Flyerdelphia

Round Two Playoff Predictions

(Photo Source: globaleventforum.com)

The first round of this year's playoffs has showcased hockey at its finest. Seventeen games had to be decided in overtime. There has been an epic collapse, multiple suspensions, a goalie controversy, a sweep, and we are only getting started. Round two starts tonight and there are some interesting matchups. There are even two original 6 matchups. Here is Flyerdelphia's predictions for round two of the playoffs.

#1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #7 Ottawa Senators

Bill Leifholtz: Ottawa in 6

Kevin Yorke: Pittsburgh in 5

Kevin Durso: Ottawa in 6

Andrew Sifari: Pittsburgh in 6

Caleb Weiler: Ottawa in 6

Andrew Gillen: Pittsburgh in 7

#4 Boston Bruins vs #6 New York Rangers

Bill Leifholtz: Boston in 5

Kevin Yorke: Boston in 5

Kevin Durso: Boston in 5

Andrew Sifari: Boston in 5

Caleb Weiler: Boston in 4

Andrew Gillen: Boston in 4

#1 Chicago Blackhawks vs #7 Detroit Red Wings

Bill Leifholtz: Detroit in 7

Kevin Yorke: Chicago in 6

Kevin Durso: Chicago in 7

Andrew Sifari: Chicago in 5

Caleb Weiler: Detroit in 7

Andrew Gillen: Detroit in 6

#5 Los Angeles Kings vs #6 San Jose Sharks

Bill Leifholtz: Los Angeles in 7

Kevin Yorke: Los Angeles in 6

Kevin Durso: San Jose in 6

Andrew Sifari: Los Angeles in 6

Caleb Weiler: San Jose in 5

Andrew Gillen: San Jose in 6

Current Playoff Prediction Records (Based off of teams that advanced not games)

Bill Leifholtz: 5-3

Kevin Yorke: 5-3

Kevin Durso: 4-4

Andrew Sifari: 4-4

Caleb Weiler: 4-4

Andrew Gillen: 5-3

Offseason Questions: Who Stays and Who Goes?

 

With a disappointing season over with, the Flyers now have the difficult task of assessing what areas of the squad they need to change.  With several options available, the team’s General Manager Paul Holmgren will undoubtedly attempt to make a splash like last year, but with a lot of long and pricey contracts in the stable, will they be left to chew on the hay they have harvested?

Since the recent Collective Bargaining agreement the league and its players association signed, the team has the ability to cast out two contracts they deem to be detrimental to team development. After the team has acquired once-promising goaltender Steve Mason, Ilya Bryzgalov is a likely candidate for this very “amnesty” program. 

With Bryzgalov apparently on the way out, it’s time to take a look at the team’s roster and the possible moves the team can make. 

To be sure, none of this is definitive.  It could turn out that Bryzgalov stays. 

Definitely Staying

Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds, Zac Rinaldo, Braydon Schenn, Jay Rosehill, Maxime Talbot, Matt Read, Sean Couturier, Kimmo Timonen, Luke Schenn, Niklas Grossmann and Steve Mason seem to be locks to be on the squad next year as long as they’re healthy.

Giroux, Voracek, and Simmonds are key pieces to the franchise’s future. Braydon Schenn, Luke Schenn, Read, and Couturier are their younger pieces that need to continue to get better.   Rinaldo and Talbot have serious injuries they need to recover from, but they were valuable contributors to the team this season. 

Holmgren just signed Rosehill to a 2 year contract starting next season, so he will be the team’s tough guy for the time being.

Grossmann and Timonen are the team’s best defensemen and will play out their contracts, with Timonen going into the last year, and Grossmann having three left.

The two that fit into this category but might not make the big league club are Oliver Lauridsen and Erik Gustafsson. They are good options to call up when needed, however.

 

Probably Staying

Scott Hartnell, Braydon Coburn, Andrej Meszaros, Bruno Gervais, and Danny Briere.

Hartnell was signed to a long term deal recently, so there is little chance he will be going anywhere.  The reason I placed him in this category is because the team has to be regretting that decision after the power forward really underperformed this season.

 Coburn and Meszaros had very disappointing seasons, but since they are both signed after this season (Meszaros will enter the last year of his contract next season), they don’t seem to be going anywhere.  However, the team should be looking to move one of them, because they have contributed nothing to the squad this season.

