July 9, 2011, analysis of Philadelphia Flyers off-sesaon personnel changes for HockeyPrimeTime.com

Login

• Home
• Headlines
• Notebooks
• Features
• Futures Watch
• Columns
• HPT RADIO
• Writers
• Contact Us

Follow us on Facebook

Flyers try on a new look

Atlantic

Written by Denis Gorman

Saturday, July 09, 2011 08:33

A second-round playoff exit is considered a successful season in some NHL cities. In Philadelphia, it was grounds for Paul Holmgren to blow up the roster. Will it work? Mike Richards termed his conversation with Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren as "emotional." The Flyers captain was on a conference call with reporters a few hours after he was traded to Los Angeles. He was asked to describe the words he shared with his former GM, then his feelings about starting anew. "I wanted to stay in Philly for the rest of my career," Richards said. AROUND THE ATLANTIC "I love the city of Philadelphia and I love the organization. It's tough to leave. I guess you don't understand it's a business until you're traded." Professional sports can be a cruel industry, focused on the bottom line. The bottom line, to Holmgren, was that it was evident in the final 15 weeks of the season that he desperately needed to break up a team that had lost its way. Despite finishing the regular season with 103 points, the Flyers lost 18 of their final 32 games and were swept by Boston in the second round of the playoffs. Sergei Bobrovsky, Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher were unable to provide quality goaltending and the team as a whole displayed a shocking lack of maturity. Changes were necessary. But the organization's personnel decisions have brought about the same amount of critical success as the latest Michael Bay blow-'em-up excuse of a film in recent history. Holmgren acquired the negotiating rights to Phoenix goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov in early June. Twenty-four hours before the NHL draft, Holmgren traded sniper Jeff Carter to Columbus, and Richards to Los Angeles. By dealing Carter and Richards for Brayden Schenn, Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds, and what turned out to be Sean Couturier and Nick Cousins with the draft picks, Holmgren shaved $109.6 million worth of long-term contracts off the Flyers' cap – enough to lock up Bryzgalov to a nine-year, $51 million mega pact. The rebuilding plan was convoluted in M. Night Shyamalan fashion over the course of several hours on the first day of free agency by signing 39-year old Jaromir Jagr (one year, $3.3 million), 27-year old Max Talbot (five years, $9 million) and 36-year old Andreas Lilja (two years, $1.475 million). But what are the 2011-12 Flyers other than a chemistry experiment? Either Holmgren has concocted the formula that brings Philadelphia its first Cup since May 27, 1975, or his personnel moves explode like so many high school chem lab experiments gone awry. Moreover, it's fair to wonder where the Flyers will finish in an improved Eastern Conference. Washington augmented the East's best squad by bringing in a legitimate No. 1 goaltender, Tomas Vokoun, grinding forward Troy Brouwer and defenseman Roman Hamrlik. Montreal signed power forward Erik Cole from Carolina, who rebuilt a team that missed the playoffs by two points. The Rangers landed the premier UFA on the market in center Brad Richards. Buffalo added 27-year old Ville Leino to a six-year, $27 million deal and Christian Ehrhoff to a 10-year, $40 million contract. Leino scored 21 goals and 36 assists in 94 games over the two seasons with the Flyers. The decision to allow him to walk is baffling; he will be on a career upswing when Jagr is retired and Talbot shuttles between Philadelphia's third and fourth lines. In the short term, Holmgren's personnel moves created a team that will make for fascinating viewing on 24/7. But maybe one that won't win. On Twitter: @hockeyprimetime and @DenisGorman Photos by Getty Images

http://www.hockeyprimetime.com/news/atlantic/flyers-try-on-a-new-look