.

This was an absolute rock bottom moment for the Flyers.

Snider was both infuriated and embarrassed at the Flyers’ ineptitude in net when they finally imploded in a sweep at the hands of the Boston Bruins.  It was then that he promised the issue would be resolved during the summer, as he was perfectly blunt and equally clear regarding his off-season intentions in an interview with the Inquirer:

“So either one of the goalies we have has to step up in training camp, or we have to make improvements to make sure it happens.  But we are never going to go through the goalie issues we’ve gone through in the last couple of years again.”

Though he had said it, there was a zero percent likelihood that the organization would sit on their hands long enough to find out if one of the existing goaltenders would “step up in training camp”.

It was obvious that they would make a big move, and it didn’t take very long for Holmgren to take action. 

Like a Cool Bryz

Photo Credit: Zack Hill / Philadelphia Flyers PR

Just one month after being bounced from the postseason dance, the Flyers acquired the negotiating rights to Bryzgalov.

It was apparent to GM Don Maloney that the pending unrestricted free agent had no intentions of re-signing with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Maloney’s comments in the Coyotes’ press release following the trade gave everyone all that was needed to understand the rationale as to why he dealt his Vezina Trophy candidate:

“After several discussions with Ilya and his agent, it became very clear to us that we were not in a position to sign Ilya to a long-term contract.  We will now focus our efforts on adding another goaltender to our roster for the upcoming season.”

Even though the Flyers only had to give up a minor-league player (Matt Clackson) and two draft choices in exchange for Bryzgalov, it was still somewhat of a risky move for Holmgren.  He knew the money it would take to lock up the all-world netminder to a long-term deal would likely mean the need to subtract salary in other areas.

That happened on June 23rd, on a day that shook Philadelphia almost as much as the earthquake that registered 5.9 on the Richter Scale earlier this week.

Shortly after completing the trades of two of their most-popular players - Carter was sent to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Richards to the Los Angeles Kings - Holmgren had freed up enough cap space to announce the signing of Bryzgalov to a 9-year, $51 million pact.

Philadelphia finally had its franchise goaltender, and quite possibly the final missing ingredient in their quest in returning to championship glory.  The club did not repeat history in opting for a cheaper alternative (Tomas Vokoun) as they had with Vanbiesbrouck in 1998.  This time they had secured the best goalie available.

Goal is One and the Same

Right off the bat at yesterday’s press conference, Bryzgalov said he was interested in playing in Philadelphia because it seemed like a perfect fit.

“It’s a team with a rich history,” he explained.  “The team always puts in front of them the highest goal…to win the Cup.  That’s what this game is all about.  That’s all that matters.”

Bryzgalov was, however, impressed by the turnout of media contingent at the event, as compared to say, Phoenix.  “There’s much more of you here, and you look better,” he joked. 

He has heard about the tough Philly media and the pressure that comes along with playing the most important position in one of the most hockey-crazed cities in the world.

“Sorry guys, it’s you (the media)”, he said as he laughed.  “You put the pressure on us and create the pressure around the team.  It depends on how you can handle it.  I think I can handle it.  I know what I have to do.  I know when I play bad, and I know what I have to do to fix it.”

But he’s not worried about any outside forces placed upon him by the media.  “I put pressure on myself,” he reasoned.  “I know my job, and I know what I have to do.”

Even with the deluge outside as rain beat on the roof of the Flyers’ practice facility, the 31-year-old says he feels pretty comfortable and is already getting adjusted to the area.

“It reminds me of Russia a little bit,” he said of the City of Brotherly Love.  He spoke of the beautiful sites he’s already seen in the Rittenhouse Square park area (yes, the guys at Puck Daddy probably loved that he made mention of that).

It always struck me as so ironic that the Flyers won back-to-back Stanley Cups on the strength of legendary goaltending perfomances by one Bernard Marcel Parent in 1974 and 1975, yet neglected their crease for decades thereafter. 

And it would seem to be the ultimate irony if a Russian netminder were to lead Philadelphia back to the Promised Land, what with the infamous game the Flyers played in February of 1976 in which the Soviets left the ice because of their rough treatment by the Broad Street Bullies.  The contest fueled a sometimes bitter rivalry that began in 1972 with the Summit Series, and bad blood was felt by many throughout the years of the Cold War.

