If you count the number of fights Ian Laperriere has had as an NHL players, including pre-season and post-season, it's 189.
That's a lot of fights for this latest Flyer.
"What can I say? I'm a dirty player," he kidded with me today after the presser to officially introduce him into Flyerdom.
Frankly, I don't know what the Flyers are going to do with all these tough guys, which has resulted in lots of emails about how Paul Holmgren is going to "goon it up" next fall: Arron Asham, Dan Carcillo, Riley Cote and now Laperriere, who brings more to the table in terms of overall leadership and penalty killing.
I don't see the Flyers going the entire season with all four guys. They still have 19 or 20 players, depending on how you see their roster. And not a helluva lot of money left over to carry three more players since Holmgren wants just 22 this year.
Unless ... they bring a couple of Phantoms or prospects into their lineup. Can Patrick Maroon play this year? Holmgren suggested on CSNPhilly.com on Tuesday that Maroon stood out during the prospect camp.
I think James van Riemsdyk plays half a season in the AHL and then comes up. I wonder if Kevin Marshall can duplicate what Luca Sbisa did and go right from junior to the NHL. Holmgren was equally impressed with Marshall in the prospect camp.
These are the kind of moves that could save the Flyers valuable cap dollars. Right now, they have only about $2.4 million in cap space left.
Laperriere had some good things to say this afternoon at his introductory presser. He also told me he and his wife have picked out a house in South Jersey so, he won't be hanging out on Center City.
For more on Laperriere, click onto CSNPhilly.com:
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I agree with Holmgren that Dale Tallon got a raw deal in Chicago. And the more I ask people about it, the Blackhawks didn't fire Tallon as GM over the qualifying offers flap two weeks ago. It appears some in the organization was looking for reasons to jettison Tallon in a front-office takeover coup.
All the positive publicity that the Hawks generated this season under Rocky Wirtz just got flushed down the hopper.
Amazing. And sad, too.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger • 
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