Broad Street Buzz
Fansided

Twelve Potential Flyers Hall of Famers: Part Two

By Jacob Modugno

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 02: Danny Briere #48 of the Philadelphia Flyers skates during the game against the Ottawa Senators at the Wells Fargo Center on March 2, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 02: Danny Briere #48 of the Philadelphia Flyers skates during the game against the Ottawa Senators at the Wells Fargo Center on March 2, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 7
Next

KIMMO TIMONEN

Timonen was acquired by the Flyers in 2007 in a trade that saw him and Scott Hartnell shipped from Nashville to Philadelphia for a 2007 1st-round pick. It’s more than safe to say the Flyers came well out on top in that deal looking back at it fourteen years later.

Timonen spent 519 games in a Philadelphia sweater, good for 10th all-time among defensemen in franchise history. He would record 38 goals and 232 assists for 270 points in that span, which ranks him third all-time in Flyers blueline scoring, sitting only behind Flyers legends Mark Howe and Éric Desjardins in that category.

Timonen was a very effective two-way defender who excelled at creating offense as well as being incredibly responsible in every zone of the ice and always knew how to make the right play. Timonen received Norris Trophy votes on three occasions in his tenure with the Flyers for his excellent play, and in each race, he finished 17th in 2008, 15th in 2009, and 20th in 2013.

Timonen’s best season as a Flyer came in his first one in 2007-08 as he racked up eight goals and 36 assists for 44 points in 80 games. His goal and point totals from that season would be his best as a Flyer in his seven seasons with the club.

He was a very effective piece in the team’s 2010 postseason run, usually playing the bulk of his minutes on a pairing with Braydon Coburn. Timonen scored one goal and 10 assists for a playoff career-high 11 points in Philadelphia’s 23 games that saw them fall to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games in the Stanley Cup Final.

Timonen would sadly not get to finish his NHL career in Philadelphia. In the 2014 offseason, it was revealed that the Finn was suffering from blood clots, and his 2014-15 season was in jeopardy. He was nearing 40 and knew his time in the NHL would be over soon, but he wanted to go out on his own terms. Timonen went on blood thinners and had to watch his club from the press box as they struggled mightily without him. In late February, Timonen was well enough to play but the Flyers, who were well out of the playoff picture and knew Timonen was mulling retirement, decided to send him off into the sunset with a chance to win a Stanley Cup.

Timonen was dealt to the Blackhawks for a 2015 2nd-round pick and a conditional 2016 4th-round pick. The defenseman was able to play in every game for the Blackhawks after the trade and participated in every playoff game en route to his first and only Stanley Cup championship, and Timonen would retire after the season was over.

Timonen is actually the only player on this list that spent more time with another team than he did with the Philadelphia, as he played one more season with the Predators than with the Flyers. Nonetheless, Timonen was a fan favorite who provided steady play on both ends of the ice and remains one of the most skilled defenders the club has ever seen.

Home/Editorials