UPDATE 1:00 PM
The Flyers have signed Sean Couturier to a two-year extension. The deal kicks in for the 2014-15 season, and he can become a restricted free agent after the 2015-16 season. The contract represents a modest pay raise, taking Couturier from the $1.375 million cap hit of his entry-level contract to $1.75 million in the new deal.
This is a good "bridge" contract for both sides. Couturier is not being punished for being primarily a defensive center at this point of his career. If he breaks out offensively within the next two seasons, he will be in position to make a lot more money in a future extension (he'll be eligible in the summer of 2015) or via abitration or restricted free agency in 2016.
For the Flyers, it means that they get one of their key young players signed for the next two years at cap-friendly costs before they have to worry about another renegotiation. It also means they are not overpaying Couturier based solely on perceived future offensive potential rather than what he's demonstrated to date as a pro.
With extensions done for Giroux and Couturier, the Flyers can focus on trying to get something done for impending RFA Brayden Schenn and/or impending UFA Matt Read.
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When the Philadelphia Flyers released their 2013-14 schedule yesterday, the first thing that I did (after starting to figure out my tentative travel dates during the season) was to break down the schedule in terms of volume of games, home and road splits and numbers of back-to-back games and three-in-fours over the course of the season.
With the NHL's participation in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, every team is going to have a significant volume of back-to-back and three-in-fours to work around the league's 17-day schedule break in February. For example, the Flyers will have 14 sets of back-to-back games in 2013-14.
For many reasons, including the job security of Peter Laviolette, it is important that the Flyers get off to quick start next season. Coming off a season in which the Flyers were generally decent at home but awful on the road, the club starts the 2013-14 campaign with seven of their first 11 games at home.
Now a member of the new Metropolitan Division, the Flyers will play the Penguins and Capitals five times apiece. They play the Rangers, Islanders, Devils, Blue Jackets, and Hurricanes four times each.
The Flyers play the new Atlantic Division -- which contains zero members of the previous Atlantic, as all are now in the Metro -- each team there will play the Flyers three times. The Flyers get an extra home game against each of the Bruins, Canadiens, Maple Leafs, and Sabres. They have two road games and one home game against the Red Wings, Senators, Panthers, and Lightning.
Lastly, the Flyers play all of the Western Conference teams twice over the course of the season; once on the road and once at home.
By far, the Flyers' toughest road trip of season from both a logistical and lack of rest standpoint will be their seven-game road trip in late December to early January that will take them through Western Canada, Phoenix and Colorado before ending in Newark. Over that span, the Flyers will play a grueling stretch of four games in six nights (Edmonton, Vancouver, Calgary, Denver, Glendale) before a 48-hour gap to recover and play the Devils. The next night after the game in New Jersey, the Flyers have a home game against Montreal -- which is often a scenario for a letdown game regardless of how well or poorly the road trip goes.
Here is the month-by-month breakdown of the schedule:
OCTOBER
Total games: 11
Home games: 7
Road games: 4
Back-to-back sets: 2 (Oct 5 @MTL- Oct 6 @CAR, Oct 11 vs PHO - Oct 12 @ DET)
Three-in-four sets: 1 (Oct 5 @MTL- Oct 6 @CAR - Oct 8 vs FLA)
Longest schedule break: one week between games vs. Pit (Oct 18) and vs NYR (Oct. 24)
Afternoon games: 0
Marquee games: Opener vs TOR (Oct 2), @ MTL (Oct 5; road opener, first game vs. Briere after buyout), vs. VAN (Oct. 15), vs PIT (Oct 18), vs NYR (Oct 24).
NOVEMBER
Total games: 15
Home games: 7
Road games: 8
Back-to-back sets: 3 (Nov 1 vs WSH - Nov 2 @ NJ, Nov 12 @ OTT - Nov 13 @ PIT, Nov 29 vs. WPG (Black Friday game) - Nov 30 @NSH)
Three-in-four sets: 2 ( Nov 12 @ OTT- Nov 13 @ Pitt - Nov 15 @Winnipeg, Nov 27 @TB- Nov 29 vs. WPG - Nov 30 @ NSH)
Longest schedule break: Three sets of two-day breaks
Afternoon games: 2 (Nov 9 vs EDM, Black Friday matinee or late morning start time vs Winnipeg)
Marquee games: Nov 1 vs WSH, Nov 2 vs. NJ/ Nov 8 @ NJ, Nov 13 @ PIT.
