Breaking Down Thrashers Jetting off to Winnipeg

As per unreliable sources on twitter and then a glance at TSN.ca's homepage, the Atlanta Thrashers are on their way to Winnipeg. A deal was reached on Monday and report spouted out today that the two sides had agreed on a deal to sell the Thrashers to True North Sports. True North Sports have plans to move the Thrashers to Manitoba for this upcoming season.

Southern Routes
This means now there will be seven Canadian teams. The Winnipeg "Thrashers" will continue to play in the Southeast Division. The NHL apparently was not prepared for the move. This means the awful travel schedule will undoubtedly be the ultimate test for this young team.

Team Outlook
Evander Kane and Bryan Little are the future on Offense, while Tobias Enstrom and Zack Bogosian make up the blueline, and Pavelec looks to be setting into an all star role in net. Andrew Ladd was awarded with the captain's "C" last season, in only his 1st in Atlanta.He was acquired in the deal that also brought Dustin Byfugien to the Thrashers.

The offense could use some big names up front to compliment Nik Antropov and Bryan Little. While the blueline needs to be geared a tad more towards defense and protecting Pavalec. Good news, Winnipeg has over 23 million in cap space. Bad news, their is no word on the budget has been set at.

Stirring the Pot
With a few top tier goalies set to become free agents, Winnipeg could send Pavelec packing in a deal to ring-in a top offense man or two. As offensive hep has to be a top concern heading into a "first season." Fans like goals, so a top line forward seems appropriate as no one can be TOO excited about a rebuilding team.

What about Phoenix?
So now what's going to happen to that struggling team over in Glendale, Arizona?
Luckily earlier this month Glandale approved another 25 million to keep the Yotes in Phoenix for another year. But after that is clearly unknown. Their "homeland" was just abducted and now there are not many options left. Calling Jim Balsillie, NHL?

NHL Summer Buyers Needs

This is taking in upcoming free agents, cap space and team play over the past years. Take a look at each NHL team's needs heading into this summer.

Ice on Broad Street's Stanley Cup Finals Central

6/10
Game 1-4 we all taken by the home teams in rout to making this series a best of three. Game 5 is tonight at 8est on NBC. the struggling Roberto Luongo will get the start for the Canucks as they look to keep the trend going and take game 5 at home. Boston will look to get the series first road win and carry the momentum they have built up through the past two games.

Preview

The Vancouver Canucks will verse the Boston Bruins in the ole fashioned fight for Lord Stanley's Cup beginning Wednesday July 1st. This is everything you need to know.

Schedule 
All Games on NBC, CBC and RDS at 8PM EST - 7PM CST - 6PM MST - 5PM PST

Game 1: @ Vancouver, Wednesday June 1st
Game 2: @ Vancouver, Saturday June 4th
Game 3: @ Boston, Monday June 6th
Game 4: @Boston, Wednesday June 8th
*Game 5: @Vancouver, Friday June 10th
*Game 6: @Boston Monday June 13th
*Game 7: @Vancouver Wednesday July 15th
 (* If necessary)



Historical Background

Last Cups
Boston: 1972
Vancouver: Never

Vancouver entered the league in 1970 and since has only been to the Stanley Cup Finals twice, losing both time. Once in 1982 losing to the Islanders and again in 1994 losing to the Rangers. They have never met the Bruins in the playoffs.

The Bruins have won five championships dating back to their first win in 1929 when they defeated the Rangers 2-0 in a best of 3 series. Their two most recent cup victories came in 1970 and '72, none since. They have been in five Stanley Cup Finals since with this being their 6th, in total winning 5 games in 5 trips since '72.

Cup winners
Vancouver has 1 cup winner on their roster in Mikeal Samuelsson (Detroit, 2008)
Boston also has just 1 cup winner on their roster in Mark Recchi who has 2 rings (Pittsburgh '91, Carolina '05)

Experience has shown to reign key in the finals and these team draw equal. Samuelsson dramatically stepped up for the Wings in '08 scoring when it counted. Recchi is proof that age is nothing but a number, one of the smartest players in the game will look to raise the cup for yet another time.

The Regular Season

Storylines
Vancouver all out dominated this season winning 54 games and easily sealing the President's Trophy given to the top team in the league. They also had a league best 262 goals for and the best (Goals For)/(Goals Against) difference scoring 77 more goals then they had given up, in 82 games.
The Sedin's made a case for duel MVP candidates with another great season topping 90 points, Daniel with 104 on 41 goals and Henrik with 94 on a league high 75 assists. Breakout star Ryan Kesler also put 41 pucks behind the line to set a new career high. Do not forget about Roberto Luongo, he posted a 2.11 GAA to compliment his 38 wins and a Vezina Nomination.

