OverNow Blog

Bouwmeester still in play

2009-06-18T11:34:00.003-05:00

SUN-SENTINEL.com
With draft nearing, trade talks have involved every team
By Steve Gorten South Florida Sun-Sentinel
June 18, 2009

Sunrise - Panthers Assistant General Manager Randy Sexton said Wednesday that he has spoken with every general manager in the league about potential deals, including a trade of soon-to-be unrestricted free-agent defenseman Jay Bouwmeester.

"I understand what they're looking for; they understand what we're looking to do, and we'll just continue to work to see if there might be a match there," said Sexton, who has been in charge of hockey operations since Jacques Martin resigned as general manager June 1 to become the Canadiens' coach. "There's a whole host of scenarios that have been discussed."

A report in the Ottawa Sun last week cited anonymous league sources saying Bouwmeester has already told the Panthers he won't return. Asked if that was true, Sexton, noting he has had "frequent" conversations with Bouwmeester's agent, said, "Until such time we know exactly what's going to happen, I don't think it's appropriate to comment."

Asked about the same report, Bouwmeester's agent, Bryon Baltimore, said Wednesday: "We have always said we'd wait to see what unfolded July 1 [the start of free agency]. That in itself speaks as to what is going to happen."

Baltimore said he hasn't given the Panthers a list of teams Bouwmeester would like to play for, but "we'd certainly be open to discussing that with them."

Baltimore said that while returning to western Canada is a factor for the Edmonton, Alberta, native, he's not limiting himself to that.

The Panthers have made a major trade at the draft each of the past three years, and Sexton, who will attend next week's draft in Montreal, said: "We'd like to fill a few of our needs by the draft if we can . . . through trades that could take place at the draft."

Those needs, Sexton said, are of a "No. 2 center" and "if Jay doesn't come back, then we'll need to find a mobile, puck-moving D."

Meanwhile, the Panthers are making progress in negotiations to re-sign leading scorer David Booth to a long-term contract. Sexton said he has had several discussions with the restricted free-agent forward's agent. Sexton wouldn't say which of the Panthers' pending UFAs besides Bouwmeester — goalie Craig Anderson, forwards Radek Dvorak and Ville Peltonen and defensemen Karlis Skrastins, Jassen Cullimore and Nick Boynton — the team would like to bring back. However, Anderson said Sexton contacted him for the first time Tuesday night, and there might be talks between his agent and the Panthers this week.

"If Florida comes up with something that's agreeable to both sides, I like it in Florida," Anderson said. "I'm not opposed to signing before July 1 if something makes sense. If something doesn't make sense, then I'll wait."

Dvorak, who's back home in the Czech Republic, said Wednesday that he's not sure where he stands with the Panthers, but "I want to stay there. Hopefully we can work something out" before July 1.

Sexton said he and coach Pete DeBoer speak daily about hockey matters, including personnel decisions, and "right now we're batting a thousand — we agree on everything."

Sexton remains in charge of decisions while the team's alternate governor, Bill Torrey, continues to lead the search for a general manager, but said he plans to "run [all decisions] by Bill to make sure Bill is comfortable" with them.

A possible sale of the Panthers could be affecting the timetable of hiring a GM, further complicating team moves.

REVO'S NOTE: It will be interesting for Flyers fans in the week leading up to the draft. Bouwmeester's rights could very well be dealt away in a similar fashion that the Flyers acquired Timonen and Hartnell two seasons ago. If this is the case and the Flyers are going to pursue J-Bo, they'll have to move some larger salaries (Lupul, Hartnell, Briere) in order to get under the cap for next season. However, teams are allowed to be above the salary cap by 10% during the offseason - just as long as they get back under it before the start of the regular season. Getcha' popcorn ready!

Holmgren: Flyers unlikely to pick goalie at No. 1

2009-06-18T11:15:00.003-05:00

PHILLY.com
By Sam Carchidi
Inquirer Staff Writer

Although some mock drafts have the Flyers selecting a goalie with their first-round pick next week, general manager Paul Holmgren said yesterday that the club probably would not choose a goaltender with its top choice.

The Flyers will have the 21st overall pick in the draft, which will be held in Montreal. The first round will on June 26; the rest of the selections will be made the next day.

The Flyers need goaltending in their system, but this year's draft is not loaded with top-notch goalie prospects.

"I would say it would be a stretch for us to take a goalie at 21," Holmgren said during a news conference at the Skate Zone in Voorhees. "We'd probably be going by a better prospect at a different position" if they picked a goalie with their top selection.

Since they joined the NHL in 1967, the Flyers have selected a goalie in the first round just twice: In 1999 they chose Maxime Ouellet, and in 1995 they opted for Brian Boucher. Both were selected with the 22d overall pick.

