Before I get started thereās something I want to say. Iāve been battling what started as a sinus infection on Saturday, but turned into a full blown upper respiratory infection today with bronchitis right around the corner. I hate the change of seasons. š So this is going to be one of three thingsā¦
1. Long and drawn out,
2. Short with no real point,
3. Long and exactly what I want it to be and what you all expect it to be.
Iām hoping for #3.
So why donāt we cut to the chase and start with the guy who had everyone screaming that the Flyers will bring the Stanley Cup back to Philadelphiaā¦
Chris Pronger
16th Season
Last Seasonās Numbers: 48 points (11 goals, 4 of them on the power play,Ā 37 assists) in 82 games (that would have been good for 6th best on the team) and 10 points (2 goals,Ā 8 assists) in 13 playoff games.
Upside: What can I say about Pronger that I havenāt already said? Heās a 6ā² 6ā³, 214 pound machine! Everywhere he goes, he wins. He did it in St. Louis, Edmonton and Anaheim, winning a cup with the Ducks. This theory doesnāt hold true with Hartford though. Then again, it was Hartford. heās a strong, shut-down defenseman who blocks shots, can score, takes the body and will rough up anyone coming over the Schukyl Expressway. Another thing I like about Pronger is, heās just as excited to be a part of the club as everyone else is that heās here. Itās gonna be an awesome display when he steps on the Wachovia Center ice for the first time this season (glad Iāll be there for it š ).
Downside: Ummmmmā¦ heās 34? Letās be real here. He doesnāt take bad penalties, heās smart with the puck, thereās no lingering injury history and he has a shot that can stop an elephant, driving a truck and the truck too. The age thing doesnāt really come into play because unless he becomes the next Iron Man, the Flyers have him signed for the rest of his career. I love saying thatā¦ The Flyers have him signed for the rest of his career. It just rolls off the fingers.
Okay, my Pronger fandom aside, if you look up the word, āheartā in the dictionary, there will be a picture of this guyās face next to it. I can only be talking aboutā¦
Kimmo Timonen
11th Season
Last Seasonās Numbers: 43 points (3 goals, 40 assists) in 77 games and 1 assist in 6 playoff games.
Upside: Tell me this guy wasnāt a steal with the 250th pick in ā93? Granted, he never played a game with the Kings and didnāt break into the league until ā98 with the Predators, the Flyers were lucky enough to get him in ā07 and heās been a reliable, 1st pairing d-man ever since. Helping to guide the play of Coburn, Parent and will hopefully work with Carle, he is, without a doubt, a valued member of this franchise. Heās not the tallest guy at 5ā² 10ā³, but he makes up for that with his agressive playing style, shot blocking and the ability to set up the play from the point. The addition of Pronger will take some of the weight from his shoulders and we may be looking at a career year from Kimmo.
Downside: Kimmo is another guy where Iād love to find a downside to him, but itās hard. Even on the off chance he does get injured, heās usually not gone very long. He missed 5 games last season, but it was very easy to miss him with the defensive troubles they had.
I didnāt realize the Flyers had so many players who were top 10 picks. This one is noĀ different. 8th overall with Atlanta in ā03, but the Flyers got him during the 06-07 season. Since then, heās been molded and shaped into someone who could be one of the great defensemen in Flyers history. Of course Iām talking aboutā¦
Braydon Coburn
5th Season
Last Seasonās Numbers: 28 points (7 goals, 21 assists) in 80 games and 3 assists in 6 playoff games.
Upside: Coburn is literally a hotbed of talent. Power play, penalty kill, even strength, shot blocking, great first pass and boy can he hit! A 6ā² 5ā³, 220 pound frame and he knows how to use it. Coburn and Parent are destined to be the future of the Flyers defense. Heās like a sponge, taking in every bit of knowledge that Timonen can give him and heās only 24. This is a contract year for him. But regardless, he should get a raise for what heās done so far. And Homer should give it to him, no questions asked. Before you get antsy about me making a reference to his contract year, we all know players play harder in the last year of their deals to make the next signing that much more lucrative. Iām not saying thatās what Coburnās going to do. And donāt sweat the raise, Prongerās hit goes down over $1.5 million so itāll be easy to deal with.
Downside: Coburn is another guy who Iām afraid going so hard all the time is going to catch up with him. I donāt want to see him get hurt. Going all out, all the time tears muscles, tendons and breaks bones. I want him to be part of our defensive future, I just donāt want to see the concussions and tears that may come along with it.
