I think Kapanen projects as a similar player to Read.
- PhillySportsGuy

i think the upside may be higher (although to be fair, i think read's upside would have people thinking differently if he got to play the slot that kapanen is hopefully in line for), but then again, prospects arent sure things.

and read's benefit is obviously he is there right now.

damn i could even beat that.

id give you despres at least.
- stayinthefnnet

NO, Pouliot maybe

I'm looking at the future, damnit
- Jsaquella

Could you imagine the defensive prospects they'd have with those two guys too.

who would you rather have right now, Laughton or Maatta?
- MrBigglesworth

Right this second? Maatta. He's a second year NHLer who has shown no evidence of a sophomore slump and plays a position of need. Let's see where they are in 5 years

but actually craig at 700something is much less of a burden than a few more years of scuds at 3.
- stayinthefnnet

He'd fit in beautifully with our illustrious, underpaid collection of immobile defensemen... pair him up w/ Lucky Luke.

You know it's a Flyers Fan kinda day when you're debating whether you would rather have a fourth line of Rosehill-Hall-Rinaldo or Rinaldo-Bellemare-VandeVelde, when you are using the fact that Adam Hall wasn't totally useless in making your lean towards having Rosehill

Yeah, pretty much Read today, for Read tomorrow.
- Tomahawk

Yeah. I would probably make that deal. I just don't know what Hextall's plan is. I wish I owned the team and could know what he wanted to do. If they traded Read, they might as well do a selloff at the deadline.

Could you imagine the defensive prospects they'd have with those two guys too.
- PhillySportsGuy

Oh the places we would go

i think the upside may be higher (although to be fair, i think read's upside would have people thinking differently if he got to play the slot that kapanen is hopefully in line for), but then again, prospects arent sure things.

and read's benefit is obviously he is there right now.
- stayinthefnnet

Yeah. Flyers wouldn't trade Read straight up for a player with the upside of Read. I think Kapanen has more upside, but like you said, he's just a prospect. He could end up being a bust.

POST-PRACTICE UPDATE 1:00 p.m. EST

Needing a win at home tomorrow not to halt a two-game losing skid, the Philadelphia Flyers went through a lengthy practice on Monday at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ. The club worked on everything from corner work and breakouts before switching ice surfaces and doing special teams play in the second half of practice.

With the exception of newcomer Carlo Colaiacovo entering the lineup in place of Brandon Manning on the third defensive pairing, the Flyers featured the same five-on-five personnel as in Saturday's game against the Panthers. On special teams, Brayden Schenn was back on the top power play unit with Vincent Lecavalier worked on the second unit. Look for Steve Mason to get the start tomorrow night against Edmonton.

Braydon Coburn participated fully in the first half of practice. There is a chance he could be ready by the weekend if all goes well. The veteran said he is feeling much better -- with no discomfort doing things that bothered him in his previous attempt to return to the lineup.

During his absence, Coburn said that he's noticed the difference between the game on the ice and watching it from the press box "is quite remarkable" and things look much easier from a distance. One of the few advantages of not being down at ice level is an opportunity to see plays being made.

Colaiacovo was paired with Luke Schenn at practice. The two of them played as teammates (but not regular partners) in Toronto and for Team Canada at the 2001 World Championships but Flyers head coach Craig Berube said his main thinking in putting the two together was to put the puck-moving Colaiacovo with defensive defenseman Schenn.

The coach admitted that Colaiacovo may need a few games to recover his game conditioning but said it is both the team and the player's responsibility to get him where he needs to be. The coaching staff will monitor his minutes and go accordingly. Berube said that he's always liked Colaicovo's ability to make smart plays and that he's a good communicator on the ice, which is critical to playing successfully with any partner.

Colaicovo said that his puck moving prowess has been what has kept him in the game for such a long time (despite his well-document injury history).

"The game has changed a lot in the last few years, and it's all about possessing the puck and moving it to your forwards as fast as possible," said Colaiacovo. "That's what I try to do. It's important to make that good first pass and get it to the skill guys."

On a similar note, Berube said that the ice-time upswing for Michael Del Zotto has been a product of his increasingly solid all-around play on the ice and not just a matter of the injuries in the lineup.

The coach said of Del Zotto, "He's defending well, that's the first thing. He's defending and he's moving the puck. That's all he has to do."

Asked about the Flyers' recent struggles on the penalty kill, Berube said that there hasn't been anything structurally wrong -- apart from some gapping issues in the Dallas game that allowed a pair of back-door goals by Trevor Daley -- but there have been areas of execution that need to get better. Specifically, the team needs to do a better job at clearing the zone with the puck and also in getting blocked shots.

Over the first four games, the Flyers went 9-for-10 on the penalty kill. In the seven games since then, the club has gone 16-for-23 (69.56 percent). On the power play, the club is in a 1-for-19 spell over the last six games. Berube said he is not concerned about the power play slump beyond the need to make sure the personnel is not getting too fancy with the puck and gets back to shooting the puck instead of trying to pass it into the net.