There is another Vezina candidate on Boston who has something to say about Luongo's chance. Tim Thomas had a comeback year of the ages racking up 35 wins on a league low 2.00 GAA. Boston finished 3rd in the eastern conference with 46 wins, enough to lock up the Northeast Division title. There was a tied for the top point getter on the Bruins as playmaking David Krejci and powerforward  Milan Lucic both tallied 62 points, a drastic contrast from the Canucks top scorers. Boston's defense is led by Zdeno Chara who ended the year with 44 points and a team high +33 +/-.

Team Leaders
Vancouver
Goals - Daniel Sedin, Ryan Kesler - 41
Assits - Henrik Sedin - 75
Points - Daniel Sedin - 104
Powerplay Goals - Daniel Sedin - 18
Shorthanded Goals - Ryan Kesler - 3
Plus/Minus - Kevin Bieksa - 32
Shooting Percentage - Alex Burrows - 17%

Bruins
Goals - Milan Lucic - 30
Assists - David Krejci - 49
Points - David Krejci, Milan Lucic - 62
Powerplay Goals - Zdeno Chara, Micheal Ryder - 8
Shorthanded Goals - Brad Marchant - 5
Plus/Minus - Zdeno Chara - 33
Shooting Percentage - Milan Lucic - 17%

The Postseason

Series Breakdown
Vancouver has defeated the Blackhawks, Predators and Sharks to seal a bid into the Final dance.
A close call in round one after losing three straight to come up with a huge overtime win in Game 7 versus their former reoccurring-postseason roadblock the Chicago Blackhawks. Questions continued in their second round series against the Nashville Predators where they pulled in 6 games despite Nashville's rising star in net Pekka Rinne. Then came redemption, the Canucks shut the hockey world up by completely dismantling the San Jose Sharks in just 5 games winning on Kevin Bieska Game 5 goal, and scoring 20 goals in the 5 games.

The Bruins had their own form of redemption in the second round. Just after barely slipping by their rival Montreal Canadiens in a tight Game 7, the Bruins they swept the Philadelphia Flyers, utterly dominating them in four straight games. Tampa Bay posed the biggest threat and took Boston into the 3rd period of Game 7 when finally the Bruins broke the 0-0 deadlock and stole the game on a Nathan Horton goal with 8 minutes remaining in regulation.

Team Leaders
Vancouver
Goals - Daniel Sedin - 8
Assits - Henrik Sedin - 19
Points - Henrik Sedin - 21
Plus/Minus - Kevin Bieksa- 10

Boston
Goals - David Krejci - 10
Assists - Patrice Bergeron - 11
Points - David Krejci, Nathan Horton - 17
Plus/Minus - Zdeno Chara - 10

Stunning Stat
Vancouver
Daniel and Henrik are a combined -8.

Boston
David Krejci has a shooting percentage of 27%.

Transactions

Season's Bests
Vancouver
Signing Manny Malhorta as a free agent on July 1st. Injured all postseason, but still a leader and best penalty killer and faceoff all season.

Boston
Trading for Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell on June 22nd. Horton has a team high share with 17 points this postseason and Campbell has been the Bruins most consistent penalty killer.
Trading for Rich Peverley on February 18th. Peverley has been great with the Bruins despite his lack of production. His all out play has made him a 3rd line stud in Boston.

(This post will be constantly updated as the series progresses)

A Case to Go Off the Board: Goaltending

Let me lead off by stating that the two goaltender in this year's Stanley Cup Finals are both Vezina candidates and quite possibly the best players on their respective teams. A big change from last year's Leighton versus Niemi show. However, over time it has shown that solid goaltending makes for a smooth spring jog to the finish.

The goalie market isn't as deep as it has been in years previous, but neither are the teams who are in need of a goaltender. The top two teams spotlighted are the Washington Capitals and our Philadelphia Flyers. Teams outside of the media chatter included the Oilers, Ducks, Lightning, Coyotes and Blackhawks.

The goalies set to become available include Tomas Vokoun, Ilya Bryzgalov, Marty Turco, and Dwayne Roloson. Leaving a few over-shadowed that could become the next stars between the pipes. These are some names to look out for come July 1st.

Thomas Greiss, an promising young goaltender who served as Nabokov's backup and up until the point when the Sharks signed Niemi was set to share the starting job with Niittymaki. Greiss has shinned at every level and has adapted well to North American hockey since coming over in the 2006-07. This passed season the 25 year old was assigned to Brynas of the Swedish Elite League (SEL) where he posted a GAA under 3.00 and a save percentage over .900 in 32 games.

Mike Smith, once a blue-chip now a question mark in Tampa Bay. The hockey world got a glimpse into Smith's potential last Saturday when he stole Game 4 from Boston going 42 minutes stopping all 21 shots that came his way. Then in Game 5 he suffered the loss after two goals that were clearly not his fault, one-timers with not defensive help.
The 29 years old's time in Tampa has been depleting to say the least. He has been plagued by bad teams in front of him and a front offfice that was always looking for an upgrade. He's one of the guys who would be an interesting experiment if he got placed behind a tough defense like that of Philly's or Washington's.

