The latest Simon Gagne to LA rumor making the rounds today has the Flyers getting another soon-to-be unrestricted free agent in return: ex-Flyer Justin Williams, a two-time 30-goal scorer in the NHL.
The oft-injured Williams, who suffered a broken leg last season and previously suffered a torn Achilles tendon and a pair of serious knee injuries, scored 10 goals and 29 points in 49 regular season games in 2009-10. His last full season was 2006-07, when he tallied 33 goals and 67 points for Carolina. He carries a cap hit of $3.5 million this season and will become a UFA after the season. The Flyers would save $1.75 million on the cap.
Given that the Flyers signed Nikolai Zherdev and would likely need to make another move to create cap space, I have no idea what to make of the rumor nor do I have any inkling if such a deal is actually of interest to Philly (I'm sure LA would be on board). It appears, however, that LA is still unwilling to deal either Jonathan Quick or Jon Bernier.
Frankly, from a Flyers perspective, it wouldn't make much sense to me if a deal for Williams was the move that was ultimately made, apart from his past success playing for Peter Laviolette and the Flyers' propensity for bringing back former players. I always liked Williams and was happy to see him blossom in Carolina, but other than being insurance against Zherdev flopping, Ville Leino not carrying over his playoff success or James Van Riemsdyk not progressing, he still carries a mighty hefty price tag for an even greater injury risk than Gagne's.
Beyond that, I know the club keeps insisting they are satisfied with Michael Leighton, Brian Boucher and Johan Backlund as its goaltending options for 2010-11, but I still don't buy it. I suppose I can see a rationale for adding Zherdev and Williams to replace Gagne for next season, but not at the expense of at least having better competition for Leighton.
As always, we'll see what happens.
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With the Flyers' summer moves currently in a holding pattern and the debates over the wisdom of trading Gagne as opposed to Jeff Carter, the goaltending outlook, the signing of Nikolai Zherdev and the cap hit and length of contract given to Jody Shelley having all reached the saturation point, I figured it's time for a little change of pace.
Over at HFboards' Flyers page (as many know, Hockey's Future is where I got my start as a hockey writer, and I still participate from time to time on their message boards), there has been a running thread in which people rank their current and all-time favorite Flyers. I will steal my entry from the thread for this blog. I refrain from ranking current or recent players -- in part because I view the game differently nowadays -- but I am happy to share my all-time favorites.
It was very hard to narrow the list to a top-10 and then to decide whether to rank the 10 best players (regardless of position) I saw wear the orange and black, to list 10 sentimental favorites regardless of skill level or to make the list some combination of the two factors. I chose to combine the two. If I went solely by productivity, the order would be quite different, such as ranking Eric Lindros above Dave Poulin and.
These are my 10 personal favorites who made an impact in one way or another, plus another 10 that were also favorites. Beyond Mark Howe (my all-time favorite) and Bobby Clarke, the list is pretty interchangeable and could easily have been extended by another dozen players. It will be interesting to see others' lists in the comments section.
1) Mark Howe -- It was a pure joy to watch him play. Extremely smooth, intelligent and unselfish.
2) Bobby Clarke -- My first sports hero. Tremendous playmaker with unparalleled heart and leadership by example.
3) Bernie Parent --The prototype standup goaltender. No Bernie, no Stanley Cups in Philly.
4) Pelle Lindbergh -- Would have had a career like Martin Brodeur's if not for making a foolish, foolish mistake one night.
5) Dave Poulin -- In many ways, he was just as good a leader as Clarke. Excellent two-way player, highly intelligent (on and off the ice) and a class act through and through.
6) Eric Lindros -- I can overlook how things ended and focus on the good times and the way he could play when he decided it was time to step up.
7) Mikael Renberg -- Tremendous two-way player who combined finesse and muscle. Very underrated player -- apart from his Legion of Doom linemates -- until serious injuries took their toll. Also a great guy off the ice.
8) Bill Barber -- With all the attention paid to Clarke, Parent and the Broad Street Bullies image, people forget that Barber was the NHL's best left winger of his era. A model of consistency.
9) Tim Kerr -- If not for the injuries would have had a HHOF career. As it was, he was one of the premier power forwards of the 1980s. He had incredible hands, was sturdy as an oak tree and absolutely fearless on the ice.
10) Eric Desjardins -- Was almost two different players during his Flyers career. Before his knees went, he was very fluid and quick. Later on, he had to adjust his game and rely on his positioning. The hockey smarts were always there.
Honorable mentions (in no particular order):
Brian Propp --Came into the league with a reputation as a one-way player who struggled to fit in with his teammates on or off the ice. Made himself into a fine two-way player, sacrificing a tad of offense to be much more complete and valuable all-around. Came a long, long way off the ice as well, evolving from a sullen player who hardly said a word into a leader. Also became a bit of a showman on the ice.
Peter Forsberg -- Wish he was here longer and a little healthier. It was a joy to watch him play and I will never forget how he single-handedly won Games 3 and 4 the series against Buffalo in 2006.
Simon Gagne -- A lesser version of Barber on the ice. It's been a pleasure watching firsthand as he developed from prospect to NHL star.
Ilkka Sinisalo -- Most underrated player in team history, in my opinion. A fine two-way player who knew how to win.
John LeClair -- A latter-day, left-handed shooting version of Kerr, although Kerr would drop the gloves and LeClair was a little more laid back. As much as his goal-scoring ability, I loved watching LeClair cycle the puck down low, fending off opposing players with seeming ease.
Ron Hextall -- Apart from his hyper-competitiveness and incredible puckhandling ability, Hexy had the best rookie season of any Flyers player at any position. The groin injuries robbed him of his balance and recovery ability.
Jimmy Watson -- People forget that he was a five-time All-Star. Didn't put up many points, but he was very smart and smooth on the ice. It's sad that his career was curtailed by injury. I still don't understand why he's not in the Flyers Hall of Fame.
Danny Briere -- For the occasional frustrations with his defensive shortcomings and slashing penalties, Danny has shown that he comes to play when it counts the most. He has been a clutch playoff performer for the club and has done his best to play through a separated shoulder (his first season in Philly) and other injuries. Off the ice, is one of the nicest, most earnest athletes you will ever meet in any sport.
Rod Brind'Amour -- Sturdy, durable and versatile. For a player who was not blessed with the best of hands, he managed to be quite productive offensively, too. One of the few Flyers who can look at his performance in the 1997 Finals and honestly say that he played at the level he needed to.
Mark Recchi -- Played at a staggering level on a line with Lindros during his first stint with the club and also during the entire 1999-2000 season after his return from Montreal.
Sami Kapanen -- Did not score at the hoped-for level after coming over from Carolina, but was one gritty little competitor. Would do anything it takes to win.
Brad McCrimmon -- Best shutdown defenseman in club history. Smart and nasty. Together, he and Howe were the most dynamic defense pairing in team history.
Dave Brown -- My favorite enforcer in club history. A true heavyweight who also made himself into a good checker.
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Later today on Versus.com, I will have an article looking at the key reasons behind the steady decline in the number of European players being drafted and signed by NHL teams since the lockout. It's a lot more involved that just the rise of the KHL. I will post the link when the article is online.
Also, for those are interested, my most recent Across the Pond at NHL.com looks at the
challenges faced by now-former St. Louis Blues amateur scout and assistant GM Jarmo Kekalainen as he takes over as the general manager of Jokerit Helsinki in Finland's SM-Liiga. Many of the major issues faced by Kekalainen are directly related to those mentioned in the Versus article.
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