When a team is so painstakingly close to a championship but can’t finish the job, changes are inevitable. Typically, that team’s general manager will make a few tweaks here and there without drastically altering its core.
That’s the thing about Flyers G.M. Paul Holmgren; he’s not your typical G.M. and he’s decided that the Flyers needed a makeover.
Holmgren traded his team’s leading goal scorer, Jeff Carter, and face of the franchise captain, Mike Richards, within an hour of each other on June 23rd in order to make his team a more legitimate Stanley Cup threat. It had become fairly obvious that the core in place would not be able to get the job done. With an all or nothing franchise like the Flyers in an all or nothing city like Philadelphia, good isn’t good enough. Even though these deals may be bitter pills for Flyer fans to swallow, Holmgren, made his team much better than it was at the end of the season.
The deal that sent Carter to Columbus was an absolute steal. Losing a leading goal scorer is always tough, but the additions enabled by this trade will make Jeff Carter a distant memory to Flyer fans.
While there is more than enough depth to replace Carter, the same couldn’t be said in the goaltender department. The trade allowed salary cap relief for the Flyers to sign Ilya Bryzgalov, the much sought after, long awaited franchise goalie. As we saw with Tim Thomas’ performance in this year’s playoffs, goaltending is of the utmost importance. Bryzgalov, by all accounts a top five goalie in the league, is a wizard between the pipes. With a talent-laden team like the Flyers, I would trade my top goal scorer for a franchise goaltender, which is basically what Holmgren did.
Not only did the trade allow for the Flyers to sign Bryzgalov, it also brought promising young winger Jakub Voracek, the 8th overall pick, which turned out to be stud prospect center Sean Couturier, and a 3rd round pick, center Nick Cousins, in last month’s draft. This was an excellent move by Holmgren to not only make the team better now but also stock up for the future.
The Richards deal was all about one thing: culture change. We all now know that the reports of locker room unrest that leaked shortly after the season were true. You just can’t win with that type of environment in the room.
I’m the biggest Mike Richards supporter you will find. I love the physical, intense way he plays the game. Nevertheless, I will firmly believe Richards had to be dealt if the culture of this team was going to be changed to a more professional and winning-type culture necessary to finally claim the big prize. What if he stayed but was stripped of the captaincy? He likely would be extremely unhappy which could further affect the locker room negatively. Holmgren did what he had to do by trading his team’s captain.
Just as he did in the Carter deal, Holmgren did very well in his returns in this deal. Make no mistake, prized prospect Brayden Schenn is the crown jewel of this trade. Schenn, who will turn 20 in August, is one of the best, if not the best, prospects in the game. He absolutely shredded the Canadian junior league tallying 116 goals and 199 assists over four seasons and just oozes superstar potential. Odds are he will make an impact with the Flyers this upcoming year.
Winger Wayne Simmonds, who is coming off a bit of a down year, is that gritty, feisty, but skilled kind of player Flyer fans adore. Expect a big season out of Simmonds. He will thrive here in this environment. Philadelphia also acquired L.A’s 2nd round draft pick in 2012. Who knows what the crafty Holmgren will do with that pick to further improve his team?
Holmgren was far from finished as he and the Flyers played the role of the wild card on the first day of free agency. Philadelphia lured Jaromir Jagr back from Russia and the KHL and signed former Penguin villian Maxime Talbot to snatch him away from their blood rivals in Pittsburgh. The Flyers also dealt underwhelming forward Kris Versteeg to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 2nd round draft pick in either 2012 or 2013 and a 3rd round draft pick in 2012.
These were impressive moves by the sly Holmgren. Although he is almost 40, Jagr is a risk worth taking. He brings an electric scoring touch that can strike at any time, especially when he plays with centers the caliber of Danny Briere and Claude Giroux. Don’t forget about his leadership and winning experience, both of which are imperative to a team looking to get over the hump. Talbot is a guy you loathe playing against but love to have on your squad. He is the ultimate glue guy and an Ian Laperriere clone who will sacrifice and do whatever it takes to win. Like Jagr, he knows how to win. It’s a huge plus anytime you add guys of that caliber to your team.
