In my opinion, the Flyers made the right move in waiving defenseman Matt Walker. The move frees up salary space to potentially make a move at the trade deadline. Walker, who is now recovered from hip surgery, also needs playing time, and he wasn't about to crack the Flyers' top six the rest of this season barring injury.
Is he a better option than Oskars Bartulis? Marginally, perhaps. In the four games he played with the big club this season, the 30-year-old Walker scuffled his first two games but did reasonably well in the other two games. He doesn't skate nearly as well as Bartulis but adds more grit and a righthanded shot.
Realistically, however, if either Bartulis or Walker (who would be subject to recall waivers even in the playoffs) were to dress in the postseason, Peter Laviolette would use the player very sparingly and increase the ice time of the top four available defensemen. It should also be noted that defensemen of Walker's caliber are available at the trade deadline -- often carrying lower salary cap prices -- if the Flyers do not add a winger and still feel as though they want to carry eight defensemen heading into the playoffs.
As far as the Erik Cole rumors go, the impending unrestricted free agent would be a nice fit in Philadelphia if the Carolina Hurricanes decide to become sellers at the trade deadline. As things stand now, however, I expect Carolina to edge into a playoff spot. In fact, the team would be the Flyers' opponent in a first-round playoff series if Philly protects its top spot in the East down the stretch and the Canes wind up taking the eighth seed.
However, if Carolina struggles immediately after the All-Star break and falls to the outer rim of playoff contention, you could then see Cole moved and the Flyers would have to be considered the frontrunners to land the former 30-goal scorer. Carolina (and before that, Hartford) and the Flyers have been frequent trading partners over the years. In addition, Paul Holmgren previously worked in their organization and has a good relationship with Jim Rutherford. Peter Laviolette coached Cole with the Canes, and Kevin McCarthy was a longtime assistant coach in Carolina.
Hockeywise, Cole would add size in front of the net on the power play. That's an element that the Flyers could use more of heading into the playoffs. He's been injury-prone the last few years, but he'd make for a nice addition to Mike Richards' line.
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The Flyers did not have any picks in the first two rounds of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft but there are promising early returns on a couple of players they took in the draft.
By now, you've probably heard that diminutive seventh-round (209th overall) pick Brendan Ranford has emerged as one of the top offensive players in any of the three CHL circuits. The Kamloops Blazers left winger has racked up 72 points (32 G, 40 A) in the first 50 games of the WHL season.
The 18-year-old Ranford, who is variously listed at either 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10, fell in the draft because of question marks about his skating as well as his size and two-way play. From all accounts, he's worked hard at improving his play without the puck. Although he doesn't have blazing speed (no pun intended), he isn't slow, either.
Meanwhile, fourth round (119th overall pick) Tye McGinn is also looking like a player with a professional future. He stood out at camp this past September for his hands around the net as well as raw size (6-foot-3, 210 pounds). In 36 games in the Q for the Gatineau Olympiques this season, he has 23 goals and 51 points.
McGinn, a left winger, has clicked on a line with center Philip-Michael Devos. When Gatineau acquired the 20-year-old Devos at the trade deadline from the Victoriaville Tigres, they were hoping the QMJHL's leading scorer would not only spark the attack overall but also add an experienced center to play with the 18-year-old McGinn.
Despite missing 13 games, McGinn ranks second on the team in scoring, behind only Jean-Gabriel Pageau (25 goals, 56 points in 49 games). In addition, McGinn's plus-25 rating leads the club.
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There are countless stories about Bobby Clarke's fierce competitive drive and ruthlessness on the ice. The London Free Press just ran a retrospective on a story that is well known to longtime Canadian junior hockey fans but rarely told around the Philadelphia: the infamous 1969 playoff war on ice between Clarke and Reggie Leach's Flin Flon Bombers and the St. Thomas Barons.
According to Leach, before the first game of the series, linemate Clarke told him they needed to "take out" Barons goaltender Ron Marlow. At the first opportunity, Clarke saucered a pass to his right winger. The Riverton Rifle one-timed the shot, intentionally aiming at the maskless goalie's head.
The shot connected. Marlow fell to the ice, badly dazed and bleeding profusely. When he started to regain his faculties, the first question the goalie asked was whether the puck had gone in the net (it didn't). Marlow had to leave the game but returned for Game 2.
"It was different back then,” Leach said. “You did whatever you had to do to win.”
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