Among the goalies who are highly ranked by Central Scouting are Robin Lehner (6-foot-3, 220 pounds), Matthew Hackett (6-2, 170), the nephew of former Flyer Jeff Hackett, and Olivier Roy (6-0, 165).

Some of the impressive non-goalies who could be available at No. 21 include center Peter Holland of the Ontario Hockey League's Guelph Storm and defensemen Tim Erixon (Sweden) and Dmitry Kulikov (Russia).

"Our stance is to go for the best available player," Holmgren said. "I think we'll get a good prospect."

After the first round, the Flyers will pick 81st (third round), 87th (third), 142d (fifth), 153d (sixth), 172d (sixth), and 196th (seventh).

Holmgren is exploring moving up or down in the draft. "It comes down to the price and if something is a fit," he said, adding that he wasn't sure there was much difference between the 10th overall pick "and where we pick."

The general manager is also trying to acquire a second-round pick, as the Flyers yielded theirs in a deal for Vinny Prospal in 2008. Holmgren also hinted that the Flyers could trade their first-round pick for a couple of second-rounders.

Freeing salary-cap space by dealing a player (Joffrey Lupul?) for a draft pick may help the Flyers in their pursuit of Florida defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. Bouwmeester can become a free agent July 1, but it is likely that his rights will be dealt before that date.

Mike Komisarek is another potential free agent who is on the Flyers' radar, but Holmgren said he believed Montreal was trying to re-sign the defenseman.

Holmgren said the Flyers' defense wasn't far from clicking and was similar to that of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

"The team that wins is the team that comes together as a unit and just competes and sacrifices for each other," he said.

"I don't view Pittsburgh's defense - other than [Brooks] Orpik, who is a heavy hitter - as being much different than ours. They're mobile. They move the puck."

That said, Holmgren is trying to upgrade the defense.

"Who wouldn't want to have a big hammer back there?" he said. "It makes life uncomfortable for the other team, but it's easier said than done sometimes."

Breakaways: Center Danny Briere, who has a no-trade clause, declined to comment on a report in the Montreal Gazette that had the Flyers shopping him to the Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings. . . . Holmgren has had lengthy discussions with former Flyers goalie Robert Esche, who could return to the club as a backup after playing in Russia. "I talked to him for a couple of hours last week and he's a different guy. He's a little more mature and his family is a bigger issue in his life now," Holmgren said. "He struggled with a lot of things toward the end of his time here the last time." Holmgren said he believed the goalie could get out of his Russian contract. . . . The Flyers are still negotiating with free agents Mike Knuble, Andrew Alberts, and Antero Niittymaki.

Goalie Marty Biron, who figures to sign as a starter elsewhere, has changed agents, Holmgren said. . . . James van Riemsdyk, the team's No. 1 pick in 2007, is a long shot to make the team out of training camp, said Holmgren, who is high on defensive prospect Kevin Marshall. . . . The Flyers will announce a deal with defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon, a third-round pick last year, July 1. . . . Holmgren expects the salary cap to remain in the same vicinity as this season's figure of $56.7 million. Next season's figure could be announced next week.

REVO'S NOTE: Unfortunately, this article does not note where the goaltending prospects are ranked in this draft. I don't believe the Flyers should simply draft a goaltender just to draft a goaltender. If we're able to fill a need on our team with either a guy who fits our system or is simply more talented than a goalie who is ranked lower - go for it. Again, it'd be silly just to draft a goalie just to say you've drafted a goalie. This might be Homer's way of saying that him acquiring a "hammer" for our blueline corps this coming year is just not in the cards. While Homer has mentioned ongoing "talks" with Marty Biron, I simply cannot see him returning to the team next season. Cap restraints are way too tight, and the lack of getting a deal done shows us that the price just isn't right - however, the fact that Biron is "changing" agents all of a sudden is very, very interesting.

Flyers On Bouwmeester's Wish List

2009-06-18T11:07:00.002-05:00

CSNPHILLY.com
Wednesday, June 17, 2009

By John Boruk
CSNPhilly.com Contributor

According to a league source, free-agent defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has a “wish list” of about six NHL teams he would like to sign with and the Flyers are on it. According to the source, Bouwmeester likes the Flyers from an “organizational standpoint” and considers them an “up-and-coming team.”

Wednesday, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren addressed the media at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees. Holmgren believes there’s a good chance Bouwmeester’s rights will be traded prior to July 1, when the free agency period begins. A team that acquires Bouwmeester’s rights from the Florida Panthers would have exclusive negotiating rights until the end of the month.