Briere is the toughest to diagnose.  The diminutive center has three years left on his contract that must have his approval to send him anywhere.  With some teams in the league looking to meet the salary cap’s “floor”, he might be able to be shipped with his contract the way it is.  It’s probably unlikely the team will be able to pull that off, though.  He has also been rumored to get “amnestied” too.  I doubt that though.

Possibly Going

Simon Gagne, Ruslan Fedotenko, Kent Huskins,  and Adam Hall.

Huskins played solid defense when the team picked him up as they were decimated with injuries.  He might be a solid 3^rd defensive pairing player with a small contract.  However, with Bruno Gervais being signed to another year, it’s hard to see him fitting in next year.

Fedotenko was heralded as the team’s best penalty killer.  He’s given the moniker as a player with an “active stick”, meaning that he breaks up many passes and sends pucks into the opposing zone with ease. 

Gagne played well but didn’t get much time to prove himself.  He will be looking to get a new contract.

My feeling is that the team should look into keeping half of these players, all unrestricted free agents this offseason; most specifically, Gagne and Fedotenko.  The two were the only bright spots for the team this year.

 

Definitely Going

Mike Knuble, Jody Shelley, Kurtis Foster, and Ilya Bryzgalov.

Knuble filled in admirably when the team needed a power forward.  But the Flyers will look to go younger and Knuble in hockey years is ancient might as well be an extinct plesiosaur. 

Shelley probably has played his last game as a professional hockey player. 

Foster was a healthy scratch many games this season after playing like a timid amateur.  He will not be missed as he’s sent packing for semiprofessional leagues this offseason.

Bryzgalov looks to be a good candidate for an amnesty marker.  He will be paid his money but not count against the cap, and the team will have room to sign more players after he is gone and replaced by fellow goaltender Steve Mason. 

 

 

 

Offseason Synopsis

The team will try to get younger, and add solid pieces on defense.  Letting go of either Bryzgalov, Briere, or both will give the team some room to make some inroads in that regard.  However, the team has committed many years and money to players that ultimately might not work in coach Peter Laviolette’s system.  What they need is a game changer on defense and the USS Shea Weber has docked upon opposing shores.  This is a huge offseason and Holmgren better be prepared, or public opinion of him in Philadelphia will approach the negative feelings towards Sidney Crosby.

(On second thought, the team could go 0-82 next season and that still wouldn’t happen. )

 

Flyerdelphia's Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions: Round One

(Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Tonight marks the beginning of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and even though the Flyers aren't playing, the playoff matchups in the first round are interesting. Many expect to see a Chicago vs Pittsburgh matchup in the finals. That is if they both make it out of the first round. These first matchups should be fun to watch. Here are the picks of our staff writers for the first round.