Bryzgalov after he won the Cup with Pronger and the rest of the 2007 Anaheim Ducks. (Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons)

Not to mention Rocky Balboa’s tilt with Ivan Drago.

Sometimes the list of ingredients don’t always appear to make the most sense as you read a label.  But as long as the finished product is a success, that’s all that really matters.

The club has tried so many other concoctions and just have not gotten the correct mixture.

That is exactly what Snider, Peter Luukko, Holmgren, Laviolette, and the rest of the Flyers’ heiracrchy is hoping is the case with the 2011-12 version of the Philadelphia Flyers. 

There is much to question and some relative unknowns heading into the upcoming season, and much will depend on the health of defensemen Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen.  But the team takes on an increased appearance of a Cup contender with Bryzgalov between the pipes.

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

Heading into late-August, the contract standoff between Drew Doughty and the Los Angeles Kings does not appear close to being resolved any time soon.

Helene Elliott of the L. A. Times reported via Twitter that the sides weren’t close, and the possibility exists of Doughty becoming a holdout once Kings’ training opens on September 17th.

“Meehan on Doughty/Kings: “we don’t have a deal.” also said comments by advisor Jack Ferreira that Doughty doesn’t want to make a deal were ‘frustrating and disappointing to Drew.’ Ferreira said last month Doughty’s side didn’t want to make deal and he wouldn’t be surprised if Doughty becomes a holdout. Camp opens in a month.  Dean Lombardi declines comment but clearly no deal in any semblance betwen Kings and Doughty.” 

Another story was published late last night on TSN.ca, in which quoted Doughty as follows: 

“I guess there’s really no rush.  Both sides, we’re discussing things, and I’m sure that something is going to get done soon. I don’t have a timeframe or anything like that. But I still want to be a King, and I can’t wait to get something done just so it’s over with.”

The drama that is unfolding before our eyes couldn’t be coming at a worse time for Los Angeles.  It would appear that the Doughty situation runs the risk of ruining the positives the club had gained through excellent off-season additions.

Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images

By adding center Mike Richards (acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for top young prospect Brayden Schenn and young winger Wayne Simmonds) and winger Simon Gagne (signed as an unrestricted free agent), the Kings were making a statement that they are indeed ready to make a serious run - right now - at a Stanley Cup championship. 

Both players are only about 14 months removed from a run to the Cup Finals with the Philadelphia Flyers, a series in which they fell in six hard-fought games to the Chicago Blackhawks.

 

Any kind of holdout by Doughty - no matter what amount of time - would almost certainly derail the growing momentum the Kings had been building heading into the 2011-12 campaign.

 

If history teaches us any valuable lessons from the past, it’s that holdouts are very similar to arbitration hearings - and both situations never ends very well from the viewpoint of either the player or management.

 

Doughty has just three NHL seasons under his belt, and is thought to be one of the brightest young rear guards in the league.  He was even a Norris Trophy-nominee two seasons ago, and remains one of the most important players on the roster for Los Angeles to experience success on the ice.

 

In 239 career NHL games, Doughty has scored 33 goals and recorded 126 points.  More importantly, he has helped lead the Kings to the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, after L.A. failed to qualify for the previous six postseasons.

 

He is a blossoming force to be reckoned with, and he knows he holds most of the cards in contract negotiations with the Kings.

 

But Doughty needs to look no further than L.A.’s front office for an example of what can happen by missing training camp because of a contract dispute.

 

Kings’ Assistant General Manager Ron Hextall should be very well versed in such a state of affairs.  He may end up getting a view of a holdout by a star player from the front office point of view this time around, but he went through the same scenario as a player prior to the 1989-90 season.

 

“Hexy” was at that time a brash, fiery goaltender who was the emotional on-ice leader for the Flyers.  Though, at 25, Hextall at that time was a few years older than Doughty is right now, his career standing was strikingly comparable (minus the numerous suspensions Hextall was handed for various on-ice bad behavior).

 

Hextall had just completed his third NHL season, and was regarded as one of the players that was most responsible for his team’s prosperity since his arrival in the league. 

 

During his first three years, Hextall averaged 64 games played and more than 32 wins per season. 

Hextall accepts Conn Smythe Trophy from then-NHL Commissioner John Ziegler. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

As a rookie, he took Philly on an improbable run to the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals, before finally falling to the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers in Game 7.   Wayne Gretzky even praised Hextall as the greatest goaltender he had ever played against following the series.  For his efforts, Hextall was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

He would become the first goaltender to shoot the puck the length of the ice and score a goal when he accomplished the feat the next season at the Spectrum against the Boston Bruins.  Hextall would also be the first goaltender to do the same in the postseason, when he scored on the Washington Capitals in the first round of the 1988 playoffs.