So, within the past few weeks Holmgren has signed a franchise goaltender, loaded up for the franchise’s future, led a change to a more winning-type culture and atmosphere, and added invaluable winning experience while maintaining a spectacular defensive core and improving a legitimate Stanley Cup contending squad. All in all, not too shabby. Not too shabby.
Let’s not get carried away. Stanley Cup!? Cut it out. They ripped up & rebuilt the entire forward lineup, Pronger possibly isn’t going to be ready for the start of the season, & that is a lot of pressure to put on a roster full of young kids. Not to mention their scoring depth & the chemistry factor. It’s going to take months for this team to gel. Right now i’d be happy if they make the Playoffs this first year of the rebuild. Let’s take a chill pill.
Wow, this is extremely optimistic.
I love the Flyers, even more than the birds, but I don’t think the Cup this year. But I do hope I’m wrong.
I agree that it is really optimistic to think that they would win a cup this year. the kids would have to make huge strides including Schenn for this to happen or they would have to make a big splash at the deadline.
DD actually hit on the most important thing in my mind… Pronger. If he is healthy in the playoffs last year, it is a different story. Not saying that they woulda won, but they wouldn’t have floundered like they did.
I don’t agree with the premise of your opening statement, that the Flyers have been “Painstakingly close to a Stanley Cup”
They’ve made the Stanley Cup Finals once (2010) for the first time in Years so how have they been painstakingly close.. WHat this team has really lacked in my opinion is real leadership in the Lockeroom and on the Ice and a legitimate Goalie to handle the pressure of Playoff Hockey…
The Flyers are better than average Franchise, but making 3 Stanley Cup Finals Appearances in about 20-25 years time, while having so many early exits in the Playoffs doesn’t make them painstakingly close, it makes them underachievers in my book and probably one of the most overrated Sport Franchises in all of Sport and definitely the most overrated in Philly Sports
I wish the local media would call the Flyers and their Owner Ed Snider out more often ainstead of treating him and many Flyer players with kid gloves like they have over the last 30 years…
Bugsy, your right, & Pronger would have been that toughness & DF presence, in front of the net & the DF zone boards that we didn’t have. The Bruins took our lunch & made us look like mighty mites. I agree, he alone wouldn’t have been the difference in the series winner. I like all the moves they made, they have gotten younger, faster, alot bigger & tougher. But age, chemistry & finding consistent offense, is a going to be a big problem. Bryzgalov is going to be a stud.
I think Bryz will be a huge bust and set this Flyer Franchise back a good 3-4 Years…I never trust a Russian and especially a Russian Hockey player. I haven’t seen much from him to think he’s a stud..
Pronger is on his last legs and though he is well respected and a natural leader, but he is nowhere near the player he was 3-4 Years ago and to count on him as beinf on the #1 Defensive Pair is just stupid at this point of his career…
I do like the trades they made and the young talent they received in return
and they have become bigger and tougher which is what Playoff Hockey is really about, but it will take some time for teh young players to mesh in with the line-up and mature as a unit but they are building a solid foundation with good young hockey players…
I know it’s early but I am predicting a 6th/7th Place Seed and a 1st Round loss in next years Playoffs to yes, those Buffalo Sabres..
Paulman, you’re taking the “football” approach to hockey. The playoffs in hockey are a whole different beast. You need to win 3 seven game series to even make it to the finals. That’s at minimum 12 wins, but more like 15 – 20 wins. So needless to say, making it to the Stanley Cup Finals is the hardest thing to do in all of professional sports. The Stanley Cup is BY FAR the hardest championship to win…and I would love for you to argue otherwise.
You can’t say things like “early exits” in hockey playoffs. You can play a tough ass 7 game series in the second round and be knocked out by one bounce of the puck. It isn’t like football, where if you lose in the first or second round it is a disappointment and consisdered an “early exit”. Hockey is 10x harder to advance in than football. It is why you see so many #1 and #2 seeds get knocked out early.