Jose Theodore, now this name may go straight through your ears and cause sickness but the 35 year old may have something left in him. Hear me out guys, Theodore proved that he was still able to steal a game this season when he versed the Dallas Stars in the final game of the regular season, with Dallas in a do or die situation. Theodore stood tall stopping 26 of 29 shots in route to a 5-3 win at home.
This season, his first with Minnesota, Theodore went 13-11 with a goal against average of 2.71, his 2nd lowest since his hay-day in Montreal. Jose still has the make to become a very solid 50-60 games starter next season.

Mark Dekanich, this 25 year old product of the Nashivlle Predators system is primed to make an impact at the NHL level. Dekanich has posted gaudy stats in the AHL with Milwaukee, this past season he set career bests in both GAA with 2.02 and save percentage with .931% in 43 games. It's tough to say if he will be let go, he's NHL ready however Rinne is Vezina ready. Dekanich will need half of a year to adjust to the NHL grind but he is one helluva prospect.

Spread the word on these guys and impress your friends and family members with this knowledge. Eh maybe not, but thanks for reading.

The Third Round Playoff Picture

as of 5/27/11

Revisiting Patrick Thoresen

Although Thoresen's stint with the Flyers only reads 35 games, his play is well remembered by Flyers fans. Known in his days of North American hockey as a fourth line utility player, Thor has grown into a prominent scorer in the KHL only three seasons removed from his NHL days.

This past season, Thor became the first Norwegian born player to win the Gagarin Cup, the KHL championship trophy award to the team who wins the playoffs. Now with one cup and over 120 points under his belt over the past two seasons Thoresen will make yet another run at playing in North America.

Every offseason since leaving the Flyers for European Hockey, Thoresen has sat in the open market and has received plenty of contract offers. The main problem has been his demand for a one-way contract when teams consistently offer him two-way deals.

One-way contracts mean a player would have to pass through waivers before being sent to the AHL. Two-ways contracts do not entail a player to pass through waivers before being sent down.

Thoresen has proven over the past three seasons that he has changed his game post over 20 goals and 50 points in both the Swiss and Russian professional leagues. One could make a case that he has always been a scorer, as Thor tallied 108 points on 75 assists in his final year of juniors in the QMJHL.

So will this be the year that the journeyman will return to the NHL? What team will he return with?

I would doubt the Flyers would offer Thoresen a one way deal with already so many players signed on their top three lines. However, if Leino and Zherdev aren't re-signed the Flyers would be in the market for a winger to patch up their 3rd line. A hungry Thoresen would most likely not charge much for a shot at redemption.

Fresh Ice Cuts: Dan Carcillo, Winter Classic

Danny Carcillo Suspended
Car Accident Bomb was handed down a two game suspension by the NHL yesterday for words that were said to a referee in Game 4 of the Flyers series against the Bruins. Carcillo, set to be a restricted free agent, will likely be let go by the team this summer. There have been no reports confirming but his gradual drop off in production speaks for itself. Danny went from 12 goals and 22 points last season to only posting 4 goals and 6 points this year.

Winter Classic in the Bank
As it would seem, the Flyers are the front runner to host next year's Bridgestone Winter Classic. They are said to be facing the New York Rangers on either January 2nd or December 31st. There was doubt after the NFL had scheduled an Eagles home game on January 1st, if there would be a game in Philly this season. But now it seems like Philly will have, barring any set backs, the Winter Classic in Citizen's Bank Park.

There are numerous reasons why I love it at the Bank over the Linc. The history: the Phillies won a world series just 3 years yonder and are one of the top grossing teams in the MLB. The Stadium is much more fan friendly, a person who is not familiar with Lincoln Financial Field will not know that the stadium does not loop around - best advice: get there early and be ready to turn around and walk back down 20 flights of stairs if you misjudge where you are sitting.

Enough banter these pictures get the job done.

VERSUS

5 Names in the Flyers Organization that You Need to Know

5) Jakob Kovar
Position: Goaltender
Age: 22
Drafted: 6th Round - 109th overall in 2006
Current Club: Ceske Budejovice of the Czech Extraliga

Kovar had turned a page this season and many scouts eyes turned as well. After Roman Turek left Ceske Budejovice, the 22 year old took over as the starter posting a 2.47 goals against average and a .924 save percentage in 52 games.

Hockey Future's player analysis reminds us of another Flyers goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, take a read.

Kovar has the ability to cover a lot of ground with his size and quickness, but has been guilty of playing too far back in his net. He possesses a decent physical makeup, quick reflexes and solid fundamental skills, but will need to learn to better challenge shooters.

4) Harry Zolnierczyk
Position: Left Winger
Age: 23
Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent in 2011
Former Club: Brown University

The former senior captain at Brown University, Zolnierczyk made grounds becoming the Ivy League Player of the Year this past season tallying 31 points in only 30 games. In 16 games with the Phantoms this season he marked up three goals and five assists. The lack of production most likely due to joining the team mid season after finishing his collegiate play.