Two years ago, the Flyers made a similar move when they obtained exclusive negotiating rights for Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a first-round pick they originally received from Nashville as part of the Peter Forsberg trade. After making the deal, the Flyers signed Timonen to a six-year, $37 million contract and Hartnell to a six-year deal worth $25 million.

However, there’s some risk in making a move prior to the start of free agency on. Not only would teams have to surrender an asset (in the form of a draft pick or a player), but Bouwmeester is also currently represented by Bryon Baltimore, a relative unknown around NHL circles, and an agent who represents very few clients. Some general managers around the league don’t have a gauge on what Bouwmeester is thinking.

It’s believed Bouwmeester will command a long-term deal around $7 million per season, and the Flyers would have to make an additional move or two to free up the necessary cap space, even though teams are permitted to go over the cap by five percent before next season begins.

REVO'S NOTE: It'll be interesting to see how the Flyers play out this draft and free agency period. Many analysts out there have said the Flyers are lacking a big, strong defenseman in front of their goaltender (Pronger, Hatcher style) - and signing a player like Bouwmeester will more than likely strap the Flyers very tight for cap space. The way the Flyers have been pursuing Bouwmeester in seasons' past, I will be very surprised if Holmgren doesn't do everything in his power to put J-Bo in orange and black this summer. But the question for Flyers fans remains this summer: at what cost?

Flyers centre Brière just doesn't do it for Canadiens

2009-06-16T23:40:00.002-05:00

"Too small, and way too expensive to draw interest from Montreal."
By PAT HICKEY, The Gazette -- June 16, 2009

The Canadiens are not interested in acquiring centre Daniel Brière and it has nothing to do with the fact he snubbed the team two years ago when he was an unrestricted free agent.

Brière has a no-movement clause in the eight-year, $52-million contract he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2007, but the franchise has hopes of creating some cap space.

The folks in Philly have talked to the Canadiens and the Los Angeles Kings, but neither team was interested. There also is a report that they have talked to the Phoenix Coyotes, although you have to wonder whether anyone has the authority to talk on behalf of the team that may or may not be bankrupt and/or on the way to Hamilton.

Montreal passed on Brière because, despite their previous interest, the last thing they need is a small centre with a cap hit of $6.5 million for each of the next six seasons.

The 31-year-old Brière is listed as 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, but those figures stretch the truth.

There also are concerns about Brière's health. He went on the injured list three times last season with a variety of abdominal and groin problems. He did score 11 goals and 14 assists in only 29 games and he might have played more if the Flyers hadn't been up against the cap.

His final return to the lineup was delayed because Philadelphia didn't have enough cap room to activate him. They finally made room by waiving Glen Metropolit, who was picked up by the Canadiens, and Ossi Vaananen, who went to Vancouver.

Brière said he chose Philadelphia over Montreal because it offered him a chance for relative anonymity. He also found some comfort in the presence of his good friend and former Buffalo teammate, Marty Biron, who might not be a Flyer much longer. Biron is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and there might not be room for him in Philadelphia.

The Flyers have lured NHL prodigal Ray Emery back from Russia and are still up against the cap with more than $51 million U.S. committed to 18 players. The Flyers are looking at Robert Esche, another goaltender who sampled life in Russia, as their backup.

Gillett satisfied with offers: Meanwhile back at the ranch, we're still waiting for Canadiens owner George Gillett to formally announce he's selling the team, but that hasn't stemmed the flow of offers.

Jacques Ménard of BMO Financial Group, who has been put in charge of reviewing Gillett's local assets, said yesterday that Gillett is satisfied with the process and with the offers he has received for the team, the Bell Centre and his concert business.

Three Quebec groups have publicly announced that they have submitted bids for the assets. It is believed that there are also three bidders from outside the province, but none of them have stepped forward.

REVO'S NOTE: Lots of talk about the Flyers attempting to move/dump Danny entering this season after Briere's injury-filled 08-09 campaign. I can imagine that Homer is attempting to explore all options when it comes to dumping salary this offseason and rumored trades are one thing - seeing all kinds of talk about buyouts and waivers... Danny had a very successful postseason in 07-08, no? Was Danny not a huge part of a very dangerous Philly power play unit? Danny has a very hefty contract and large cap hit - something that's not helping Homer out at the moment... but let's spare the guy the chatter on buyouts and waivers. He may not as of yet proven he's worth every penny, but he's definitely capable of doing so.

Derian Hatcher retires from NHL

2009-06-15T18:36:00.005-05:00

PHILLY.com
Posted on Mon, Jun. 15, 2009

The Flyers announced today that Derian Hatcher has been named player development coach, according to Flyers general manager lPaul Holmgren.