“Playoffs doesn’t make them painstakingly close, it makes them underachievers in my book and probably one of the most overrated Sport Franchises in all of Sport and definitely the most overrated in Philly Sports.” – this is one of the most idiotic statements I have ever heard…or read. The Flyers have been the most consistent franchise in the past decade if not longer. “overrated” and “underachievers” really? It is clear you know nothing about hockey, the sport, or the local team. Please stop with this nonsense. Yes, they haven’t won a Stanley Cup, but the fact that they’ve had a chance to win won more so than ANY sports team in this city….well….fuck it…its pointless trying to explain
Paulman, again….your first two statements in that last post are idiotic. Just stop trying to talk about a sport you obviously know nothing about and go chat up about the Eagles.
1 – Bryz is easily a top 5 goalie in the league right now. No question….where do you even get the right to call him a “huge bust”. And set the franchise back 3-4 years…..he is the best goalie they have had in 15 years….so where exactly does that logic come from?? Oh and a side note…..some of your best hockey players come from Russia….news flash – the cold war is over.
2 – Pronger is a hall of famer. First ballot shoe in no doubt about it hall of famer. If you ask every team in the NHL, they would want Pronger on their team. AND they would want him to be on their first defensive pairing. The things your don’t realize about Pronger because you’ve obviously never played hockey…is that he shrinks the defensive zone. He is a mastermind at closing gaps and getting his stick on the puck. Secondly, he is a defensman….which means he is capable of playing a lot longer in regards to his age. Look up guys like Paul Coffey and Ray Bourque…..Pronger is easily in a class with these guys, if not better.
You’re points have no validity to them…other than being nonsensical. Stop acting like you know about hockey….because as a hockey player…it is so painstakingly obvious that you don’t know anything.
DAMN Paul, & I thought I was a pessimist. Paul he has been runner up for the Vezina the last 2 years, with a horrific team, that he carried into the playoffs. I agree about Pronger though. He worries me a bit. The Flyers management won’t say it, but this is a rebuilding year. They will be lucky to make the playoffs, let alone compete for a cup.
Paulman you’re out of control. Never trust a Russian hockey player? Bryz a bust?? where’s the opinion nazi when you need him?? lol
RR, BWAHAHA!!! LMFBO!!!
paulman is such a doushe, dude might possibly be the biggest strapper I have ever come acrossed and thats really saying something.
Holmgren made some great moves, but it will take a while for the team to gell, forge an identity.
Big question is Pronger…He contributed zero on the ice last year, and now has back problems in addition to everything else…Whatever his leadership/locker room abilities are, he is going to have to show he can contribute for a full, or a majority of a season on the ice.
Answer me this Eaglesz Believer,
The Eagles have been very consistent over the AR era with NFC East Crowns and 9 Playoff Appearances out of the last 12 Years with 1 Super Bowl appearance and 5 Championship games.. Why do the media,fans and hold te Eagles to a different standard if the Eagles don’t win a Super Bowl, and state that their season was a failure or that changes have to made,or that they are chaep, the HC stinks,etc,etc meanwhile the Fly-Boys get a free pass almost every year with…. It’s like the Flyer Fans and the local Media have become “Stepford Wives to Ed Snider” , It’s a joke and I am tired about thiese damn Canadiens getting a free-pass every year…
Pronger was a very good player in his prime, but he was never in the same class of a Paul Coffey/Ray Borque/Nicklas Lindstrom and especiallly now late in his career.. Go ahead and be the typical Philly fan who has to overrate his team and players…
Bryz, what has he accomplished career to date in the NHL.. Russian players are very skilled and talented but many/most don’t seem to be able to make the adjustment of playing consistenly in the NHL and adjusting to living in the States, dealing with the media, locker room comraderie,etc,etc,
I enjoy Hockey and played it for about 10-12 years and follow the playoffs and which you are correct is the most difficult test in all of sports to determine a Champion, but the Flyers, like the Eagles are simply an above average teams year in and year out, with the occasional strong team from time to time but I never did understand why the media and the fans treat the Flyers with kid gloves and differently than the Eagles and Phils..