At 23 Zolnierczyk figures to spend another season with the Phantoms refining his pro game and developing his skills more thoroughly before joining the Flyers. Harry Zolnierczyk has a bit of a rough side to his game as well, in his last season of college he racked up over 120 penalty minutes.

3) Erik Gustafsson
Position: Defense
Age: 22
Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent in 2010
Current Club: Adirondack Phantoms

Fans got a glimpse of their future last season when Gustafsson suited up for 3 games with the Flyers. The 22 year old defenseman has quickly shot up the charts and is now regarded as the Flyers top defensive prospect. A college stand out as captain of the Northern Michigan Wildcats, Gustafsson was signed to a contract and took off with the Phantoms that year notching 2 goals and 5 assists in 5 games.

This season Erik posted 5 goals and 44 assists in 72 games with the Flyers AHL affiliate. You may see Gustafsson with the Flyers as soon as next season playing the role of 7th defenseman aka Danny Syvret's position this past season.

2) Matt Read
Position: Center
Age: 24
Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent in 2011
Former Club: Bemidji State University

Another 2011 college stand out, Matt Read was signed to a three year deal and sent to the Phantoms following his senior year as the captain of Bemidji State. Read came to the Phantoms on a mission and quickly watched his stock sky-rocket, bringing in 13 points on 7 goals in 11 games.

The 24 year old is set to begin the season battling for a spot on the Flyers roster.
In 147 NCAA games, Read tallied 65 goals and added another 76 assists for 141 points and led his team to one frozen four appearance. Don't be surprised if you hear his name during opening night introductions next season.

1) Joacim Eriksson
Position: Goaltender
Age: 21
Drafted: 7th round - 196 overall in 2008
Current Club: Skelleftea HC of the SM-liiga

The rouge power-potential that is Joacim Eriksson is the most talented and questionable prospect in the Flyers organization. After being highly touted in Sweden the goaltender decline to come to Flyers rookie camp, which raised some eyebrows. And now when the Flyers feel he should begin his work in North American hockey, Joacim has decided he will stay another season in Sweden.

Regardless, Eriksson has a huge potential and the Flyers will stay patient with him. This past season he served as a back up in his first professional season, playing with Skelleftea HC of the Swedish Elite League. Eriksson posted fair numbers, a 2.56 goals against average to compliment his .906 save percentage in 17 games.

His future may be blurry but the former undisputed junior mega-star will get his chances to make this Flyers team in the years coming. Lets just hope he doesn't wither away all of his monstrous potential. Next season will tell the tale.

Flyers Sign the Mythical Niko Hovinen

The Flyers announced today that they have yet again grabbed a European goalie to start off their off season. The Finnish goaltender ducks in at 6'7" and weighs 200 pounds. Originally drafted by the Minnesota Wild in 2006, the 23 year old, had not joined the team and if/when he come to Philly for rookie camp he will be experiencing his first taste of professinal North American hockey.

For big guys who play the butterfly style, like Hovinen, speed is always a concern. North American hockey is a lot more compact than that of the Swedish Elite League he has been playing in for four years now. The rebounds and second chance opportunities come a lot faster.

Jeff Reese and his staff will undoubtedly go to work quickly on Hovinen. He has a monstrous frame, with good speed and agility he could develop into a force at the NHL level.

Don't expect another Bobrovsky, who was signed last spring, Hovinen will most likely be up and down through the AHL and the ECHL getting in some game action. I would call him a project until further progress is made.

This past season in the Swedish Elite League Hovinen post a 5-7-3 record with a 2.99 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.

2011 UFA Goalie Market

Name - Former Team - Age

Stars (Start 70+ games)
Tomas Vokoun - Florida - 34
Ilya Bryzgalov - Phoenix - 30

Number Ones (Start 60-70)
JS Giguere - Toronto - 33
Evgeni Nabokov - NYI - 35

Starters (Start 50-60)
Dwayne Roloson - Tampa Bay - 41
Marty Turco - Chicago - 35
Pascal Leclaire - Ottawa - 28

1B Goalies (Start 20-40)
Mike Smith - Tampa Bay - 29
Ray Emery - Anaheim - 28
Peter Budaj - Colorado - 28
Ty Conklin - St. Louis - 35
Jose Theodore - Minnesota - 34

Back Ups (Start 10-20 games)
Mathieu Garon - Columbus - 33
Thomas Greiss - San Jose - 25
Brian Boucher - Philadelphia - 34
Chris Osgood - Detroit - 38
Johan Hedberg - New Jersey - 38
Alex Auld - Montreal - 30
Patrick Lalime - Buffalo - 36

3rd Goalies (Start in Injury Situations)
Jeff Deslauriers - Edmonton - 27
Jason Labarbera - Phoenix - 31
Chris McElhinney - Ottawa - 27
Curtis Sanford - Montreal - 31

Ville Leino talks about his Future on 97.3 ESPN

Interview with Mike Gil in the Sports Bash on South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN. Follow 97.3 ESPN on Twitter @973ESPN.