#1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #8 New York Islanders    

Bill Leifholtz: Pittsburgh in 6

Kevin Yorke: Pittsburgh in 5

Kevin Durso: Pittsburgh in 5

Andrew Sifari: Pittsburgh in 5

Caleb Weiler: Pittsburgh in 5

Andrew Gillen: Pittsburgh in 5

#2 Montreal Canadiens vs #7 Ottawa Senators

Bill Leifholtz: Ottawa in 7

Kevin Yorke: Montreal in 5

Kevin Durso: Montreal in 6

Andrew Sifari: Montreal in 5

Caleb Weiler: Montreal in 6

Andrew Gillen: Montreal in 4

#3 Washington Capitals vs #6 New York Rangers

Bill Leifholtz: Washington in 5

Kevin Yorke: New York in 6

Kevin Durso: Washington in 7

Andrew Sifari: Washington in 6

Caleb Weiler: Washington in 6

Andrew Gillen: Washington in 7

#4 Boston Bruins vs #5 Toronto Maple Leafs

Bill Leifholtz: Boston in 6

Kevin Yorke: Boston in 6

Kevin Durso: Boston in 6

Andrew Sifari: Boston in 6

Caleb Weiler: Boston in 5

Andrew Gillen: Boston in 5

#1 Chicago Blackhawks vs #8 Minnesota Wild

Bill Leifholtz: Chicago in 4

Kevin Yorke: Chicago in 4

Kevin Durso: Chicago in 5

Andrew Sifari: Chicago in 6

Caleb Weiler: Chicago in 5

Andrew Gillen: Chicago in 4

#2 Anaheim Ducks vs #7 Detroit Red Wings

Bill Leifholtz: Detroit in 6

Kevin Yorke: Anaheim in 7

Kevin Durso: Anaheim in 7

Andrew Sifari: Anaheim in 7

Caleb Weiler: Anaheim in 6

Andrew Gillen: Detroit in 7

#3 Vancouver Canucks vs #6 San Jose Sharks

Bill Leifholtz: Vancouver in 7

Kevin Yorke: Vancouver in 6

Kevin Durso: Vancouver in 6

Andrew Sifari: Vancouver in 5

Caleb Weiler: San Jose in 6

Andrew Gillen: Vancouver in 6

#4 St. Louis Blues vs #5 Los Angeles Kings

Bill Leifholtz: St. Louis in 6

Kevin Yorke: Los Angeles in 6

Kevin Durso: Los Angeles in 6

Andrew Sifari: Los Angeles in 6

Caleb Weiler: St. Louis in 7

Andrew Gillen: Los Angeles in 5

Flyers @ Hurricanes : Preview 4/20/2013

A day after being formally eliminated from playoff consideration, the Flyers head to Carolina to face the Hurricanes, four games away from the end of a disappointing season.

Philadelphia (19-22-3) has struggled all season with injuries and underperforming players. Until a few weeks ago, when they won four straight, they could not muster up enough solid, consistent play to win more than two games in a row all season.

Comming off of a 3-0, shut-out loss to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, the Flyers are now playing more for pride than anything. They have a chance to finish slightly above .500 if they can win their last four games in a row, but that is highly unlikely given this season's play, as mentioned.

The Hurricanes (17-23-3) had begun the season with less expectations and initially exceeded them, leading the Southeast Division for a good part of the year as the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning struggled out of the gate.

While Tampa never got it together (they've been eliminated as well),  Washington has surged in the last few weeks, taking over the top spot (and #3 playoff seed in the East) in the division. Carolina, on the other hand,  began losing more around the same time, and now have just 37 points, third-lowest in the NHL.

Both teams have had problems with suspect goaltending; Cam Ward leads the Hurricanes with a 2.84 GAA, while Ilya Bryzgalov, under contract for seven more years, has dazzled and disappointed in equal measure throughout his net-minding tenure in Philadelphia. "Byrz," as he is referred to by fans, also sports a 2.84 GAA for the season.

The Flyers had won back-to-back games over the Canadiens and Rangers before being humbled by Martin Brodeur and the Devils Thursday night. The Hurricanes have lost 16 of their last 18 contests with five games left to play.

Mason shines as Flyers double-up Rangers, 4-2

 

Playing for respectability in the waning weeks of the strike-shortened 2013 season, the Flyers managed to hold off a late rally from the Rangers Tuesday night for their 19th win of the season.

The Flyers (19-21-3), 5 points behind the Rangers for 8th place in the Eastern Conference, were fresh off of a 7-3 smackdown of the Montreal Canadiens comming into the Wells Fargo Center for Tuesday's game. Expectations were not quite that high, however, considering the Flyers' inability in general this season to be good for long stretches for time, not to mention recent acquisition Steve Mason starting. Mason got the nod over Ilya Bryzgalov, who has started 38 of the Flyers' 43 games this season.

Mason, though, likely surprised a few with his performance. Up until midway through the third period, he had allowed only one goal, and would finish the game 38-for-40 on save attempts, making what seemed like great stop after great stop all game.

Mason got some help from his teammates, who took the lead with a goal from Braden Schenn 9:30 into the first period. He was followed about eight minutes later by Sean Couturier, whose well-timed pass Erik Gustafsson fired past Henrik Lundqvist to put the Flyers up 2-0 to end the period.

The Rangers answered the Flyers early in the second on a goal by Mats Zuccarello, his first of the year. Midway through, however, the Flyers scored again, with Claude Giroux feeding Kimo Timonen a perfect pass after winning the face off. Kimonen took the puck and took a greatshot it into the goal, Lundqvist unable to defend it at all as it put Philadelphia up 3-1 at the end of two.

