Let's start off tonight with a bit of news ... Blair Betts' wife is in labor. Wish her the best ...

Kevin Allen of USA Today said this morning in a tweet that the Flyers would be ahead of everyone else in the NHL on Ilya Kovalchuk's list.

Has anyone given this any thought. How many times Russian players find unhappiness going to a team that doesn't have ANY fellow Russians?

Not sure why Kovalchuk would want to play here given that because it always becomes an issue. It's been a huge issue w/the Flyers and most clubs for a long time. The Flyers even acknowledge last summer in a series of stories I did for CSNPhilly.com that their track record with Russian players is very poor.

Someone in the Flyers told me fairly recently they realize it's an issue - it could factor into Denis Bodrov ultimately signing here, although I suspect since he signed an AHL deal, it may not. Yet the bottom line is, you better have a Russian partner whoever signs Kovalchuk because it makes life easier.

Ask Ray Shero about the value of Sergei Gonchar w/Evgeni Malkin. Ask Scotty Bowman about the Russians in Detroit and whether it would have worked having just one Russian player every so many years.

Now, KEvin Allen also suggested the Flyers have the prospects and veterans to make a dea for Kovalchuk. Not so.

All the Flyers' top vets except Jeff Carter have no trade clauses. The Flyers top prospects at this point are Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk and both play on their NHL club. They won't be dealt.

The FLyers have NO first or second round pick in 2010 and they have only a couple hundred thousand cap space right now. This won't work. It's impossible unless you moved Carter and others.

Earlier, I thought this was possibility "IF" the Flyers moved Carter and "IF" they didnt solve their scoring woes. That has all changed, hasn't it?

What the Flyers need and want is an inexpensive 6th or 7th d-man - doesn't everyone?
Danny Syvret has incurred a setback in his rehab. O-K Tollefsen plays reckless and gets hurt. Ryan Parent is hurt. The Flyers have NO depth and they don't feel Kevin Marshall is ready to help them.

Trying to find a d-man is going to be tough given, again the Flyers have little to deal, no cap space, no draft picks, etc ... And that's what this club needs come April. MOre defensive depth.

Ask Ken Hitchcock about the 2003-04 playoffs ...

BTW: I said on Bill Clement's radio show tonight that Chris Pronger is my MVP right now. He has brought tremendous stability to the back line and he is on pace to match his 2nd best season ever in the NHL w/59 points. Betts would be my special teams MVP. Ian Laperriere my unsung hero.

Pronger told me today he didn't set ANY goals - points- wise _ for this season as a FLyer. He said he expected he would be where he is because of the team, the personnel, and his minutes. Interesting.

Here's my Pronger story on CSNPhilly.com:

http://tinyurl.com/y94d8p5

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