 

As is the case now with Doughty, Hextall’s future at the time was truly looking to be the brightest of the bright.

 

During the summer of 1989, Hextall came to the conclusion that for all that he brought to the table and all that he meant to the Flyers, he was vastly underpaid.  Though he had a contract, Hextall reasoned that it was inadequate and deemed it the deal as having no validity.

 

He promptly refused to report to camp, and the man who had been showered with accolades for his refusal to accept defeat throughout the hockey community – and especially in Philadelphia – was suddenly coming under scrutiny from team officials and fans, alike.

 

Hextall, who was labeled “selfish” by team president Jay Snider, would remain out of the fold for six long weeks. 

 

After the Flyers got off to a horrific 1-5-1 start without their regular goalie, GM Bob Clarke broke down and asked both Hextall and his agent, Ritch Winter, if they would come to Philly to see if some kind of understanding could be worked out between the sides.

 

When they were able to come to an agreement, it seemed that Hextall would come back and save the Flyers’ season, but that would not end up being the case at all.

 

Without proper preparation that working out with the team and going through drills in training camp entails, Hextall endured an injury-filled season upon his return.  He played in just 8 games in all, which were interrupted by four seperate injuries – two left groin pulls, a left hamstring pull, and a right groin tear.  He would finish with a 4-2-1 record, with a bloated 4.15 goals-against average, and an awful .868 save percentage.

 

The team, in turn, never fully recovered.  Philadelphia finished with just a 30-39-11 mark, and did not qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 18 years.

 

Injuries became chronic for Hextall, who played in just 36 contests in 1990-91 and 45 in 1991-92.  Both the netminder and the Flyers finished with sub-.500 records in both seasons, and the team again failed to receive an invitation for the postseason dance in both years.

 

Hextall’s stay in The City of Brotherly Love ended in the summer of 1992, as he was sent to the Quebec Nordiques as part of the package that brought young phenom Eric Lindros to the Flyers.

 

While there were many other factors in Philadelphia’s demise during this time era – the bodies of Hall of Fame defenseman Mark Howe and former 50-goal scorer Tim Kerr were both breaking down, and each missed extensive periods of time – the ill-advised Hextall holdout cast a shadow on a former franchise centerpiece.  It also seemed to trigger a truly dark stretch in the history of an otherwise proud hockey organization.

 

The damage was suffered by both sides, but the tragedy is that the entire mess was totally avoidable.

 

There is no guarantee that Doughty will stay away when the Kings commence training camp in less than a month.  For all we know, Lombardi and Hextall will reach an accord with the defenseman’s agent team from Newport Sports Management Inc. (Don Meehan and Mark Guy) prior to the September 17th start date.

 

Even if Doughty were to become a holdout, there is nothing that assures that he and the Kings will suffer a similar fate as Hextall and the Flyers did over 20 years ago.  Los Angeles is built with a solid cast of youngsters and looks to be considered a Cup contender – with Doughty in the lineup, of course.   In the late-80′s, Philadelphia was an aging club which had seen its best days.  A repeat of the results they had acheived in the earlier portion of the decade were unlikely, even if they had a happy, healthy Hextall in their crease.

 

Holdouts rarely ever work out well for either player or team.  With the promise being shown by the Kings for the upcoming year, it would absolutely benefit both sides in this standoff to facilitate a contract solution – and very soon.

 

If you any need further proof, just ask Hextall - one of the men that is no doubt participating in the Doughty negotiations.

 

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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 Creative Editor

Chris Pronger of the Philadelphia Flyers held a conference call today.  The defenseman, who continues rehabilitation from off-season back surgery, discusses his rehab;  his expectations as to how many games he would like to play this season (surprising, to say the least); his take on GM Paul Holmgren’s overhaul of the Orange-and-Black and the new personnel, as well as some of the young rising stars on the roster; and even has his usual game of cat and mouse with reporters on some questions.  The following is the transcript of the conference call:

Photo courtesy of jbehindtheglass.com

Q:  How are you feeling and what’s going on?