Anser to you Paulman:
First – I’ve always said on here and anywhere that the Eagels have always been a good team. They have been in the playoffs and won more games than most NFL teams in the past decade. The reason the Eagles are held to a different standard is because they must only win 4 games to win the Superbowl. Where as, the Flyers must win a minimun of 16…but more often than not 20+. It is 10x harder to win a Stanley Cup than it is to win a Superbowl. I agree to some extent that the Eagles are more often criticized by the media more so than the Flyers. However, I attribute that to the NFL being such a more well-known, more well-covered league than the NHL. Let’s face the fact, the NHL is the 3rd, sometimes the 4th least cared about league in all of professional sports. So that is why the Eagles are criticized so vigorously.
Second, Pronger would make the Top 10 or Top 15 on most peoples All-Time defenseman lists. Borque & Coffey would surely make the Top 10. When your talking about the Top 15 of all-time, anyone on that list is “in the same clase”. Maybe it’s unfair to compare Pronger to some of those names, becuase the likes of Borque & Coffey & Lindstrom were/are more offensive type defenseman rather than the stay at home/shut down type that Pronger is. Regardless, I’m not overrating him because he is on the Flyers. If he was on the Ducks still I’d still say he is a Top 15 defenseman of all-time…and you’d be hard pressed to find many who disagree.
Third – what has bryz accomplished in his career….well here you go: he’s been a starter in the NHL for four years….each year he was Top 10 in Saves and shots against, three of the four years he was Top 10 in: games played, save % & minutes played…in two of the four he was Top 10 in: wins, goals against (top 5 both), shutouts, goals against average……so right there in 4 years he was Top 10 in every major statistical category. In 09-10, he was an All-Star…in 06-07 he won a Stanley Cup…he was the Veznia runner up in 2010 (6th in voting in 2011). All in all….this guy is good. Everyone in the league agrees…he is a top 5 goalie. Enough said.
Russian players – take a look at some of the ones who “do make the transition”…..Ovechkin, Stamkos, Datsyuk, Kovalchuk, Malkin, Semin, Gonchar….plus others….seriously, Russia has always been a hockey powerhouse….and a majority of today’s “stars” are either Canadian or Russian.
last three cup champs had to beat the flyers…boston, chi, pitt….just saying. paulman this team has been close.
on the fence at how this team is going to fair this year but i think they still are a legit playoff team.
1/2 the teams in Hockey make the Playoffs so the making a Playoffs is not a stretch, play .500 Hockey and you’re in.. Play .500 Football and you don’t make the playoffs.. Winning 16 games in Hockey over 4 Series where you could play a potential 28 games gives teams a chance to survice and move on even when the lay an egg once in a while where as in FOotball, you have to go perfect and win evey game to move on,. You lay 1 egg and play a poor game or even a poof half and you’re done and out of the Playoffs…
It’s too early to say Bryz is a boom or bust. The goaltender position is one of the most difficult to gauge year-to-year and he’s never played in as high-pressure environment as Philly. I think most people would agree that he’s an improvement over what we’ve had in the last 2 years.
I’m leary of Russian players too, but yes, lumping all of them together and making generalizations is not the way to assess Bryz.
I hope the best for Goalie Bryz for if he is the real deal, then the Flyers can compete for the Stanly CUp for the next few years as these young players mature and play togoether, but if he does not perform at a high level, it will set this Franchise back for monetary reasons and if they end up trading “Bobs’ then they are back to sqaure #1 as far as goaltending goes which has been this Fanchises weakness over the lasy 20 years …
I am just never sure who the Russian players mix in with a team and at Goalie and a very high paid one playing in a demanding city like Philly is a entirely different deal than playing for the Coyotes whose fans and city are just happy to have a Pro NHL team.. Philly area has a pretty good population of people from Russia so if he gets off to a good start, he can probably become a hero to many new potential fans in the Delaware Valley..
(Call me old school, I still don’t trust them though..)