The former Flyers defenseman and captain also announced that he is retiring from the National Hockey League after 17 seasons.

"We are pleased to add Derian to our coaching staff in this very important capacity," Holmgren said in a statement. "Derian will spend valuable time with the young players throughout our organization, working on their on-ice game as well as helping these young players deal with the issues playing and/or preparing to play professional hockey."

Said Hatcher, "I am very excited. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do when Paul offered me this position. It sounded like the perfect way to stay in the game and see if I like it. I will be watching the younger players and making sure everything runs smoothly for them. I will be involved with running the rookie camp this summer, where I will get to work closely with some of our younger players."

Hatcher, 37, takes over the position from another former Flyers defenseman and captain, Eric Desjardins, who stepped down to pursue other business interests. Desjardins was named player development coach and served in that capacity since July 15, 2008.

Hatcher missed all 82 regular season games and the entire Stanley Cup playoffs for the Flyers in 2008-09. He concludes his NHL career with 80 goals and 251 assists for 331 points and 1,581 penalty minutes in 1,045 regular season games for the Minnesota North Stars (1991-92 to 1992-93), Dallas Stars (1993-94 to 2002-03), Detroit Red Wings (2003-04) and Flyers (2005-06 to 2008-09).

He also recorded 33 points (7G,26A) and 248 penalty minutes in 133 career Stanley Cup playoff games.

He signed with the Flyers as a free agent on August 2, 2005 and in parts of four seasons with the Flyers, recorded nine goals and 24 assists for 33 points and 193 penalty minutes in 203 regular season games. He also posted five points (1G,4A) and 50 penalty minutes in 21 Stanley Cup playoff games with the Flyers.

He was named the 14th captain in Flyers history on January 29, 2006 and served in that role until September of 2006. In 2006-07, he was the winner of the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers' most outstanding defenseman and appeared in his 1,000th career NHL game vs. New York Islanders on April 7, 2007, becoming the 218th player in NHL history to reach that milestone.

In parts of 13 NHL seasons (from 1991-92 through 2003-04) with Minnesota, Dallas and Detroit, Hatcher registered 71 goals and 227 assists for 298 points and 1,388 penalty minutes in 842 regular season games. He was a member of Dallas' Stanley Cup championship team in 1999 and is the only American-born player to captain a team to a Stanley Cup Championship.

A native of Sterling Heights, MI, Hatcher represented the United States in two Olympics (1998 and 2006) and was a member of the 1996 World Cup of Hockey Championship Team. He was named to the NHL's second all-star team in 2003 and appeared in the 1997 NHL All-Star Game. Hatcher was originally selected by Minnesota in the first round (eighth overall) of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft.

REVO'S NOTE: Hatch was definitely a force to be reckoned with in front of the net, and the Flyers most definitely missed his presence there this past season - especially in the postseason where the Flyers had major trouble clearing the Pens from in front of the net. Be on the lookout for Homer to fulfill one of the rumors that he is after a big, punishing defenseman that will make forwards think twice about standing in front of Rayzor this coming season.

Panaccio: Emery Deal Means Biron's Likely to Leave

2009-06-15T06:52:00.005-05:00

Sunday, June 14, 2009
By Tim Panaccio
CSNPHILLY.com

DETROIT -- Now that the dust has settled after another sandstorm in Flyerdom, it would appear that Marty Biron’s short career as a Flyer goalie is over.

And that’s tough news for center Danny Briere, his closest friend and ally.

“Definitely,” Briere told a team spokesman on Friday at Skate Zone. “He is a good friend of mine, but it is the business of hockey. You can’t really control that. It’s not that the organization wanted to get rid of Marty.

“With the situation that we are in, I think everybody expected something to happen. Obviously with salary cap era now, we needed to find a goalie somewhere. Some decisions have to be made.

“It is just a business decision. Like I stated earlier, with salary cap issues, decisions have to be made and this seems to be an obvious one. I think everybody will be sad to see Marty, if he goes. He is a great guy and we all wish him well wherever he is going to be playing next year.”

Briere said Emery will get a clean slate with his Flyer teammates. Anything that happened in Ottawa will remain in the past.

“I think we just signed a really good goalie who took his team to the Stanley Cup Final before,” Briere said. “He is a young, good goalie. Everybody makes mistakes. I think we should judge Ray on how he reacts to this new opportunity. We need to give him a chance before we judge him.

“I have played against him and I know he is a good goalie. He is big, athletic and very competitive. I got the chance to meet him yesterday and he seemed really nice. We will get to know him more later on.