By the Numbers: Dangers of Signing Ilya

The Flyers are in the hunt for a top tier goalie this off season and one is packing his bags in Phoenix as we speak. The 30 year old russian goaltender, Ilya Bryzgalov is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. And with a sub-par goalie market the proven star will have the ball in his court.

Evgeni Nabokov's name will be ringing in the heads of both Ilya and his agent until pen is put to paper. Last season Nabokov refused to signing for what teams strangled by the cap, including the flyers, could offer him and went off to the KHL.

Making $4.25 million last season, Bryz's salary was in the lower range for bonafide stars, but once again he was playing in Phoenix and took a bit of a pay cut. Keep in mind that the Flyers and Capitals are the two cup contending teams who are looking to bring in a goalie. Washington has 8.5M in cap space and plenty more coming with the departure of Arnott, Sturm, and Hannan.

The Flyers on the other hand, have a tad over 860,000 right now. If Powe, Carcillo, O'Donnell, Boucher, Boynton and Zherdev are let go this off season, as all are potential free agents, the Flyers would have just under 7.5M dollars to spend.

The thing to pay attention to is the annual fluctuation of the salary cap. Since the NHL's profit grows every year the salary cap tends to grow accordingly. Here's is an excerpt from Larry Brooks article in the NYP,

"The NHLPA has told agents that the union projects a salary cap of approximately $62.2 million next season if the players vote to trigger the 5-percent escalator."

Cap room is precious to the Flyers as they will face a rough summer of 2012. Carle and Coburn will be UFAs if not re-signed and Kris Versteeg and James van Riemsdyk will be RFAs. Signing Bryz for a high paying long term deal would essentially strip the Flyers of two young, talented, core players.

Don't forget about the openings left by those who departed to make cap space for Bryzgalov. The Flyers would have 10 forwards on NHL contracts with Nodl and Leino set to be re-signed, filling out the offense. Sean O'Donnell's spot could be filled by one of Danny Syvret or Erik Gustaffson. Brian Boucher's back-up gig by Leighton or Backlund.

The effects of a hefty long term deal would not be evident at first but adding another big contract to a team of big contracts is well, refer to the Chicago Blackhawks. Am I missing the point? A top goalie could be all this team needs to win a cup. So does the risk out-weigh the rewards? That's your call.

Summer Surgeries Part II

Last season I made a a quick post highlighting Leino and Carcillo's injuries. This season is a completely different story. And this one quite well tells why the Flyers had been playing some of their worst hockey of the season down the stretch.

Chris Pronger underwent successful surgery on a herniated disc in his back and expects to be walking tomorrow. Expected to be ready come training camp. Vague timetable.

Kris Versteeg had surgery on two abdominal tears, he begins rehabbing in 10 days.

Mike Richards underwent surgery on his wrist that had been injured for months, explaining a lot about his sub-par play.

Blair Betts underwent surgery to repair a broken finger, should rehab quickly.

Andrej Meszaros also had surgery on his wrist. Who would have guess this guy would have had a torn cartilage and still play 30+ every night?

Michael Leighton may have been in surgery longer than he was in net this season. Leights had surgery on a torn labrum in his shoulder.

Carter still has his knee/hip injury lingering from that first round series. Also, Scotty Hartnell has been dealing with some hip issues. As of right now, neither will require surgery.

I'm sure there are others, mostly those who are set to be UFAs/RFAs that would rather not have their injuries publicized right away. The good news, none seems to require a long rehab, all should be ready for the 2011-2012 season.

Flyers Radar 5/12/11

The same story as last offseason for the Flyers, they are looking to bring in a goalie. Last season they made runs at Dan Ellis, Evgeni Nabokov, and Marty Turco. However, none panned out nor were any that serious. Sergei Bobrovsky was the Flyers number on last season and went on to win 28 games. But, there is a struggling AHL team in Adirondack that could use his services if he is not the start next season.

It is known Bob isn't a back up, so, if any legitimate starter is brought in he will most likely find himself in the AHL. Chance are, with Leighton and Backlund still under contract one of them will be the number 2 and Boucher will be let go, as he is set to become a UFA on July 1st.

The names popping up around the Flyers blogosphere are familiar. That of, Jonathan Bernier of the LA Kings, Corey Schneider of the Vancouver Canucks, and Florida's Tomas Vokoun.

However, a couple new names have been bounced around lately. They are Phoenix's Ilya Bryzgalov who is set to become a free agent and oddly enough Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres. It has been known that Bryz, much like Vokoun, would like a chance to win and a pay raise, two things that may not be out of the Flyers range.

Ryan Miller's name came flying out of left field faster than a Pat Burrell throw. And just as you are right now, I laughed. But then I serious'd and checked out what some Sabres fans were saying about it. Surprisingly, Miller had gone through a down season and Enroth looked superb in a late season call up and fans were willing to deal their star goaltender.