The momentum was completely in the Flyers favor until midway through the third period. The Rangers' Derek Stepan was able to get one past Mason, cutting the Flyers' lead to one with just over 10 minutes to play.

From then on, the pace of the game increased dramatically, with the Rangers desperately trying to hang on to their playoff spot. The Rangers came often to knock at Steve Mason's door, but Mason kept it shut, making great saves and continuing to play after suffering from what he would describe after the game as "cramps."

With less than two minutes left in the third, New York pulled Lundqvist for an extra offensive player. Jakub Voracek took a pass from Timonen across the ice, past New York defenders, and scored on the empty net. 4-2 Flyers, and that's how the game ended.

New York (21-17-4) has 46 points, tied with Winnipeg for 8th in the Eastern Conference. They host the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.

Philadelphia, with 5 points and three other teams between them and 8th place, are not likely to make the playoffs this season. They are, though, trying to continue to play good, respectable hockey until the very last game, as Luke Schenn commented before the game. The Flyers' next game comes at home against the New Jersey Devils.

 

Sens 'Em Packing: Flyers fall to Ottawa

Zach Smith opened the scoring in the Senators' 3-1 win over the Flyers.

A push for the playoff will now turn to playing for pride. The Flyers could have made a run at the final playoff spot after winning four straight games, capped off by a 5-3 win over the Maple Leafs just a week ago.

But since then, the Flyers have dropped three straight games, complete with their 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Senators struck first, scoring 3:20 into the game on a breakaway by Zach Smith.

The Flyers would struggle for scoring chances early, but managed the equalizer with just over eight minutes left in the first. Simon Gagne fired a turnaround shot on goal and it was deflected by Claude Giroux past Sens' goalie Robin Lehner. It was the Flyers' first shorthanded goal of the season.

After a scoreless second, the two teams played 14 minutes of scoreless hockey in the third. But the game-changing play came at the 13:53 mark of the third. Giroux was called for a double minor for high sticking, giving Ottawa four minutes of power play time.

They didn't take long to strike. Colin Greening managed a breakaway and scored with 5:36 left in regulation.

The Flyers killed off the remaining two minutes of Giroux's penalty, but couldn't find the urgency needed to get the tying goal late. Daniel Alfredsson iced the game with an empty-net goal with six seconds left.

The Flyers had spent the week vowing to play that "60-minute game." They look like they showed up for about five.

The same demons that plagued the Flyers from the start of the season have resurfaced in the last three games. There is no urgency on offense. The defense is caught napping - no pun intended - on the same regular basis they were early in the season.

Ilya Bryzgalov made some excellent saves to keep the game close. He was hardly at fault for the two goals he allowed.

The Flyers are a battered bunch. That's no secret. But they still have Giroux. They still have Scott Hartnell. They still have Kimmo Timonen, and Jake Voracek and Wayne Simmonds. There is enough talent on this team to win a game. There is enough talent on this team to play 60 minutes.

The Flyers can't seem to do either. And with their latest loss, it likely put their postseason hopes to rest.

Kevin Durso is a contributor for Flyerdelphia. You can follow him twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.

Back on home ice, Flyers host Senators

Jake Voracek scored the only goal in the Flyers' 4-1 loss to the Islanders on Tuesday.

The Flyers didn't help themselves after a four-game winning streak and five-game points streak was snapped on Saturday when they lost to the New York Islanders on Tuesday. That might have put the nail in the coffin on the Flyers' playoff hopes.

They enter tonight's game against the Ottawa Senators trailing the New York Rangers for the final playoff spot by seven points. There are just nine games left including tonight's. Time might have already run out.

Still, the Flyers can shake up the Eastern Conference standings in their final nine games and build momentum for the future. If anything, it would be a morale booster to win a few of their final games.

The Senators are a newly remodeled team. They traded goalie Ben Bishop at the trade deadline. That puts Craig Anderson as the top goalie on the roster.

Daniel Alfredsson might be the only star player on the team not injured. The Senators' injury list consists of Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson and Milan Michalek. 

Some strong forwards in the wake of their absense have been Erik Condra, Chris Neil and Kyle Turris.

On defense, Sergei Gonchar and Chris Phillips lead the charge.