“He is a great signing for the team, especially if he reacts the way he said during his press conference in that he was happy with the chance that the Flyers are giving him. I think we are getting a great deal. I am excited about it and hopefully this helps us going all the way next year.”

Emery might be a guy who lights a spark for this team given his fiery disposition.

“He is definitely going to bring an edge,” Briere said. “Sometimes it could be that sparkplug that we need. It’s too early to tell. But just the fact that he is very competitive, it is going to bring in another element to our team. I think everybody is excited of the signing. You can tell that he just wants to win. It is going to be a fun year.”

Briere moving?
Briere has a no-movement clause. But several sources at the Cup Final say the Flyers have been shopping him without interest. Phoenix, Los Angeles and Montreal, to be specific. Because of his no-movement clause, Briere has control over the situation unless the Flyers want to waive him to the minors to get his $6.5 million cap hit off the books. His contract runs another five years. The Flyers have to lose salary this summer if they want to sign a major free agent defenseman or trade for a top defenseman at the draft. The only other large salaries that might generate trade interest are Simon Gagne (no trade/$5.25 million) and either Joffrey Lupul ($4.25 million) or Scott Hartnell (no trade/$4.2 million)

Sid the Kid
Had to be painful and terribly ironic that on the biggest stage of the ice world and the most important final minute of his young life, Sidney Crosby could not be on the ice Friday night against Detroit because his left knee was so badly sprained.

“It was so painful,” Crosby said. “I mean, being a captain and seeing what the guys are doing out there blocking shots. Seeing how intense it was, it was even more painful to see it go like that. But you get to a point where you've got to ask yourself whether you're going to be, you know, hurting your team by being out there. And I knew I had everything I could to numb it or try to play through it. But at the same time I'm playing against [Pavel] Datsyuk and [Henrik] Zetterberg. One misstep and I could cost the guys a lot of hard work. I didn't want to be the guy who did that. So kind of had to sit and wait and watch. But we don't get to this point without everyone contributing, and I knew that guys were going to find a way to pull it off.” Now that’s an unselfish act that should be commended.

Kinder, gentler Babcock?
Has Mike Babcock’s personality changed over the past three years with the Red Wings?

“Let's start with the first one, kinder, gentler,” Babcock said this week. “I think there's two parts. I think they're more used to me. My kids would tell you that there's two guys. There's the guy at the rink and the guy at home. Yet I'm a big believer in you've got to make them do it right. Sometimes that's not what… they want to hear... But also, you cross the line sometimes as a coach. Flat-out, you cross the line. You say something in a way that the message sent ended up being hurtful or wasn't about getting better. I think I've done a better job as I've gotten older of going to the guy and saying to him, ‘I crossed the line.’ To me, I love the players, I really do. I want to make them better and I want us to win. In order to do that we've all got to be on the same page. Now, sometimes, as you can imagine, everything isn't warm and fuzzy. Especially at times during the regular season. At this time of the year they're more tolerant of you, and you're more tolerant of them. And they know you're trying to win, and they're trying to win. So you're doing everything you can. So, I think understanding what a player is going through, being around more mature guys for a longer period of time. Understanding you don't have to be all over them every second.”

Dynasty
Win or lose, NBC’s Darren Pang thinks the Red Wings belong right up there with the Montreal Canadiens, who won six Stanley Cups between 1953-60 and four straight between 1976-79. Pang said the two organizations drafted and developed players, leaving them in the minors for longer periods of time to mature.

“[The Wings] are a dynasty whether they win this or not,” Pang said between Games 6 and 7.

Calgary next?
Now that Brent Sutter has left New Jersey, will he end up in Calgary coaching under his brother and GM Darryl? Darryl fired Mike Keenan in late May. Brent Sutter told the New York Post he had not “even thought” about the Flames’ job.

“That had no bearing at all on my decision process [to leave the Devils],” Sutter said. “If that occurred, like anything else, you’d always look at it.” Of course, Devils’ GM Lou Lamoriello would have to give Calgary permission to negotiate with Brent Sutter.

Community service
Part of David Krejci new three-year, $11.25 million deal with the Boston Bruins mandates that he make nine personal appearances every season on behalf of the franchise, according to the Boston Globe. You don’t see or hear about clauses like that in contracts very often.

A real jerk
That’s how the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram described incoming Dallas Stars coach Mark Crawford in it’s headline, and then went on to give reasons why he’s a hockey jerk, who angers both media and players, but has won a Stanley Cup.

“We were, maybe, as an organization, people were just a little too comfortable,” Stars owner Tom Hicks told the paper. “I think there was a recognition from some of the players that ‘We need to have our butts kicked sometimes.’”