This would undoubtedly cause a major shake up in Buffalo and maybe not one that new owner Terry Pegula would like to see in his first off season. But if the deal were made the Sabres would make out heavily. The Flyers don;t have any picks but they do have a wealth of talent depth. In a trade the Sabres would likely receive a budding forward such as James van Riemsdyk along with one of Carle or Coburn. A great rock to start building around on both ends of the ice.

I doubt the chances of this happening especially with a fore-mentioned new owner. Ilya Bryzgalov is currently has the highest chance of happening.

Flyers FA List 2011

UFA
Nik Zherdev
(16 goals and 6 assists in 56 games)
Ville Leino
(19 goals and 34 assists in 81 games)
Sean O'Donnell
(18 points and +8 in 81 games)
Brian Boucher
(18-10-4 in 34 games)

RFA
Daniel Carcillo
(127 PIM and 4 goals in 57 games)
Darroll Powe
(17 points in 81 games)
Andreas Nodl
(11 goals and 11 assists in 67 games)

NHL Free Agency 2011 Headquaters

Flyers Free Agents 

UFA

Ilya Bryzgalov
(Acquired from PHO)
Signing

Nik Zherdev
(16 goals and 6 assists in 56 games)

Ville Leino
(19 goals and 34 assists in 81 games)
Talks to 973ESPN

Sean O'Donnell
(18 points and +8 in 81 games)

Brian Boucher
(18-10-4 in 34 games)

RFA

Daniel Carcillo
(127 PIM and 4 goals in 57 games)

Darroll Powe
(17 points in 81 games)
Case of  Darroll Powe 

Andreas Nodl
(11 goals and 11 assists in 67 games)

League  

All NHL Teams Needs

Sleeper Free Agent Goalies

UFA Goalie Market

Patrick Thoresen Breakdown

Minor League Signings
Niko Hovinen - Goaltender

Matt Carle

Matt Carle
26 years old - September 25th
Defenseman
Quiet / Defensive
Drafted: 47th overall in 2003 by SJS
Acquired: Trade w/ TBL in 2009

Salary: 3,500,000
Length: 1 year (UFA)




Matt Carle came into Philly as a defenseman with a high potential and was later greeted with one helluva defensive pairing with Chris Pronger. Carle's play has been stellar since coming to Philly from Tampa Bay. Keep in mind he is a quiet, defensive defenseman.

Carle has logged 8 goals in his three season with Philadelphia and tallied 13 assists in last year's playoff run. His goals have been clutch, two seasons ago he sent the game to overtime in a game that later ended in a shootout win to secure the Flyers a playoff spot.

After this season the Flyers will have a big question, to re-sign Matt Carle or not. They have a lot of defensive prospects but it is unknown if they will be able to match what Carle has done for this team. One thing to be said, Carle had one goal this season and that looms largely when looking back.

Oskars Bartulis

Oskars Bartulis
24 years old - January 21st
Defenseman
Offensive
Drafted: 91st overall in 2005 by PHI

Salary: 600,000
Length: 2 years



Bartulis's career with the Flyers has been a murky one. He hasn't broken out but he hasn't flatten down. Bartulis projects as an offensive defenseman as he had played offense until he joined the Moncton Wildcats of the WHL.

Bartulis suffered a season ending shoulder injury in February after a hit landed by former Flyer Scottie Upshall. Oskars will continue to serve as the Flyers 7th defenseman next season when healthy.

Andreas Nodl

Andreas Nodl
24 years old
Winger
Grinder / Playmaker
Drafted: 39th overall in 2006 by PHI
2nd NHL player from Austria

Salary: N/A
Length: RFA



Andreas Nodl had finally broken into the Flyers line up this season after having a great college career at Saint Cloud State Univesity. Noodles plays a very well rounded game where he can contribute with great hands and stellar defense.

He projects as a 2nd or 3rd line winger who can play with and against anybody. Nodl is currently a restricted free agent since coming off of his entry level contract, in no way will the Flyers let this guy go.

Kris Versteeg

Kris Versteeg
24 years old - May 13th
Left/Right Winger
Scorer / Grinder
Drafted: 134th overall in 2004 by BOS
Acquired: Trade w/ TOR in 2011

Salary: 3,000,000
Length: 1 year (RFA)



Not even a season after beating the Flyers in the finals Kris Versteeg joined them. Steeger is small but tough and plays a great style of hockey. When acquired he had racked up 14 goals with Toronto and went on to have 8 more with Philadelphia in a few months time.

Versteeg is an odd character, at only 25 he is with his fourth franchise. Boston gave up on the winger sending him to Chicago for Brandon Bochenski, who was brought in for depth in the playoffs. Later Chicago had to let him go after not having the cap room to keep him. Finally, Toronto and Brian Burke decided he was not their style of player and sent him to Philadelphia in exchange for a 3rd round pick.

This guy plays the game right, he hustles for loose pucks and forechecks with the best of them. His scoring touch can be very streaky. Set to be a restricted free agent next season, the Flyers may save some cap room to work him into their future for a long time to come.

