Andrej Meszaros is aiming to making a quicker return from achilles tendon surgery than many have predicted. Although the Slovakian defenseman suffered a complete tear -- which would suggest that he's likely to miss most or all of the regular season (no matter when it eventually starts) -- he told the
Courier Post the other day that he hopes his recovery time frame is much closer to that of former Flyer forward Justin Williams.
During the 2008-09 season, Williams returned 11 weeks after undergoing surgery.
While it would be a lift for the Flyers if Meszaros is somehow able to return well ahead of the predicted time-frame -- and it's good for him to have a positive attitude with a major goal to strive for during an arduous recovery and likely NHL lockout -- a quick return does not seem realistic.
1) Williams' injury, while major, was not as severe as Meszaros' complete tear.
2) There is additional need for caution in pushing too hard too fast because of Meszaros' back surgery late last season. He is needed more for the stretch drive and playoffs than the first half of the season.
3) Yes, Williams came back within 11 weeks, but he was not at full speed yet and he struggled pretty badly (4 goals and 14 points in 44 games). Other players who have come back from the surgery have also typically struggled. The closer Meszaros is to full strength, the better he's likely to play whenever he actually does take the ice again.
I hope I'm proven wrong, and Meszaros makes a speedy recovery that enables him to play effectively quickly. But as anxious as he is to get back, sometimes discretion really is the better part of valor. No need to rush.
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Today is former Flyers center Adam Oates' 50th birthday. Oates, a class of 2012 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee who spent just 14 of his career 1,337 games and recorded 7 of his career 1,079 assists (6th all time) as a member of the team, came to the Flyers in one of the more controversial deals in team history.
In retrospect, the Flyers did not end losing much in sending then-top prospect Maxime Ouellet, a 2002 1st Round draft pick (transferred to Dallas - Martin Vagner), a 2002 2nd Round draft pick (Maxime Daigneault), and a 2002 3rd Round draft pick (Derek Krestanovich) to Washington in exchange for Oates. Ouellet flopped as an NHL goaltender and spent most of his career in the minors. None of the picks came back to haunt Philly.
Nevertheless, at the time the deal was made, many were up in arms -- and for good reason, in my opinion. It arose from panic and was made from the Flyers dealing from a position of weakness. Trade asset management doesn't get much worse than dealing a player regarded at the time to have to franchise goalie potential PLUS a number one pick PLUS two additional picks in exchange for a 39-year-old rental player (even if he is a Hall of Famer).
The trade was made because the playoffs were right around the corner and the Flyers had recently lost both of their top two centers, Jeremy Roenick and Keith Primeau, to injuries. The club feared were serious enough to jeopardize their ability to play down the stretch and into the postseason. As it turned out, both guys came back and rejoined the lineup; at far less than 100 percent, but they still played.
Even considering the circumstances and the legendary playmaking and faceoff talents of Oates, there was simply no way to justify the king's ransom that the Flyers paid to rent the impeding unrestricted free agent for six weeks. It doesn't matter WHAT subsequently became of the player and picks that were traded away -- if a team is going to trade away that much, they need to get someone back who is likely to have some longevity as well as immediate impact.
Besides, adding a center was not the team's greatest need, even if Primeau and Roenick were banged up at the time. More than anything else, the 2001-02 Flyers needed another healthy and reliable top-three defenseman and they needed an additional forward who could score goals. Oates was a phenomenal passer, but he was not much of a goal scorer (especially by that late stage of his career).
On a strictly individual basis, Oates did OK in his very brief stint as a Flyer. Seven helpers and 10 points in 14 regular season games down the stretch wasn't anything spectacular for a player of his stature but it wasn't bad, either. In the playoffs, the Flyers scored just two goals in the entire series in their five-game loss to Ottawa. Oates assisted on both of them. He was basically a non-factor in the series but other Flyers players were far worse.
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