Return to Sender: Blair Betts Back With Flyers

In an unexpected twist to the start of the hockey season, the Montreal Canadiens are sending Blair Betts back to the Flyers after claiming the fourth liner on waivers last Wednesday. Betts apparently failed a physical with their organization and was deemed Flyers property again by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

The news puts Betts and general manager Paul Holmgren in an awkward situation. Betts has officially cleared waivers and can be sent down to the Adirondack Phantoms to clear salary cap space in the short-term, but the organization has gone ahead and placed Ian Laperriere on long-term injury reserve instead.  Being claimed off waivers allowed the organization to move his contract and keep him in the NHL while making contract space to keep Sean Couturier on the roster past the first nine games (which seems likely as long as the team keeps winning).

One option on the table is to simply buy out his contract and wish him luck, but I have to imagine there is a better way of making contract space for Couturier than losing Betts (a second time). Considering the team has struggled with face-offs thus far, one would think that keeping a very good face-off player with a low cap hit would be ideal. Couturier has been 7-for-17 (41%) on face-offs this season and Max Talbot 4-for-18 (22%).

Obviously he’s injured to some degree if he’s unfit to play for le bleu blanc et rouge, but Betts serves a more valuable need than Zac Rinaldo or Jody Shelley.  It all depends on whether the organization thinks the team can improve at the face-off circle in their current incarnation, and there’s no better litmus test than this Wednesday against the Vancouver Canucks.

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