One thing is certain. Joe Nieuwendyk, less than two weeks on the job as GM, wasn’t afraid to get rid of a good hockey coach in Dave Tippett, who figures to land on his feet somewhere.

Quotable
Sidney Crosby was asked on the podium after the game whether he ever felt he was pre-ordained to win the Cup as a kid:

“It means so much,” he said. “It's even way beyond that. It's all the sacrifices that people make so you can get to this point, and my parents. It's the coaches you have along the way. It's the people that influence you. These things are all things that, you think about. You go through today, for example, you're preparing for a Game 7 Stanley Cup Final, and that's the only thing I could think about is all these people who are watching, and all these people I wanted to do it for personally...

You see a guy like Billy Guerin, he won it, but it was 14 years ago. It's scary to think that we've got another chance, another crack at it; and we did the most we could with that opportunity. So it was just about seizing the opportunity, and doing what we could with it.”

Loose pucks
• The best goaltending coach in hockey, Francois Allaire, is now employed in Toronto. Which is interesting, because it poses a challenge for Allaire to raise the game of Vesa Toskala and whoever becomes the back-up.

• As we mentioned weeks ago, three Molson brothers have formally made a bid to repurchase the Montreal Canadiens. Don’t think anyone on the NHL Board of Governors is going to object to the Molsons coming back into the game.

• When was the last time an NHL owner was being spotted by paparazzi hanging around with a famous female? Well, the New York Post says Buffalo Sabres owner Thomas Golisano, 67, has been dating tennis legend Monica Seles, who is 35. “Monica and I see each other,” Golisano told the newspaper. Must be the envy of every other NHL owner, eh?

• Not that “Mad” Mike Milbury would ever hold back commentary on anyone, but here’s what he suggested Detroit coach Mike Babcock should have been saying to Marian Hossa, who did not have a good Final series, during Tuesday’s telecast: “You wanted a Stanley Cup? Why don’t you prove it to your teammates? Don’t let everybody else carry the mail.”

• Jacques Lemaire turned down a consulting job with Tampa Bay, leading to more speculation that perhaps he is headed back to the New Jersey behind the bench as Brent Sutter’s successor.

• If we’re New Jersey Devils’ GM Lou Lamoriello, we tap longtime former Devil and assistant coach John MacLean on the shoulder as the next coach. MacLean has paid his dues and has been passed over twice now. His time is now, Lou.

• Finally, congrats to Ray Shero, “Son of Fred,” and the Penguins for winning the Stanley Cup. As we said earlier this month, sameness is bad for hockey and bad for the sport. Detroit has had its moment. It was time for someone else to lift the Cup. It’s better for the game in the long run.

DREGER: GOALTENDER ESCHE ON FLYERS' RADAR

2009-06-14T22:23:00.002-05:00

DARREN DREGER
6/12/2009 @ 7:32:48PM
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=281691

Another bizarre twist in goaltending may soon unfold in Philadelphia.

Sources tell TSN former Flyers goaltender Robert Esche is on Philadelphia's radar and may be lured back from the Kontinental Hockey League where he was playing with SKA St.Petersburg.

Philadelphia is one of a few teams believed to be interested in Esche, who spent four seasons with the Flyers before moving to Russia following the 2006-2007 season.

Barry Smith, the head coach for SKA St.Petersburg confirms the NHL interest in Esche, but says he won't be able to let Esche out of his contract, which has one year remaining, unless he can find a suitable replacement in goal.

Esche, a Whitesboro, New York native, posted a 21-14 record, with a 1.87 goals against average and .912 save percentage, along with nine shutouts in his 2008-09 campaign in Russia.

A fifth round draft choice of the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996, Esche represented the United States at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and returned to Team USA in 2006 to represent his nation in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

The KHL is slowly gaining traction with NHL teams who are starting to view the league as a development source, so it's possible the team Esche signs with could provide SKA St.Petersburg with a goaltender from within their system to encourage the move.

In a somewhat surprising move earlier this week, the Flyers announced the signing of goaltender Ray Emery to a one year, $1.5 million contract.

Emery also played in the KHL last season with Atlant Mytischi.

Flyers comment on Emery

2009-06-14T09:50:00.003-05:00

Philadelphia Flyers OTF -- philadelphiaflyers.com
Friday, June 12
1:46 p.m.

Today at the Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone, we caught up with a couple of players still in the area to get their thoughts on the newest member of the team, goaltender Ray Emery.