But don't forget the Flyers come in a banged-up bunch tonight. Most recently, it was announced Nicklas Grossmann will be out for two-to-three weeks with a concussion, which basically translates to the remainder of the season. 

It has been a bleak season for the Flyers, but they can make a statement to close the season and start building toward next season. That could start tonight against Ottawa.

Kevin Durso is a contributor to Flyerdelphia. You can follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.

Season Deceased: Flyers vs. Islanders Recap

Well you can cue the bugles and the military personell and let the "TAPS" music start to play. The Flyers and thier season have officialy been killed, and the New York Islanders of all teams did what the Flyers never do. They put thier foot on the floundering Flyers throat and crushed it like a little bug. Not that the Flyers had much confidence coming into this game as the Isles were on fire and the Flyers we coming off that horrible loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

The Flyers had their first shot 30 seconds into the game, but then immediatly began to flounder. The problem is after they had that first shot thier newxt one didn't come until almost 14 minutes later. The Flyers spent some time in thier zone chasing the Isles around and for the most part they kept them to the outside but before ya know it the Flyers struck first blood. Jake Voracek took a pass from Claude Giroux up the middle, broke in from the blue line and scored on Evgeni Nabokov. The goal was reviewed because it appeared the puck was under the pads of Nabokov, but the defensemen that slid in after Jake pushed Nabby in the net, therefore good goal was the call. The Flyers were 12-5-2 when scoring the first goal. 

The Flyers started freshly traded for goalie Steve Mason and he looked good for his debut, stopping Matt Moulson who stepped out in front eight minutes in to the game. He faced eight shots in the first period and looked pretty good in his start. He gave up some rebounds, but all in all he kept the Flyers in the game. The problem this game was the same problem the Flyers have had all season long. The players in front of the goalie. At 15:36 of the first period Matt Moulson carried the puck in and went 1on1 with Bruno Gervais, shot from the slot and scored. The replay showed the puck deflecting off Gervais stick and Mason did not have enough time to react as the shot came from between the circles in the slot. The first came to a close with the Flyers shots at 5 and the Isles at 8 and the score all notted up at 1.

The second period underway and it was back and forth and then Brayden Schenn and Matt Martin dropped the gloves and Schenn did not fair so well in the fight. Brayden fought him because Martin bumped Flyer goalie Steve Mason. The Flyers seemed to lose some of the luster after the fight, not getting in front of Nabokov and not crashing the net. The only one who wasn't was Mason who in the 2nd frame stopped Grabner on a partial breakaway, and made an incredibly huge glove save robbing Kyle Okposo who came in from the blue line on a full breakaway. Then after a full minute spent in thier own zone the tired Flyers iced the puck and it was thier undoing. The Flyers took the faceoff deep in their own zone and gathered the puck and failed to get it deep into the Islanders zone. This resulted in Michael Grabner taking a pass from Colin McDonald. He then snapped a shot through a screen to beat Mason, making it 2-1. The period ended the Isles up 2-1 and shot totals 19 for the Flyers and 21 for the Isles. The Flyers were 2-12-0 when trailing after 2 periods and the isles were 12-2-1 when leading after 2 periods.

The Flyers started out the third period the way the ended the second, dull, for lack of a better word. Wide open Islanders right next to the net and shots from the slot and wide open point men blasting it right in on Mason. It had the makings of an old fashioned Flyers disaster with too much opposition time attack, an opposition shooting gallery and not enough defensive awareness by the Flyers. The Flyers had their chances but they flubbed them. Scott Hartnell missed high and wide from the slot, Brayden Schenn almost missed high, and Bruno Gervais also missed an oppourtunity from the slot. The season is pretty much exactly that, a miss. The Isles just outworked the Flyers at the end. John Tavares scored and then Casey Cizikas sealed the Flyers fate with an empty net goal.

The Flyers season is game, set and match. The Flyers playoff hopes have been given a cease and desist order. With only 9 games to playm they need to win every single one, to get, and hold on to the 8th seed. The Flyers are mathematically still in the hunt but as even they admitted tonight in the postgame interviews, they are going to need a lot of help to even make the playoffs let alone contend in them. 

The Need For The Seed: Flyers vs. Islanders Preview.

