Simon Gagne – Keith Primeau – John LeClair
Eric Desjardins – Kim Johnsson
Roman Cechmanek
Other Nominees: Mark Recchi, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Jeremy Roenick, Peter Forsberg, Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, Martin Biron, Joni Pitkanen
Reasoning
Simon Gagne: He’s currently the longest tenured athlete in Philadelphia sports. He’s put up over 100 more points than the next closest player. Statistics aside, he’s been fun to watch. He’s got a ton of speed, a very good shot, and is reliable on defense. His numbers surged with Forsberg for the short team that Foppa was here, but he’s remained a reliable scorer. Gags is a fan favorite here, and when he misses time due to injury, the hole he leaves is pretty noticeable.
Keith Primeau: Preems was brought in to back-up the greatest Flyers player ever, Eric Lindros (yes, Lindros. Not Clarke. Not Parent. I will blog about it at some point). When Scott Steven’s elbow/shoulder nixed that game plan, Primeau became the man. It was a responsibility he handled well. His numbers went down, but he lead a group of nobodies deep into the playoffs. He completely carried the Flyers on his back all the way to the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals, before the Lightning finally ended that run. Clutch scoring, big hits, leadership: Primeau did it all. He gets the nod over Richards and Carter because he led a far less talented team into the playoffs, and under his leadership the team never missed the playoffs. In fact, while Primeau was here, the Flyers were always 1st or 2nd in the division. Since he has left, they have not won the division, and are in danger of missing the playoffs for the 2nd time in 4 years.
John LeClair: Johnny Vermont’s number are almost a mirror image of Mike Knuble’s. However, he played 20 less games, thus was a bit more efficient. Both loved to set up shop in front of the net and redirect the puck, but LeClair also had a high 90’s slapshot that he used to launch missiles from far away. His game was more well rounded, and across the league he was much more feared. I have to admit though, I am a little biased because of my memories from before the turn of the century, when LeClair was netting 50 goals a season, and the entire league was dominated by the Legion of Doom. Still, when comparing the body of work in this decade alone, LeClair gets the nod because of his bigger range.
Eric Desjardins – It seems like Rico hasn’t played for a long time, but he only retired n 2006. Injuries slowed him down, but in the early part of the decade he as still one of the top guys in the league. When healthy, he was easily the best defensemen on the team. He deflected hundreds of shots into the seats, and directed swift moving counter rushes consistently. While he did not have a powerful shot, he still quarterbacked a dangerous powerplay year after year.
Kim Johnsson: Another guy that did not get league wide recognition, but Philly fans will fondly remember. Clearly the best piece we got in the Lindros deal, Johnsson became the fast, puck moving defenseman that the Flyers needed as Desjardins got older. I’ll never forget the end-to-end rush when he gathered the puck near the Flyers net, went through the entire Rangers team and scored. If not for a concussion, he’d probably still be wearing Orange and Black. He gets the nod over Timonen, Pitkanen, and Coburn because none of them had the body of work. Hatcher is not even up for discussion because he was a slew footed, no talent, over the hill, injury ridden bum that did not belong in the league by the time we got him. He was great for Dallas, but a huge bust for the Flyers. Although his battles with Crosby were pretty fun to watch.
Roman Cechmanek: Who could forget the Cranium Carem! In addition to headbutting pucks, he actually WON A LOT OF GAMES! We’re all well aware of the goalie carousel in Philly, and his body of work is as lengthy as anyone else this decade. However, his win totals are far superior. In his first season, he nearly won a Vezina. He dominated the Dominator in head to head matchups, and pitched 20 shutouts in his three seasons. He was top 5 in the league in save percentage in every season as a Flyer. I’m not blaming the lack of playoff success on him. When he called out his teammates, he was dead right. How can they expect to win a series by scoring 2 goals in 5 games. Biron did absolutely nothing to instill confidence in his team, and neither did Esche. Boucher had a great playoff run, but lost his starting job right away. Cechmanek has to be the man by default.
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