Speaking of the future, Iād be foolish if I didnāt mention this player. Another 1st rounder (18th overall in ā05 with Nashville) who saw most of his time come after Luca Sbisa went to the ECHLā¦
Ryan Parent
2nd Season (should be his first full season)
Last Seasonās Numbers: 4 assists in 31 games.
Upside: Another young player (22) who worked closely with Timonen to guide him along the right track. His lack of scoring is easily made up by his 6ā² 3ā³ frame. He still has a lot to learn. But he has Pronger, Timonen and Hatcher to help him.
Downside: Ryanās going to be one of the Top 4 defensemen. So while he has Pronger and Timonen to work with, he needs to pick up on things pretty quick. Not a reasonable request, but it is one myself and many others think he can handle. No real puck handling or passing issues, but his first pass needs to get stronger. Moreso sooner than later.
Alrightā¦ Hereās where things may get a little sketchy. Iāve talked about the Top 4 defensemen so now itās time to delve into the bottom 3. No outside influence, no fandom, Iām shotting straight from the hip and telling it like it isā¦
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen
5th Season
Last Seasonās Numbers: 1 assist in 19 games.
Upside: Donāt let the 1 assist fool you, thereās more to his game than that. I wish there was more scoring, but Iāve learned to let sleeping dogs lie. If he scored 10 goals and 30 assists like Timonen and Pronger, heād be talked about just like those two are. Minus the scoring, Tollefsen is a complete d-man. He can play all situations, blocks shots, great checker, strong passer and can drop the gloves.
Downside: Hereās the problem though, a lot of his talents are going to be hidden this season with Pronger, Timonen, Coburn and Parent in the Top 4. I even overheard Coach Stevens telling someone he would be a, ā6th or 7th defenseman.ā Oh, and did I mention heās not a scorer? Just making sure on that one.
Now saying that Tollefsen is going to be a 6th or 7th defenseman behind these next two guys is almost laughable. I know a lot of people, myself included, were waiting in front of their computers and by their cell phones for the message that this next guy had been traded, waived or otherwise. All to no avail. I was one, I think the only one, who couldnāt wait for this guy to come back from injury last season. I know he had lingering problems, but I really felt like I had backed the wrong horseā¦
Randy Jones
6th Season
Last Seasonās Numbers: 8 points (4 goals, 4 assists) in 47 games and 1 assist in 6 playoff games.
Upside: Where do I start talking about the upside to Randy Jones? No really, where do I start? He had some more work done in the off-season so hopefully the injury from last season will be a thing of the past and his production will pick up. At least heās in the last year of his contract.
Downside: On Jonesā first game back last season, I could have sworn I heard a collective, āOh $&!%,ā from the entire Flyers Nation when he turned the puck over for the first time, on just his 3rd shift of the game. While his sub-par skating may get better, he needs to work on his horrible puck handling, the only way I can think of to describe his shot is like watching a doggie door. The stick goes back and then itās just, eh. Man, I could sit here all night just talking about things that are wrong with Jonesā game. I really shouldnāt have to though. I went off on Carcillo last night, but Jones makes him look like a superstar. Newsflashā¦ The Randy Jones Experiment was a dud. Just let it go.
Now, I donāt want to get too deep into Matt Carle, but here it isā¦
Matt Carle
5th Season
Last Seasonās Numbers: 26 points (5 goals, 21 assists) in 76 games with the Flyers and Lightning. 3 assists in 6 playoff games.
Upside: heās another young player who shows a lot of promise. People got on him last season, but you try learning 3 systems in 2 seasons. I really believe pairing him with Tollefsen will help his game in the long run.
Downside: When you get paired with Jones, youāre guilty by association. Carle had to eat a lot of crow last season and learn to like the taste because he had no support in his pairing. Heās not going to get paired with one of the Top 4 unless they decide to move Parent down (which would be a HUGE mistake), so his minutes will be very limited and his margin for error will be non-existent. But he did manage 24 points with those limited minutes last season.
So there you have it. Iāll be back tomorrow with the goalies. But for now, itās Nyquil. The night time, sniffling, sneezing,Ā coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever, so you can sleep in a near comalike state for the next 8 hours medicine.
Until next time, keep your chin up, your eyes on the puck and you can never go wrong with high to the stick side. š
Thanks for reading,
Paul Pickett
Facebook: Paul Ca Pickett
Twitter: PaulakaBFTW
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