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Quick Thoughts on Guerin and Nodl |
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When the Flyers initially gave Bill Guerin a preseason tryout at his request, my belief was it really shouldn't matter very much whether he had a good or poor preseason and I also didn't care if he produced less during the regular season than he did a year ago in Pittsburgh. Instead, was a move that could pay dividends come playoff time next spring.
Guerin wound up having a poor preseason and it was obvious that there was a difference of opinion between the coaching staff (which wanted Guerin on the club for his veteran presence) and GM Paul Holmgren (who talked up younger players every opportunity he got and seemed lukewarm at best to the idea of signing Guerin). Obviously, the GM's position won out.
Part of me wonders, however, if Homer didn't get his coaching staff on board and keep lines of communication open with Guerin by telling the player and the coaches that the door isn't necessarily closed. It would make sense to tell Guerin that he should first pursue other avenues and that the club couldn't make him any guarantees, but if he kept himself in playing shape, the team might be interested in signing him later in the season near the trade/playoff eligibility deadline.
Such an arrangement could be beneficial to both sides if Guerin does not secure a contract elsewhere for the full season. If he can avoid some of the wear-and-tear of the regular season grind, he could be fresher for the stretch drive and playoffs. At age 39, that's something that could be helpful to the player as well as the club.
During the playoffs season, when the much younger Ville Leino was running roughshod over opponents, I felt that it may have been a blessing in disguise for him to have been scratched for much of the regular season (although I'm sure he didn't see it that way). Leino looked like he had fresh legs out there, even playing with a hip that required off-season surgery, while opposing players looked worn down.
Other older veteran players, such as Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne, prolonged their careers through the partial-season approach. As long as the rules allow you to do so, why not?
For the record, if Guerin remains unsigned, I have a feeling that the Flyers may have competition from other clubs to add him to the roster in time to be playoff eligible. That's why I was in favor of going ahead and signing him for a full season. And, yes, I do believe he has enough left in the tank for one more strong playoff run, regardless of how he looked in the exhibition games.
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With the release of Guerin from his tryout arrangement and the lingering concussion-related problems that have put Ian Laperriere's hockey career in jeopardy, the Flyers have given Andreas Nodl a golden opportunity to finally establish himself as an NHL player.
Nodl did an admirable job filling in for Laperriere in the playoffs last year. He has worked very hard on his defensive game, because the offensive game he showed in college hockey has yet to translate to the pro game. If he can maintain a high energy level and develop even a semblance of an NHL offensive game (he doesn't have to be a 20-goal scorer, but he does need to at least contribute a few opportunistic goals), he'll have a career in the NHL.
If not, I suspect that he'll go the way of former Flyers Patrick Thoresen and Stefan Rucizka, who went back to Europe and have re-discovered the offensive games that they were never able to bring out in the NHL. They've drawn marginal interest from NHL clubs, but not enough to leave secure roles on Euro clubs. That could be Nodl's future if he does not continue to elevate his all-around game at the NHL level.
As far as the AHL goes, I think Nodl has gotten all he's going to get out of playing in that league. If he's not someone who can hold his NHL spot now, more time in the minors is unlikely to make much difference.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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