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Meltzer's Musings: Hall to Switzerland, Quick Hits |
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FREE AGENT HALL SIGNS WITH ABRI-PIOTTA
Unrestricted free agent forward Adam Hall was not in the Flyers' plans for the 2014-15 season. At age 33, the veteran of 682 NHL regular season games and 56 playoff games remained unsigned in August. He faced an increasingly uphill battle to find another NHL team.
Hall decided to seize an alternative opportunity. He signed a one-year contract with Swiss National League team HC Ambri-Piotta for the 2014-15 season.
Many North American players heading to Europe consider Switzerland one of the most attractive options available to them. Most players I've spoken with who have played in the Swiss league enjoyed the experience. The in-season travel is lighter, the money is decent, the country itself is beautiful and the lifestyle is enjoyable (if pricey). The Swiss league also offer relatively high-caliber hockey.
At the NHL level, Hall evolved primarily into a penalty killing and faceoff specialist. He has good size and strength but is lacking in the skating department. As his NHL career progressed, Hall has become more of a strictly defensive forward. In 91 regular season games and seven playoff games for the Flyers, he chipped in just four goals and 10 points (including an assist in the Flyers' seven-game Eastern Conference quarterfinal loss to the New York Rangers this spring).
Early in his NHL career with the Nashville Predators, however, the former Michigan State standout exhibited a little bit of offensive punch.
Forty-three of Hall's career 69 regular season goals and three of his seven playoff goals came in his first three NHL seasons and over his first 11 playoff games. The Michigan native was a fine offensive player in college and has also been a decent offensive contributor when playing at the AHL level. As such, it would not be surprising if Hall posted respectable scoring totals in NLA for Ambri-Piotta next season.
In recent years, the below-average skating Hall increasingly had trouble keeping up with the pace of play in today's NHL game. He could overcome some of his deficiencies with his combination of size and savvy -- which is also why he's still a good penalty killer, and an often dominant faceoff man -- but had issues at even strength even with his good positional awareness.
Hall was a low-profile player during his time in Philadelphia, but he was well-respected veteran pro in the dressing room. For instance, he was helpful to Michael Raffl last season when the Austrian rookie played some center and needed to work on faceoffs and other aspects of playing the position at the NHL level. Meanwhile, on the ice, he was always willing to stand up for a teammate (even dropping the gloves every once in awhile).
Although Hall's locker was rarely a prime destination for the media, I always found interviews with him to be both enlightening and enjoyable. As with Mike Knuble, Hall is an articulate and bright man who has a lot of hockey knowledge to impart. In particular, an interview I did with him in Voorhees about faceoff technique and in-game adjustments was my favorite one of last season. I felt like I'd learned something new.
When Hall eventually retires as an active player, he will probably make for a good assistant coach. I could easily see him excelling in a similar forward/penalty killing coaching capacity to the one that has become Ian Laperriere's niche. In the meantime, Hall still has something to offer on the ice for Ambri-Piotta and wherever else his professional playing adventures take him in the years to come.
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SUNDAY QUICK HITS
* Today in Flyers History: On Aug. 3, 2005, the Flyers signed unrestricted free agent center Peter Forsberg to a two-year, $11.5 million contract. Although Forsberg battled injuries for all but the first two months of his 100-game stay with the Flyers, he provided some thrilling moments to go along with 115 points (30 goals, 85 assists).
Most notably, Forsberg led the NHL in scoring by U.S. Thanksgiving weekend 2005, which was when he suffered a groin pull that would be the start of many injury-related absences to come. Later, he was by far the Flyers best player in a six-game Eastern Conference Quarterfinal loss to Buffalo in the 2006 playoffs. Almost singlehandedly, Forsberg led the charge to force overtime in Game One (Philly ultimately lost in double overtime) and then elevated his game to a mind-boggling level as Philadelphia rallied back to take Games Three and Four at home after losing the first two games of the series in Buffalo.
After the 2005-06 season, it was revealed that Forsberg needed reconstructive foot surgery. Originally, he was supposed to have surgery on both feet and be out until around Christmas. Instead, Forsberg opted to have only the right foot (the worse of the two) operated on. He moved his timetable up further and further and ended starting on opening night.
Unfortunately, Forsberg was never again even a remotely healthy player. Named Flyers captain for the 2006-07 season, he was frequently forced out of the lineup as he and the team tried to come up with a variety of ultimately failed solutions for his foot and groin issues. Meanwhile, the team went on to have the worst season in franchise history.
While dealing with his injury issues, Forsberg repeatedly refused to discuss a contract extension with the Flyers. He still managed to produce 40 points (11 goals, 29 assists) in 40 games but he was frustrated by his inability to perform to the loftier standards he set for himself.
With the team at the bottom of the NHL standings and Forsberg's future in limbo, the Flyers traded the future Hall of Famer to the Nashville Predators shortly before the 2007 trade deadline. In exchange, Philadelphia received speedy winger Scottie Upshall, defense prospect Ryan Parent (then considered a potential future NHL shutdown defenseman) and Nashville's 2007 first-round Draft pick. Shortly after the season, the draft pick was flipped back to the Predators and the Flyers acquired (and immediately announced long-term contracts for) defenseman Kimmo Timonen and left winger Scott Hartnell.
* Today in Flyers History: On Aug. 3, 1999, the Flyers signed undrafted rookie free agent Ruslan Fedotenko to an entry-level contract after a standout season in the USHL for the Sioux City Musketeers. After one-plus season in the minor leagues, Fedotenko was called up to the Flyers early in the 2000-01 season. Initially, it was supposed to be a short-term callup. Fedotenko played so well that he ended up becoming a regular top-nine forward and began an NHL career that spanned 863 regular season games and 108 playoff games (including Stanley Cup championships with Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh).
* Former Flyers checking center Mark Lamb turns 50 today. Lamb spent parts of two seasons with Philadelphia after being acquired from the Ottawa Senators in March 1994 in exchange for Claude Boivin and goaltending prospect Kirk Daubenspeck. Lamb dressed in a total of 27 games for the Flyers in 1993-94 and 1994-95, mostly on the fourth line as a defensive forward.
Lamb scored a goal against Tampa Bay in his Flyers debut, which proved to be his only goal as a member of the team. Overall, Lamb chipped in nine points (one goal, eight assists). On Feb 10, 1995, the Flyers traded the player to the Montreal Canadiens for future considerations, which ended up being an undisclosed amount of cash.
After his playing days ended, Lamb moved on to the coaching ranks. He had a lengthy stint as an NHL assistant coach with the Dallas Stars and then took his first head coaching opportunity. Since 2009-10, he has been the head coach of the Western Hockey League's Swift Current Broncos.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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