Berube was also asked about the offensive struggles of Matt Read this season. The coach said that he wants Read to do a better job at getting himself into the "dirty areas" and getting into a more of a shooting mentality. Berube said that both Read and Couturier sometimes get so focused on the checking aspects of the game, that they do not get themselves into shooting lanes when the opportunity presents itself at the other end.

Flyers forward R.J. Umberger said that, going into the Florida game, the club tried (unsuccessfully) to be focused on playing a patient game against the defensively oriented Panthers team. Going up against Edmonton, the focus is on playing a disciplined two-way game and not getting into a track meet of trading chances back and forth.

"They can put six goals up on you pretty quick if you try to play too wide open against them," said Umberger.

These were the Flyers lines and defense pairings:

12 Michael Raffl - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek
18 R.J. Umberger - 40 Vincent Lecavalier - 17 Wayne Simmonds
10 Brayden Schenn - 14 Sean Couturier - 24 Matt Read
36 Zac Rinaldo - 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 76 Chris VandeVelde

Extra forwards: Blair Jones, Jason Akeson

8 Nicklas Grossmann - 32 Mark Streit
15 Michael Del Zotto - 55 Nick Schultz
26 Carlo Colaiacovo - 22 Luke Schenn

Extra defenseman: Brandon Manning (skated with rehabbing Braydon Coburn)

35 Steve Mason (expected starter)
29 Ray Emery

1st Power Play Unit: B. Schenn - Giroux - Simmonds - Streit - Voracek
2nd Power Play Unit: Read - Couturier - Lecavalier - Del Zotto - Schultz

NO, Pouliot maybe
- ob18

Hey you just said he was being moved for a conditional 7th rounder!

i was merely being friendly and telling you that you could in fact do better

Oh the places we would go
- Jsaquella

yeah probably to the disabled list/pressbox a bunch of times

Right this second? Maatta. He's a second year NHLer who has shown no evidence of a sophomore slump and plays a position of need. Let's see where they are in 5 years
- Jsaquella

I would have said Maatta up until I read about the tumor he has. I hope everything goes well, but it's scary anytime the C word comes into play.

To think Maatta has played 101 NHL games including playoffs before Laughton has made his NHL debut.

When the Flyers were ready to select I was licking my chops and thought for sure Maatta would be the selection. Best available on the board + a position of need.

Yeah. I would probably make that deal. I just don't know what Hextall's plan is. I wish I owned the team and could know what he wanted to do. If they traded Read, they might as well do a selloff at the deadline.
- PhillySportsGuy

If they lose the next 7 games can I go back to my Tankadelphia posts?

Oh the places we would go
- Jsaquella

I think Leier, Pouliot's former Portland teammate, was the one who injured him.

The coach admitted that Colaiacovo may need a few games to recover his game conditioning but said it is both the team and the player's responsibility to get him where he needs to be.
- bmeltzer

Do they have something against conditioning stints?

On a similar note, Berube said that the ice-time upswing for Michael Del Zotto has been a product of his increasingly solid all-around play on the ice and not just a matter of the injuries in the lineup.

The coach said of Del Zotto, "He's defending well, that's the first thing. He's defending and he's moving the puck. That's all he has to do."
- bmeltzer

Yeah. Flyers wouldn't trade Read straight up for a player with the upside of Read. I think Kapanen has more upside, but like you said, he's just a prospect. He could end up being a bust.
- PhillySportsGuy

yeah i understand. i think our evaluations of the respective players are pretty fair and reasonable.

it definitely is a debate worthy hockey trade offer, dare i say refreshing for this site.

Poor Matt Read...turning into Andreas Nodl before our very eyes

Matt Read has like seven OZ starts this season.

I would have said Maatta up until I read about the tumor he has. I hope everything goes well, but it's scary anytime the C word comes into play.

To think Maatta has played 101 NHL games including playoffs before Laughton has made his NHL debut.

When the Flyers were ready to select I was licking my chops and thought for sure Maatta would be the selection. Best available on the board + a position of need.
- PLindbergh31

yeah it is a scary thing.

it is crazy that he wasnt even the first defender they picked that year. he has made a lot of casual fans largely forget about pouliot.

it definitely is a debate worthy hockey trade offer, dare i say refreshing for this site.
- stayinthefnnet

Kris Letang for Vinny Lecavalier and a 7th.

Matt Read has like seven OZ starts this season.
- bradleyc4

That poor kid -- no way he thought he was signing up for that as a free agent

I think Leier, Pouliot's former Portland teammate, was the one who injured him.
- PhillySportsGuy

That bastard

Poor Matt Read...turning into Andreas Nodl before our very eyes
- AllInForFlyers

ah. tipping negotiations in my favor. excellent.

Matt Read has like seven OZ starts this season.
- bradleyc4

He should be thinking about scoring when he's lining up ten feet from Mason orvEmery