Last week in Los Angeles, Nikolay Zherdev left practice early and did not return. However, he suited up in the Flyers' game against the Kings (playing just 9:36) as well as the game in Anaheim (11:44 of ice time) the following night. He sat out the Detroit game on Sunday.
Initially it was reported that Zherdev was a healthy scratch in the Red Wings game. Head coach Peter Laviolette has been publicly critical of Zherdev's play at times this season and was also displeased with the forward's performance in both the ugly loss against Florida before the Christmas hiatus and the even uglier loss in Vancouver at the start of the current post-Christmas road trip. Laviolette subsequently said that Zherdev's absence against the Red Wings was injury-related.
Zherdev, who is believed to have a groin pull, was unable to complete practice yesterday. He will be re-evaluated but I suspect that he won't play in New Jersey tomorrow.
Unfortunately for Zherdev, he's built a reputation where the immediate assumption every time he's held out is that he's back in the doghouse. It's sometimes hard to tell whether he's struggling with an injury or giving a half-hearted effort because his performance appears similar.
Earlier this season, at about the time Zherdev was a healthy scratch for several games and then placed on the fourth line, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren reportedly shopped the offensively talented forward to other teams but received little interest. Zherdev subsequently got hot offensively, and has raised his goal total to 13. He is pointless in his last four games.
If the Flyers want to go the trade route with Zherdev, it still may prove difficult. There would likely be teams with interest in him, but most of the NHL's top contenders have their own salary cap issues to consider. They would have to absorb the prorated remainder of the impending UFA's $2 million contract. A few marginal playoff teams may have interest. Keep this in mind, though. If the Flyers trade him within the East, would they want to dump off a player who could potentially come back to bite them later in the season? That would pretty much limit the potential trading partners to Western Division teams with cap room who feel they need another scorer to get into the playoffs.
Personally, I think Zherdev will finish the season as a Flyer and then depart as a free agent. The odds of him coming back next year appear slim, but the club knew that from day one.
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The Camden Courier Post ran a good little
blog about a nice gesture by Jody Shelley at practice yesterday. Spotting a fan in the stands clad in military uniform, Shelley invited him to come to the locker room and meet the other Flyers players after practice.
Hockey players make these sorts of kind gestures all the time, and it's not for good publicity or to get their names mentioned in the papers. It's genuine.
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Paul Holmgren's most valuable additions to the team this season have been defensemen Andrej Meszaros and Sean O'Donnell. This week on the Flyers' official Web site, I authored a profile of Meszaros.
Today's
Daily Drop at Versus.com looks at last night's duel between the Capitals and Lightning. In one of the best games in the NHL so far during the 2010-11 regular season, Tampa prevailed, 1-0, in OT.
This week's
Across the Pond at NHL.com looks at today's WJC gold medal game from a Team Russia point of view.
I will post links to all articles when they go live online.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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