Flyers Salary Cap

NHL Salary Cap: $59,400,000
Flyers Payroll: $58,969,155
Cap Space: $430,845

*All contract as entering 2011-2012 season.*
Highest paid players pictured.

Forwards
Blair Betts 1 year at 700,000 (UFA)
Danny Briere 4 years at 6.5M

Dan Carcillo Restricted Free Agent

Jeff Carter 10 years at 5.272M
Claude Giroux 3 years at 3.75M
Scotty Hartnell 2 years at 4.2M
Ian Laperriere 1 year at 1.667M (UFA)

Ville Leino Unrestricted Free Agent

Andreas Nodl Restricted Free Agent

Darroll Powe Restriced Free Agent

Mike Richards 9 years at 5.75M
Jody Shelley 2 years at 1.1M
James van Riemsdyk 1 year at 1.65M (RFA)
Kris Versteeg 1 year at 3.1M (RFA)

Nik Zherdev Unrestricted Free Agent

Defense
Oskars Bartulis 2 years at 600,000

Nick Boynton Unrestricted Free Agent

Matt Carle 1 year at 3.5M (UFA)
Braydon Coburn 1 year at 3.2M (UFA)
Andrej Meszaros 3 years at 4M

Sean O'Donnell Unrestricted Free Agent

Chris Pronger 6 years at 5M
Kimmo Timonen 2 years at 6.33M


Goaltenders

Ilya Bryzgalov Unrestricted Free Agent

Sergei Bobrovsky 2 years at 1.75M

Brian Boucher Unrestricted Free Agent

Michael Leighton 1 year at 1.5M (UFA)


Non-Cap Hits
Matt Walker 2 years at 1.7M - Cleared Waivers.

The Flyers have the rights of all UFAs until July 1st and RFA until they are either released or traded, however, they become UFAs if not re-signed by the start of next season.

All numbers derived from CapGeek. They do this a lot better than I can, check out the full stats there.

Tom Sestito

Tom Sestito
23 years old
Left Winger
Power Forward
6'5"
230 lbs
Drafted: 85th overall in 2006 by CLB
Acquired: Trade w/ CLB 2010




The Flyers feel Sestito has all the tools to be a force in the NHL, as evident when they traded Micheal Chaput, their first pick in last year's draft,  for the winger. Sestito finished this season in the AHL with the Phantoms after spending the beginning of the season with Columbus's affiliate Springfield.

The big winger, once compared to Todd Bertuzzi, has the size and hands to be a powerplay component while being able to get involved with his fists. In a call up with Columbus early in the 2010 season, Sestito earned time with the second powerplay unit.

His name has been brought up recently due to Danny Carcillo's contract situation. Car Bomb is set to be a restricted free agent and could be let go for salary cap reasons. If so, Sestito will be the top candidate to take over his position.

You can follow Tom on twitter @TomSestito23

The Second Round Playoff Picture

as of 5/12/11.

Flyers OffSeason Storylines

Free Agents
VILLE LEINO will be a free agent come July 1st. There were contract talks this season, expect him to re-sign.

NIK ZHERDEV, unless he takes a pay cut he will be untendered come July 1st.

DANNY CARCILLO and DARROLL POWE will be Restricted free agents, which both were last season. Could see these two going either way, replacements are in waiting.

ANDREAS NODL will be a restricted free agent, the Flyers will do everything in their power to re-sign him.

NICK BOYNTON most likely will not be back for the Flyers.

SEAN O'DONNELL, likely it will be up to him. He played great all season and the Flyers would like him back next year. Keep in Mind he considered retirement after last season.

BRIAN BOUCHER will most likely be let go as he is set to be an UFA come July 1st. The Flyers will have the cap room to go after a marquee goaltender in free agency and also still have Leighton for another year.

Draft Picks
1st: NONE - w/ Anaheim (Pronger Trade)
2nd: NONE - w/ Phoenix (Carcillo Trade)
3rd: NONE - w/ Toronto (Versteeg Trade)
4th: TWO - own, Tampa Bay (Gagne Trade)
5th: NONE - w/ Detroit (Leino Trade)
6th: own
7th: own

Who will be the Goaltender?
Sergei Bobrovsky? Ilya Bryzgalov? Maybe even J.S. Giguere?
The Flyers will have a good amount of cap room, especially if some of the free agents above are not re-signed. Sergei is the goalie of the future but this team wants to win now. Will have posts following every inch of this situation.

An Offseason to Deal?
The Flyers have a great young core with Carter, Richards, Giroux, van Riemsdyk, and Versteeg. Older guys like Hartnell, Shelley could be looking for new real estate in exchange for some draft picks and cap room. Not trying to start controversy, speculating.

Prospects Galore!
Bourdon, Marshall, Gustaffson, Kalinski, Wellwood; be excited Flyers nation. These guys will have a chance to make the roster and possible fill up some spots left open after this process.

Nothing better than blogging to get my mind off of a series like that. Thanks to all my viewers, I look forward to the future of the Orange and the Black and Ice On Broad Street.
-Cody Gray

ECSF Game 4 Notes - Flyers @ Bruins

The Flyers, once again, have their backs against the wall. This time the teams meet up in Boston. Tonight at 8.

