According to Sarah Baicker of CSN, the Philadelphia Flyers’ premier penalty killer and face-off taker Blair Betts may miss the first two months of the 2010-2011 season due to ongoing rehabilitation following off-season shoulder surgery.  Betts was injured twice last season Рfirst in the 6-5 win against the Washington Capitals in October and then again in November with a second dislocation.  Betts had told Frank Seravalli of the Philadelphia Daily News in a previous interview that he had dislocated that same shoulder multiple times.  Hopefully this surgery should prevent further injuries.
Betts had the 15th best face-off percentage in the league this past season, winning 52.6% overall.  He also averaged 3:08 short-handed minutes per game, allowing forwards Jeff Carter and Mike Richards to save more energy for even-strength time on ice.  As CSN suggested, the Flyers could serviceably fill his position with Darroll Powe, who is a natural center but has played the wing for most of his time with the Flyers.  Powe is a great fourth-line player who brings speed and grit to the line (at the expense of any scoring prowess, to be fair).  In the event that Betts is out though, the Flyers should look to Phantom forward Andreas Nodl to fill his team role.
Nodl was drafted #39 overall in the second round of the 2006 NHL draft (coincidentally, the last time the Flyers had a second round pick in the draft).  While Nodl did not become the top six winger that they were hoping for, he has converted his style into that of a defensive-minded checking forward with puck-handling abilities.  When Ian Laperriere was out of the line-up due to the unfortunate puck-in-the-face in the first round of the playoffs, Nodl stepped in prominently and the penalty killing special teams didn’t miss a beat.
Nodl may not have earned his roster spot during the 2008-2009 season, but his time with the Phantoms has more than prepared him to make the jump to the NHL as a third or fourth line player next season.  His salary is also favorable in the context of the team’s salary situation.