Now the Flyers are not kidding themselves, the need to win this game against the 8th seed Islanders is of Defcon 5 proportions. The Flyers are trying to avoid thier first playoff miss since 2007 and ironically thats the last year the Islanders made the playoffs. The Islanders have gone 6-2 over thier last 8 including a 4-3 win over the Flyers on March 28th. The Isles are doing exactly what a team needs to do on the stretch run, they are on fire.

Now the most intriguing story of the night is the fact that newly acquired goalie Steve Mason will get the start rather than workhorse Ilya Bryzgalov. The last time Ilya did not start was January 27th when now Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Michael Leighton let in 5 goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bryzgalov let in 4 his last game against the Jets including 2 in :30 seconds and all 4 came in the second period. He was then pulled in the 3rd period for the backup and now starter Steve Mason.

Mason in 3 games against the Isles is 2-0-1 with a .943 save percentage and 1.65 goals against average. He looked fairly well in his 3rd period against the Jets as he only faced 9 shots and was tested somewhat in his 20 minutes but he didn't let in anything. More importantly he got some confidence and saw some pucks in his first game since March 29th. Now let's see if he can parlay that into 60 minutes and gain more confidence and be the Rookie Of The Year goalie he once was and backstop the Flyers for years to come.

Now the Flyers need to show that they are the team that drubbed this team 7-0 earlier this season and not the team that look defeated against the Jets. The Flyers are 5 points out of the playoffs with 10 games to go. They have 2 more meetings with the Isles including tonights matchup at the Nassau Coliseum. The Flyers not only need to punish thier opponents and win every game to ensure thier 8th seed spot they need to stay there. They also need a little help with losses by the 4 teams between them and the 8th seed.

The Isles are feeling it and on a roll right now. Guys like Kyle Okposo and his line are on fire as Kyle has 2 goals and 8 points in his last 12 games willing his team twords the playoffs. His linemate Frans Nielson has points in 4 straight including a goal and four assists. The Flyers will have a rag tag defense keeping an eye on these "hot hands" as Braydon Coburn(Shoulder), Andrej Mezjaros(Shoulder), and now Nicklas Grossman(Concussion) will be absent for the game.

Hartnell said,"You always know you're going to get chances, you just have to capitalize on those opportunities," but i don't mean to be a downer but the window is closing and the chances are dwindling. Claude Giroux understands the urgency as he said,"It's not the position we want to be in right now, but at the same time we have to just have fun with it, come back and make the playoffs. The whole thing when we went to the Cup was us winning that last regular season game. We had adversity and we went through it. It's a big game for us." He understands the adversity that's laid before him and he needs to have a "The Shift" type performance and energy to will this lackadasical team to the playoffs and maybe beyond.

Defense: Depth Was Needed This Year

The Flyers have used plenty of defensemen this season.  With the condensed 48 game schedule – a hellish marathon of games that seems more like an extended torture session than a season- it’s easy to assume the Flyers would have injuries.  But this much? The egregious amount of injuries seems too daunting to overcome, but if they do, they can thank all ten on the squad who have played throughout the season.  

 (I added their cap hit to let you see how valuable each player is to the squad, along with who they’re paired with.)

Before the Flyers play the Winnipeg Jets, take a quick look at where their defensemen are in their progression through the season.

 

Kimmo Timonen, $6.3 million(1^st defensive pairing with Luke Schenn) – Timonen was hurt against the Leafs while blocking a shot, as it seems he does in every game, and he’s day to day injury-wise. Timonen does so many things (first pairing on the powerplay, first pairing on the penalty kill, third on the team in average time on the ice, top ten in scoring defensemen in the NHL, the entire backbone of the team) that if he misses significant time, the Flyers would need a miracle to make the playoffs.  It doesn’t seem that he will be out for long (he’s a game-time decision for Saturday’s game at Winnipeg), so the Flyers dodged a bullet (much unlike Kimmo’s willingness to dodge shots from the point). With all the injuries to the Flyers defensive core, and the young and underperforming players the Flyers brought in to surround Kimmo, there’s really no comparison.  The guy is just an animal.   To me he’s a Norris Trophy candidate.