Headlines
Pronger (back/hamstring) is a game time decision. Expect the veteran defenseman to play this game.

Carter will play tonight after returning to the line up last game. Carter had missed practice on Thursday.

Sergei Bobrovsky will start his third game of the post season. Boucher will back him up.

Boston's Adam McQuade will be out tonight. The Bruins will likely dress 6 defensemen, but only solidly rotate 5.

Flyers Scratches
Backlund, Bartulis, Boynton, Holmstrom, Leighton, Nodl, Rinaldo, Shelley, Syvret, Walker.

Flyers Lines
Hartnell Briere Leino / Carter Richards Versteeg / JvR Giroux Zherdev / Carcillo Betts Powe.

Pronger O'Donnell / Carle Meszaros / Timonen Coburn.

Bobrovsky / Boucher.

Lending an Outlandish Point of View to Game 4

With the Flyers being completely out played and now with their back against the wall down 3-0 against a Bruins team that has look extraordinary this series, is a comeback in the making?

I'm going to start off by saying game three was a must win for Boston. Hard to believe? The Bruins and their fans are afraid of the Flyers and want to bury them asap. Even one loss and the wheels could fall out from under, especially a game four win.

From my perspective this Flyers team is extremely talented with their one flaw being exploited to the fullest. These past 10 games have been the Flyers worst stretch of games played this season. But in light of all of this they have made it to the second round and now still have a chance to advance.

The talent up and down this line up in unmatched by any other team in the league when they are clicking. But that has been the problem, nothing is clicking. Think of it this way, all this team has to do is win four straight games. This is an extraordinary team from top to bottom that can win four straight!

Lets keep hope alive Flyers nation. If Bobrovsky can give the Flyers a modest effort each game, this team should be able to carry him. And that's what it is going to take; a full, 60 minute, game where everyone plays with heart and never stops hustling. Take each game as they come and treat every game as if it were a game seven and the wins will come out of the hunger.

Expect game four to be played a lot like game two. The Flyers have to fend off the Bruins and stay in the game through the first period. So far the Flyers have given up 17 goals in the 1st periods of their playoff 10 games. I expect Mike Richards to rise form the dead and finally show this nation why he wears the C.

Thanks for listening to me rant and lets get ready for games five and seven in Philly!

Food for Thought - Flyers tried to Sign Nabokov

But all was for not as the goaltender signed in KHL later to be hoarded by the Islanders.

ECSF Game 3 Notes - Carter In, Pronger Out, Lines Shaken Up.

The Flyers head into Boston still looking for their first win of the second round.

Boucher will start his fourth straight, Bob will back him up.
Jeff Carter is back in the lineup after missing the last five games.
Chris Pronger is out again with what CSN's Tim Panotchio says are "back and
hamstring" injuries.

This is how Pronger most likely became injured:


Flyers Scratches: Backlund, Bartulis, Boynton, Holmstrom, Leighton, Nodl, Pronger, Rinaldo, Shelley, Walker.

Flyers Lines:
JvR Giroux Carter
Hartnell Briere Leino
Zherdev Richards Versteeg
Carcillo Betts Powe

Meszaros Carle
Coburn Timonen
O'Donnell Syvret

Boucher Bobrovsky

Headlines on the trip to Bean Town

The Flyers find themselves in yet another hole going down in consecutive home games. To make matters worse, the Flyers were without Chris Pronger last night due to a "back" injury. With Carter and Nodl still day-to-day, this team is flailing into a much to premature goodbye.

Boston is now 5-1 against the Flyers this season and have a 2-0 series lead. The first game was utter dominance by the Bruins as the Flyers did not look ready to play. But game 2 was a heart breaker, a game that was dominated by the orange and black was quickly ended by a bone-crushing OT goal.

Now to Boston and to begin another comeback attempt. In light, the Flyers have seen James van Riemsdyk fire 3 goals in the first two games of this series and knock his playoff total up to 7 goals in 9 games. Brian Boucher has looked solid and has only been beaten by either fluke goals or his own defensemen making fatal errors, which was the case for all three goals on Monday.

The Bruins have found a new scorer in David Krejci, who now has 4 goals in 2 games after tallying just 13 goals all season. Brad Marchant has also had a coming out party as he has stepped up with 2 goals and a bevy a hard-nose plays.

Pronger status is a huge issue going into game 3. The Flyers powerplay fell back a few flight of stairs last night after not converting once including a chance in the final two minutes of regulation.

Jody Shelley returned on Monday, however, he quickly found the bench and saw very few minutes in the final two periods and overtime. Carter and Nodl and "everyone else who didn't skate Monday" according to Paul Holmgren is "day-to-day." Take that with a pinch of salt.

Boucher will be the starter in game 3 despite leaving game 2 with a hand/finger injury. He returned and played solid in the loss.

Game 3 is in Boston wednesday at 700.