Pronger:  ”I’m doing ok.  I am starting to feel a little bit better and do a little bit more in the gym.  I was cleared to start riding the bike a little bit harder, but have yet to be cleared to start lifting weights though.”

Q: What is a daily routine like for you now compared to what it should be like?

Pronger:  “I usually get into the gym and walk on the treadmill for 10 minutes and then I ride the bike for anywhere between 30 – 40 minutes, and have over the last couple weeks slowly started to increase the wattage or tension on the bike, and I am starting to get up there.  I get a pretty good sweat now and my heart rate gets up there so I am starting to get fairly close to where I would probably ride at.  I have yet to begin doing sprint work or anything like that.  From there I go into some core work for probably another 30 minutes, and work on my back and my core and everything I need to do to tighten up to work on my back rehab.  And then depending on the day I’ll go do legs or I’ll do some light shoulder work. ”

Q: What concerns you the most right now, where you have to be in terms of training camp?

Pronger:  “Well, that would be strength.  I haven’t lifted a weight in the last six months, so that would be the answer to your question of what haven’t I done, well, obviously lift weights.  Strength, for my position and the way I play, is critical.  So I’ve got to gain my strength back before I begin skating.”

Q: The team made a lot of moves in the off-season, obviously, and you lost a lot of goals.  What is your feeling on the makeover?  Do you like the moves that were made?

Pronger:  “I think the biggest thing, (when) you look at offensive production and things of that nature, I think you need to look at projections and where guys are going to take their game with increased ice time, increased power play time, things of that nature.  Obviously, with the addition of (Jaromir) Jagr, you’re hopefully going to get 50 or 60 points out of him.  (Claude Giroux), who knows where he takes his game to.  (James van Riemsdyk) scratched the surface last year in the playoffs and hopefully he comes back and is able to take his game to the next level.  Wayne Simmonds can come in and provide 15 or 20 goals on the wing.  (Jakub) Voracek coming in, he should be able to supply some offense.  We lose a lot in (Mike Richards) and (Jeff Carter) and (Ville Leino) but I think you gain some of that back through the improved play and increased ice time, power play and what not for those other guys I mentioned. And then really the style of play.  We don’t want to be in shootouts.  We don’t want to play in games that are 8-7.  We want to be able to rely on our goaltender and our defense, which is where we’re built, and our youth up front, get skating, get physical, get in on the play and create turnovers and things of that nature.”

Q: Getting back to your back, where are you now compared to where you usually are this time of year?  Do you see yourself trying to speed up the process or are you going to take it slower and whenever you get on the ice, you get on the ice?

Pronger:  “I’m not going to speed up the process one bit. It’s going to go how it goes.  Normally at this time of year I would have already had 2 months of strength training.  I usually start kind of curtailing that a little bit and do more cardio.  Now I have been doing all cardio and no lifting, so it’s kind of a little bit backwards.  I need to obviously do a lot of lifting to get my body back to where it needs to be and the shape it needs to be to be able to play an 82 game schedule, and 25 – 30 minutes a game, the way I play.”

Q: Realistically when do you think you will be able to be on the ice?

Pronger:  “Well I could use the same line I have used a couple times but I won’t.  I don’t know.  I haven’t started lifting weights yet so I don’t know how my body is going to respond and what kind of strength I am going to have and all the rest of that.  Until I get to the gym and start lifting weights I really couldn’t tell you.”

Q: Have you been told when you can start lifting weights?

Pronger:  “I was told by the hand doctor I could lift in another week, possibly.”

Q: Is the lifting weight problem the hand or the back or a combination of both?

Pronger:  “No, it would be the hand.”

Q: You did say 82 games.  Is that a possibility, or a remote possibility, you could be ready on opening day?

Pronger:  “Again, I don’t know.  The goal is to be ready for Game 1 of the regular season.  I am starting to progress.  I think Homer (Flyers’ GM Paul Holmgren) talked maybe last week about I was in seeing the doctor about a week and a half ago and I was kind of cleared then to progress my cardio and things like that, and grab light weights and do some shoulder work and stuff like that.  Once I get cleared, I can start getting into a full lifting program and all the rest of that.  Again, it’s how my body reacts and how I feel that dictates when I start to skate and where we go from there.”

Q: Do you have pain now?

Pronger:  “Just sitting here talking to you guys, I have no pain.  Other than my brain.”

Q: Are you confident the problem has been fixed?