Luke Schenn, $3.6 million for 4 years(1^st defensive pairing with Kimmo Timonen) – Schenn was dealt in a deal that sent James van Riemsdyk to the Toronto Maple Leafs.  As the Flyers watched van Riemsdyk gain position down-low, turn around and roof a shot over Ilya Bryzgalov, all in one effortless motion, you had to have an inkling in your brain that said, “Wow that was a mistake of a trade.” But you know what? I’m fine with it.  Schenn is a physical specimen (6 foot 2, 230 lbs.) and makes the opposition regret digging pucks out of the corners.  While van Riemsdyk has 40 goals a year written on his wrists, Schenn can be a player that develops into a hulking blueline threat.  He has a plus/minus of 4 and his play of late has really picked up.  He lets Timonen make the outlet passes, thank goodness.

Brayden Coburn, $4.5 million for 4 more years (2^nd defensive pairing with Niklas Grossmann) – Coburn can skate like the wind and for years analysts have been pointing out that if he were to learn how to deal with the puck better in pressure situations he would be close to an elite defensemen.  That’s not going to happen.  Since he’s paired with Grossmann, he’s usually the one making the outlet pass to the wingers on transitions into the offensive zone.   He’s also a big man (6 foot 5, 220 lbs.) but it often looks like he shies away from physical contact, which is probably why the Flyers have paired the much more physical Niklas Grossmann with him.  Injured in a game on March 29^th, Coburn is still a top four d-man on the Flyers and they will be glad to have him back once his injury heals.  He’ll be out for about another week, it seems.

Niklas Grossmann, $3.5 million for 4 years (2^nd defensive pairing with Brayden Coburn) – Grossmann plays with Coburn, blocks shots, and checks hard.  He’s a large player (6 foot 4, 230 lbs.) and he solidified the backend last year when the Flyers added him from the Dallas Stars. What he lacks is good puck possession along with a good outlet pass, and therefore putting him with Coburn in my opinion isn’t a good idea.  He’s coming back soon from injury, as reports have him increasing his practice time.

Erik Gustafsson, $.9 million – Gustafsson is a fun player to watch from time to time.  He can skate well and is probably the Flyers second best passer.  Last year, he played 30 games and looked impressive for the Flyers. What I do see is some poor decisions, and giveaways that end up costing the Flyers.  I would like for the team to pair him with Grossmann.

Kurtis Foster, $.95 million – The Flyers initially brought in Foster to captain the second powerplay unit on the point and play as the team’s 6^th defenseman. When the team saw that he couldn’t do that well, and Meszaros got healthy, Foster didn’t play.  One thing that bothers me with Foster is his hesitation to blast his shot from the point.  Think of it; you’re brought in to the team for your rocket of a shot, you obviously can’t do anything else particularly well except blast a shot, yet you refuse to shoot, the one thing that the team likes about your playing abilities? No thank you, Kurtis Foster.

Bruno Gervais, $.85 million for 2 years  - Gervais has also picked up his play lately. Slated to start on the team’s 3^rd pairing in the beginning of the season, the 28 year old veteran has been an adequet player for the Flyers. Lately they’ve been giving him more minutes, and he’s been making the right decisions.  Let’s hope it continues.

Kent Huskins, $.7 million – The Flyers acquired him before the trade deadline when they were decimated with injuries.  While he hasn’t played much in revered Orange and Black, he has done the small things that have helped the Flyers on their recent small winning streak. I would rather see him back there then Foster and Meszaros, although that might not mean much.

Andrej Meszaros, $4 million for 2 years – Andrej was injured to start the season, and since he first started playing he has looked like the team’s worst defenseman; turning the puck over, getting beat next to the net, losing foot-races, and just playing like a lost gander without its goose.  Perhaps he’ll need time to get into the swing of things, but with his salary and his age creeping up (at 27 he’s no spring chicken compared to the guys they’ve got coming up), you would hope the Flyers can move him in the offseason.

Oliver Lauridson, $.65 million – Lauridson came up when Coburn went out with an injury, and I’ve been impressed with his poise.  He isn’t exactly a speed demon, but he’s big enough (6 foot 6 and 220 lbs.) and smart enough to recover from opposition players who have a step on him.  He’s played 4 games and has looked promising as someone who can play for this team in the future.  He and Gustafsson have a good future on this team if they continue to progress.