It is not surprising that Chris Pronger's rehabilitation from back surgery has him
several weeks behind where he would typically be in starting to prepare for the next hockey season. It would not be the end of the world for the team if Pronger missed the start of training camp and the start of the regular season (for the second straight year).
However, this season it could be utterly disastrous if Pronger suffers a serious setback and misses a large chunk of the season or if his play is nowhere close to his accustomed level of play. Last season, even in many of the 50 regular season games and especially the three postseason matches he played, Pronger was far from 100 percent.
Eventually, Pronger's collection of injuries and surgeries last season (knee, foot, hand and, finally, back) had a wear-down effect on the rest of the blueline, especially fellow aging veteran Kimmo Timonen. Pronger's frequent absences and physical limitations last year were also a significant factor in the club's power play struggles.
With so many new faces on the roster, it would not be surprising if the club took awhile to hit its stride at the start of next season. I would not be alarmed even if the team hovers around .500 for the first six weeks of the season. However, it is critical that the Flyers not bury themselves early with a horrendous start.
Having a healthy and productive Pronger in the lineup will go a long way toward making sure the team has a degree of continuity and stability while the other pieces are trying to fit together. Unfortunately, rehab from back surgery cannot be rushed or pushed. In order to have the best possible chance at a reasonably full recovery, Pronger has to go on his own timetable -- not the Flyers' or the one made by the NHL schedule-maker.
For all the talk of the team giving Pronger the 'C' before the start of next season, I think his recovery has to take precedence here. If that means rotating the captaincy for awhile, so be it. If that means giving the C to another veteran like Kimmo Timonen or Danny Briere, that would also be OK.
Pronger, who will turn 37 on Oct. 10, has never been more crucial to the Flyers than he will be in helping to oversee the transition of the club next season. But he will need to be as healthy as possible to do it successfully, both on the ice and in helping to instill a winning atmosphere in the locker room.
The thought of the Flyers relying so heavily on an aging player coming off major surgery is an unsettling one. But that's simply the situation the team finds itself in. That's also why I continue to maintain that the club's biggest question mark heading into next season is not the scoring -- it's the team's very expensive blueline anchored by two aging stars and two impending UFAs as well as reigning Barry Ashbee Trophy winner Andrej Meszaros.
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This week's Across the Pond on NHL.com looks at the
tough decisions that European prospects face in deciding whether to play junior hockey in North America or attempt to play in a professional league at home prior to joining an NHL team.
Marcel Noebels, the Flyers' fourth round pick in last year's draft, is one such player faced with that decision. He has an offer in hand to return to Germany to play in the DEL for the Krefeld Penguins. His other option is to remain in the WHL next season with Seattle.
Noebels has indicated that he will do whatever the Flyers want him to do, but it equally clear that he prefers the DEL option if it's strictly his own choice. There are pros and cons to both options, and he's still eligible for the German U20 national team either way.
The biggest advantage to playing in the DEL is that Noebels would be playing against grown men rather than teenagers in a league that features a host of players with NHL (or at least AHL and/or major international) experience. T
he biggest advantage to the WHL would be getting more ice time in a variety of game situations. Noebels has already shown that he can play on the smaller North American rink and that physical hockey doesn't bother him. It's also worth noting that the DEL is one of Europe's most physical leagues, because of the heavy influence of having so many North American import players and coaches.
Unfortunately, international play won't be much of a test for Noebels next season because Germany was once again relegated from the elite-level WJC to the Division I level. However, he may still benefit from playing in the 2012 Div I Under-20 Worlds because his home country will play host to the tourney. Germany's opposition in the tournament will consist of Belarus, Norway, Slovenia, Austria and Great Britain.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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