Mike Knuble: "I can see where the organization is going with this signing. They got a guy who wants to come back into the NHL and try to prove himself again. I think the main draw is his competitiveness. Everybody loves his competitiveness. Whether things were true or not in whatever happened in Ottawa or whether there is much behind it, who knows? Certainly things are going to be a little bit magnified when you play in a Canadian city. Guys really don’t care as long as he is going to stop the puck. I don’t think we are going to have to worry about his competing every night. I see what (Paul) Homer (Holmgren) is going with this. I think he said he wants to go with maybe a little bit of a bigger goalie, quote unquote."

Q: Do you think having him brings and edge to the team that maybe they lacked before?

Knuble: "The edge that goalies have is probably a little different than what a player in front needs to have. They are the ones who have to be more focused. They are the guys on the ice for 60 minutes. Ray has played a lot of games in this league and he has had a lot of success. I don't think he needs to do anything different. He just needs to come in, be ready to play and stop the puck."

Kimmo Timonen: "We all know about Ray and what is behind is behind now and I am ready to leave that behind and move forward. I am sure he is, too. What I heard about him, he obviously is a big guy who covers a lot of the net and is really talented. He kind of has a feisty personality. I am actually looking forward to see him on the ice. Hopefully he can help us win."

Q: Do you think he might bring an edge to this team?

Timonen: "I think so. I think I only played against him 3-4 times in my life. I don’t know enough about him to say more about him, but what I heard he is really feisty. He is not shy of fighting and that kind of stuff. That's why I am kind of looking forward to see what kind of player and person he is. I am sure he will fit right in with our team perfectly."

Danny Briere: "With the situation that we are in, I think everybody expected something to happen. Obviously with salary cap era now, we needed to find a goalie somewhere. Some decisions have to be made. But I think we just signed a really good goalie who took his team to the Stanley Cup Final before. He is a young, good goalie. Everybody makes mistakes. I think we should judge Ray on how he reacts to this new opportunity. We need to give him a chance before we judge him. I have played against him and I know he is a good goalie. He is big, athletic and very competitive. I got the chance to meet him yesterday and seemed really nice. We will get to know him more later on. He is a great signing for the team especially if he reacts the way he said during his press conference in that he was happy with the chance that the Flyers are giving him. I think we are getting a great deal. I am excited about it and hopefully this helps us going all the way next year."

Q: Do you think he brings an edge to this team that maybe we didn’t have last season?

Briere: "He is definitely going to bring an edge. Sometimes it could be that sparkplug that we need. It's too early to tell. But just the fact that he is very competitive, it is going to bring in another element to our team. I think everybody is excited of the signing. You can tell that he just wants to win. It is going to be a fun year."

Q: Are you sad to possibly see Marty leave?

Briere: "Definitely. He is a good friend of mine but it is the business of hockey. You can’t really control that. It's not that the organization wanted to get rid of Marty. It is just a business decision. Like I stated earlier, with salary cap issues, decisions have to be made and this seems to be an obvious one. I think everybody will be sad to see Marty, if he goes. He is a great guy and we all wish him well wherever he is going to be playing next year."

* * *

Philadelphia Flyers Derian Hatcher underwent full right knee replacement surgery on June 1, 2009. Dr. William Hozack of Rothman Institute performed the surgery at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia.

Q: How are you feeling?

Hatcher: "Considering that it has been only a little over 10 days it is feeling really, really good. It is a full knee replacement. I think they just go in there and saw some of the bone away and put the new knee in. I kind of know the process but it is hard to explain. Rehab is not too bad. I am going about five-times a week. Like I said, for being 10 days out I have made a ton of progress."

Q: So will you be the first person to make a comeback with a brand new knee?

Hatcher: "(Laughs). I seriously doubt it. The doctor said 'no' so there you go."

Emery Turns the Page

2009-06-13T22:53:00.003-05:00

Newest Flyers goaltender ready for another shot at the NHL
Bill Fleischman -- philadelphiaflyers.com
Jun 10, 2009, 4:41 PM EDT

(Voorhees, NJ) - I had planned to begin this column with “Say hello to The Fighting Goaltender. No, Ron Hextall is not making a comeback. `KO’ Ray Emery is the new goaltender in town.”

But after attending the press conference where Emery was introduced as the Flyers’ new goaltender, I decided on another approach. The reason: Emery admitted he made mistakes when he was with the Ottawa Senators. Referring to the season after he led Ottawa to the Stanley Cup finals in 2007, Emery said, “I didn’t have a great work ethic at the start of the year. I came into camp out of shape and wasn’t willing to work (to get in shape).”

Flyers coach John Stevens coached against Emery when he was with the American Hockey League’s Binghamton entry.

“The one thing that impressed me the most is that he was willing to take responsibility for what happened (in Ottawa),” Stevens said. “If he wasn’t going to do that, I’d be a lot more concerned about bringing him in here.