Pronger:  “I am.  I am, yeah. I hope so.  That is the idea when you have these surgeries, that it’ll be fixed for good.  But we do play a physical game and you know, we’ll see, but as I’ve said I am starting to feel a little bit better.  You start rounding the corner, you’re able to ride the bike a little bit harder, you start to feel a little bit better about yourself, and you start get your energy level back and those sorts of things.  You start to really kind of push yourself in the gym a little bit more, and as I said, once I start lifting weights I’ll be able to push myself even harder and see how I react and feel.”

Q: Could you talk about (Ilya) Bryzgalov a little bit and what he does with the defense especially.  Are you excited to play in front of him?

Pronger:  “Yeah, I am.  I’ve seen him kind of mature over the last five or six years since I was with him in Anaheim, and you know he’s kind of taken his game to the next level, and how he’s played in Phoenix and kind of carried their team to the playoffs.  I think we play a very similar defensive style as they did there, very tight defensively, and I’d like to think we play pretty sound defensively as well.  I don’t think he’s going to be getting 35-40 shots a night, but you know, 20 – 25 shots a night.  He is just going to have to stay sharp and stay focused.  If he plays the way he did in Phoenix we’lll certainly be pleased.”

Q: How healed up is your hand?

Pronger:  “My hand I guess would be about 80% healed, maybe 85% healed.  I had the plate removed, so I’m just waiting for the screw holes to fill in.”

Q: You seem to be the main recruiter.  What do you tell the guys coming on to a new team with so much turnover?

Pronger:  “Well, I only talked to one guy.  I talked to guys after the trade, so I wouldn’t say I recruited them.   But I speak about the ownership and the management and the coaching staff and about the players that are with the team, and talk about what the coach has been selling, what he’s preaching.  You know, obviously Mr. (Ed) Snider, what he has done for this team speaks for itself and the moves that Homer’s made, and Lavi’s coaching.  You just talk about the personnel.  Jagr was over in Europe for the past three years so he hasn’t seen van Riemsdyk or Giroux, he hasn’t seen some of these guys.  So you just talk about what type of players they are and about the defense we have and how we play.  He obviously knows Bryz.  Really I was just answering his questions.  He was just trying to make up his mind and he had a decision to make and he had a lot of questions to be answered, and I just answered them for him.”

Q: Physically how do you feel and how much do you have left in the tank?

Pronger:  “Again, I don’t really know that you could say I was breaking down, with broken bones and being hit by pucks and all the rest of that.  Those are all the things that can sometimes be avoided.  Perhaps now I may not block as many shots.  I may just get out of the way and let our million dollar goaltender stop those things.”

Q: I guess I am just asking what your durability is?

Pronger:  “Well, if I’m going off of last year I guess I would call myself a band aid.  But I’ve got many other years where you could say I wasn’t a band aid.  Sometimes you just have years where things don’t go your way.  It was a quick turnaround last year.  I played hurt in the playoffs and had surgery, and was kind of set back in my training, and for whatever reason I had a couple bad breaks along the way and then the back came in.  I don’t really know what happened with my back, if it was just a ticking time bomb or what.  I don’t think anyone really knows how they hurt their back.  I would like to think I’m past all of this, but again, we’ll see how I react once I start lifting weights and pushing myself a little bit harder.”

Q: Did that make it even more important to take your time with this?  I am sure you talked to other players who have gone through some things like this and the remedy is to take your time.

Pronger:  “Yeah, I think all along I have told Homer, I told Lavi (head coach Peter Laviolette), I told you guys and anyone that’s asked that I’m gonna take my time and make sure I was doing everything that was necessary rehab-wise and what not.  Whether it be rest or recuperation or whatever it is, to make sure whatever injuries I did have last year were going to be healed up and fully healed and allow me to be healthy whenever it was that I started skating and began playing again, that I was going to be able to go 100% and not look back.”

Q: Do you think as much time as you missed last year might have re-energized you?

Pronger:  “Sometimes it can.  You have to use the time wisely.  For the first little while I couldn’t do anything because of my back, for the first 6 weeks anyway.  Everything else to recover as well – where you’re not running the bike, lifting weights, and doing all the rest of the stuff that normally you’re already back doing.  You’re able to allow your body to hopefully fully recover.  I like to think that taking that much time off will allow me to fully heal up and recover and be able to play another 82 game season.”

* Special thanks to Flyers’ Manager of Broadcasting and Media Services Brian Smith for the transcript.

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