DECEMBER
Total games: 14
Home games: 4
Road games: 10
Back-to-back sets: 2 (Dec 11 @ CHI - Dec 12 vs MTL, DEC 30 @ VAN - Dec 31 @ CGY)
Three-in-four sets: 2 (Dec 9 @ OTT - Dec 11 @ CHI - Dec 12 vs MTL, Dec 28 @ EDM - Dec 30 @ Van - Dec 31 @ CGY (first three games of a four-in-six during season's longest road trip))
Longest schedule break: Four days between home vs. Min (Dec 23) and start of Western Canada road trip.
Afternoon games: 1 (Dec 15 @ WSH)
Marquee games: Home-and-home with WSH (Dec 15 - Dec 17), Home-and-home with Columbus (Dec 19 - Dec 21, first games vs. Bobrovsky), Dec 30 @ VAN.
JANUARY
Total games: 15
Home games: 7
Road games: 8
Back-to-back sets: 3 (Jan 7 @ NJ - Jan 8 vs MTL, Jan 11 vs TB - Jan 12 @ NYR, Jan 20 @ NYI - Jan 21 vs. CAR)
Three-in-fours: 3 (Dec 30 @ Van - Dec 31 @ CGY - Jan 2 @ COL (also the back end of aforementioned four-in-six), Jan 11 vs TB - Jan 12 @ NYR - Jan 14 @ BUF, Jan 18 vs NYI - Jan 20 @ NYI - Jan 21 vs CAR (first three games of a four-in-six ending @ CBJ Jan 23)
Longest schedule break: Three sets of two-day breaks
Afternoon games: 3 (Jan 11 vs. TB, Jan 20 @ NYI, Jan 25 vs. BOS)
Marquee games: Jan 12 @ NYR, home-and-home vs NYI, Jan 25 matinee vs BOS, Jan 28 vs DET.
FEBRUARY
Total games: 5
Home games: 3
Road games: 2
Back-to-back sets: 0
Three-in-four sets: 0
Longest schedule break: Olympic break from Feb 9 - Feb 26; It is likely that, at minimum Claude Giroux (CAN), Jakub Voracek (CZE), Kimmo Timonen (FIN) and Mark Streit (SUI) will play in the Olympics. If healthy, Andrej Meszaros (SVK) likely to play as well. Possible that Nicklas Grossmann (SWE) or Erik Gustafsson (SWE) could play.
Afternoon games: 2 (Feb. 1 @ LA, Feb 8 vs. CGY)
Marquee games: Feb 1 @ LA, Feb 3 @ SJ, Feb 27 vs SJ.
MARCH
Total games: 14
Home games: 10
Road games: 4
Back-to-back sets: 2 (Mar 1 vs. NYR - Mar 2 @ WSH, Mar 15 vs. PIT - Mar 16 @ PIT)
Three-in-four sets: 2 (Feb 27 vs. SJ - Mar 1 vs. NYR - Mar 2 @ WSH, Mar 15 vs PIT, Mar 16 @ PIT - Mar 18 vs CHI)
Longest schedule break: Three-day break between Mar 11 vs NJ and start of home-and-home against PIT.
Afternoon games: 4 (Mar 1 vs NYR, Mar 2 @ WSH, Mar 15 vs PIT, Mar 22 vs. STL)
Marquee games: Mar 1 vs. NYR, home-and-homes with WSH and PIT, home vs. CHI after the b2b with PIT.
APRIL
Total games: 8
Home games: 3
Road games: 5
Back-to-back sets: 2 (Apr 5 @ BOS - Apr 6 vs BUF, Apr 12 @ PIT - Apr 13 vs CAR)
Three-in-four sets: 2 (Apr 5 @ BOS - Apr 6 vs BUF - Apr 8 @ FLA (trap game alert!), Apr 10 @ TB -Apr 12 @ PIT - Apr 13 vs CAR)
Longest schedule break: Five sets of one-day breaks.
Afternoon games: 3 (Apr 5 @ BOS, Apr 12 @ PIT, Apr 13 vs CAR)
Marquee games: Apr 5 @ Bos, Apr 12 @ PIT.
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Former Flyers forward Ian Laperriere, now the organization's Director of Player Development, will be participating in the Ironman Mont-Tremblant: North American Championship on August 18. Apart from competing in the triatholon, Lappy is raising funds for a variety of charitable causes: the IRONMAN Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation and Go4theGoal Foundation- Tunes4Teens. Laperriere has set a $10,000 fundraising goal. For more information or to make a donation,
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