“I think he’s a bona fide No. 1 goalie in the league. He’s taken a team to the finals. He’s 26 years old. The prime of his career lies in front of him.”

While he was with Ottawa, Emery was known for stopping shots, battling with teammates and pursuing the Canadian record for collecting speeding tickets.

The 6-2, 196-pound Emery has convinced Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren, Peter Luukko, the president and chief operating officer of Comcast-Spectacor, and chairman Ed Snider that he is more mature.

“I know this is the last chance for me,” Emery said. “If things don’t go well here, there’s no reason for anyone to give me another shot. I’m coming back to a Stanley Cup-contending team. Any goalie in the league would love to play here.”

Riding the wave of optimism in the room at the Skate Zone, Luukko said, “Where there is perceived risk, a lot of times there is great opportunity. Ray’s spent a lot of time with Paul, Mr. Snider and myself. He had a great career through Ottawa, and then he hit a bump in the road. That bump in the road is a great opportunity for the Flyers.”

Said Holmgren: “I root for guys who have had difficulties. Ray achieved a certain success in Ottawa, and then he forgot his roots. The league is so competitive now that if you fall asleep at the wheel with your conditioning and work habits, you’re going to find yourself in trouble.”

Several times during the press conference, Emery, stylishly attired in a light gray striped suit, white shirt and gray tie, lit up the room with his smile. Referring to his playing the past season in Russia, Emery said, “I only had two penalty minutes, and that was for shooting the puck over the side. I’ve been pretty calm.”

Talking about playing for the Flyers, Emery said, “It’s a great city and the fans are even better. It’s the toughest place [to play] as an opponent. The fans are wild here. I love that. That’s the way it should be.”

Emery’s Russian experience was positive, but he’s content seeing that sprawling nation in his rear view mirror.

“Russia was a better experience than I thought it would be,” he said. “I was nervous going there. I’d heard some good things and I (also) heard some negatives. The hockey wasn’t up to par with the NHL, but it was competitive hockey.

“I worked on different parts of my game. Russians like to play around with the puck. They like to pass it into the net. I had to be sharp from side to side. It was (also) great for me because it got me away from (the media glare). I definitely missed the NHL and a competitive game every night.”
It’s a great city and the fans are even better. It’s the toughest place [to play] as an opponent. The fans are wild here. I love that. That’s the way it should be.” - Ray Emery
Holmgren believes that Emery is the type of goaltender suited to today’s NHL. Listing Emery’s attributes, Holmgren cited “his size, athletic ability and he’s competitive. (In the Stanley Cup finals) the action around the front of the net sometimes looks like an NFL line of scrimmage. The goalie has to fight for loose pucks in front of the net.”

* * *

Signing Emery means it’s time to say goodbye to Marty Biron. Retaining Biron was an option for Holmgren, but Biron is seeking a contract more than double what Emery will earn. I think Flyers fans will fondly remember Biron: he was steady, had stretches of brilliance and was a reliable playoff goalie. Will Emery be better? We’ll find out quickly.

Responding to questions about what a gamble it is to sign Emery to a one-year contract, worth an estimated $1.5 million according to several reports, Holmgren insisted he doesn’t view it as a gamble. If Emery plays well, the Flyers have a top goaltender for several years. Holmgren can use the money he is saving on Emery to pursue a high-level defenseman.

If Emery doesn’t work out with the Flyers, the team didn’t break the bank on him and Holmgren will begin another search for a top goaltender. Perhaps the next Flyers goalie will be one of their own.

* * *

Holmgren knows the Flyers need to develop a goaltender. The late Pelle Lindbergh, Ron Hextall and Antero Niittymaki are the only goalies in the last few decades that progressed through the Flyers’ farm system.

“We’ve had some success (with goalies),” Holmgren said, “but since (Niittymaki) we’ve stumbled a little bit. It’s very difficult to look at 17-, 18-, 19-year-old goalies and say `He’s the guy.’ You don’t really know with goalies how they’ll turn out five-six years down the road.”

Holmgren said it’s still possible that Niittymaki will return to the Flyers. They’ve signed Johan Backlund from Sweden and the past two years they’ve drafted goalies: Joacim Eriksson last year and Notre Dame’s Brad Phillips in 2007.

“We’re really high on Backlund, but there’s a period of adjustment (for European goalies) because of the way they play,” Holmgren said.

Scott Munroe, the Phantoms’ top goalie last season, is an unrestricted free agent. Holmgren has offered Munroe a contract, but he is listening to other offers.

Until someone else comes along, Emery is the Flyers’ guy. Somehow, I suspect there won’t be many dull moments with him in the nets.