Broad Street Buzz
Fansided

5 Best Philadelphia Flyers Free Agent Signings of All Time

By Jonathan Bailey

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 02: Danny Briere #48 of the Philadelphia warm ups prior to the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park on January 2, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 02: Danny Briere #48 of the Philadelphia warm ups prior to the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park on January 2, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
Bobby Clarke (left) and Dave Poulin (right) of the Philadelphia Flyers before playing against the New York Rangers in the NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Bobby Clarke (left) and Dave Poulin (right) of the Philadelphia Flyers before playing against the New York Rangers in the NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Dave Poulin is a classic example of taking a shot on someone, and turning nothing into something. Expectations were low for the undrafted Poulin when he signed his first deal with the Philadelphia Flyers – a one-year AHL contract with the Maine Mariners. Dave Poulin took his opportunity and ran with it, scoring 16 points in 16 games with the Mariners, before earning a call-up to the Flyers for their last two games of the season. From there, Poulin scored his first NHL goal on his first NHL shift against his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, assisted by Hockey Hall of Famer and Maple Leafs legend Darryl Sittler.

Dave Poulin played for the Philadelphia Flyers from his debut in 1983 until his trade to the Boston Bruins in the 1989-90 season, and succeeded the great Bobby Clarke as Flyers captain. As a Philadelphia Flyer, Poulin scored 30 goals twice, was named an NHL All-Star two times, and won the Frank J. Selke trophy, awarded to the NHL’s best defensive forward. Poulin left the Philadelphia Flyers with the third-most shorthanded goals in team history (27), with only Bobby Clarke (32) and Bill Barber (31) scoring more. Injuries played a significant role in the derailment of Dave Poulin’s career, as he played in just 724 regular season games across 13 seasons. In his Flyers career, Poulin appeared in 467 games, scoring 161 goals and 394 points. In the playoffs, Poulin recorded 17 goals and 39 points in 63 games.

Home/Editorials