According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the NHL has decided to accept the contract extension agreed upon last summer between the Flyers and star defenseman Chris Pronger.

Pronger’s contract was called into question a couple weeks ago during arbitration of the first Illya Kovalchuk contract dispute.  The arbitrator specifically mentioned Pronger, Marion Hossa of the Blackhawks, Roberto Luongo of the Canucks, and Marc Savard of the Bruins as being beneficiaries of front-loaded contracts that were expressly designed to circumvent the league’s salary cap structure.

The acceptance (or re-acceptance) of the contract provides a deep sigh of relief for anyone who had even an ounce of concern for the Flyers’ cap management strategy going forward.  A rejection of the current contract extension would have meant that Pronger would have suddenly been thrust right back into the UFA pool, despite already having a 1 year old agreement in place that was to last out the rest of his career.  Philly is already nailed firmly to the salary cap ceiling, and a forced restructuring of a major contract like Pronger’s could have spelled disaster for GM Paul Holmgren and the Flyers’ capologists.

Can you imagine the Flyers trying to rebuild Pronger’s contract in a way that would have kept him in Philly until retirement while avoiding an increase in their cap liability?  It would have been nearly impossible.  That scenario would have likely forced Homer’s hand to drop even more salary via a trade or assignment to the AHL.

Scary thought.  Fortunately, it’s a thought that no longer needs much consideration.

There are very few players on rival teams that I personally would find appealing wearing the Orange and Black.  This doesn’t mean that these specific players aren’t talented, it just means that their success against Philadelphia has turned me so strongly against them that I don’t know if I could ever root for them if the situation of one of these particular players joining the Flyers ever presented itself.

The above statement generally applies to nearly every player on the Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils, and New York Rangers.  I don’t take my “hatred” of any players on the Islanders seriously.  Yet.

However, there are the select few individuals who I can honestly say I don’t really dislike, and instead just view them as having the misfortune of playing for a team I don’t particularly care for.

Bill Guerin is one of these individuals.

And, wouldn’t you know it: Billy G was skating around the VirtuaHealth Flyers SkateZone in Vorhees, NJ today for a little off-season conditioning.  He did so in Flyers gear, according to CSNPhilly.com’s Tim Panaccio.  He did so, according to The Sporting News‘ Craig Custance, with the intention of “just skating” and that he “was not hoping for a tryout.”

An ex-Penguin just skating? In Flyers gear?  Hmm.

Obviously, none of us know any actual dialogue that may or may not have taken place between Guerin’s agent, Bob Murray, and Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren.  However, that will hardly stop us from speculating.  As fans, bloggers, and writers alike, the sighting of Guerin in the Philadelphia area is a positive sight.  It goes without saying that the intangibles Bill Guerin brings to a hockey team are immeasurable.  He’s won two Stanley Cups (1995 with New Jersey and 2009 with Pittsburgh) and has been at one point the holder of the title: “The NHL’s fastest skater.”

Of course, Guerin is 39 now, and will be 40 come November, and while that is a concern, it’s certainly not something that should keep Guerin out of the Flyers’ thought process when it comes to the 2010-2011 season.

No, that, my friends, is the salary cap.

The same salary cap that, at this time has the likes of Dan Carcillo and Jody Shelley as cash recipients under it as members of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Frank Seravalli, of the Philadelphia Daily News, suggested on Twitter today that the Flyers could sign Guerin for $1 million this season, and make room for him on the roster by sending Darroll Powe down to the minors.  Personally, I love the idea of bringing in a veteran presence like Guerin on such a cheap price tag and I certainly think it’s possible.  What I don’t love, however, is that he would take Powe’s spot.  Darroll Powe proved himself to be a capable fourth line player on this Flyers team last season and also proved that he has intangibles: the man can kill penalties.  If Guerin were to join the Flyers, they would have one helluva scary top nine set of forwards: Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, Scott Hartnell, Ville Leino, James van Riemsdyk, Nikolai Zherdev, and, of course, Mr. Guerin.  However, with Ian Laperriere and Blair Betts (when he returns from injury) both locks for the fourth unit, that would leave Dan Carcillo, Jody Shelley, and Powe duking it out between a roster spot and a spot in the press box.

In my opinion, the Shelley signing looks dumber everyday.  You suck up the cap hit and either waive him at some point in the season or just make him a consistent healthy scratch, and put Carcillo up in the press box with him.  I’d give Powe that twelfth forward slot.  With Guerin in the line-up, you add another element.  He likely would join Claude Giroux and JVR on the third line, giving Giroux’s finesse a veteran mind to work with, and allowing JVR to have a mentor of sorts to show him how the power forward plays the National Hockey League game.

On top of those positives, Guerin also supplies another able body on the powerplay, a unit that was deadly at times to begin with last season.  Sure, the age is a factor – I made note of that earlier – but it is hard for me to believe that there is a better option if the Flyers are so inclined to bring in a veteran winger who can provide leadership and help this team out.

This is all dependent upon Guerin actually being signed by the Flyers, but who can blame anybody for being excited?

What do you guys think?  Will Guerin be back in Vorhees in three weeks time for Flyers training camp?

It looks like there will be a new face on the Flyers scene next season, as well respected hockey reporter Lisa Hillary has left CSN Washington and her post as Capitals beat reporter to join CSNPhilly.

According to On Frozen Blog, Hillary will be stepping in presumably to assume the role that was filled by John Boruk last season.

Hillary brings with her tons of respect around the hockey media community, and will no doubt make a great addition to the CSN’s on-air coverage.

Three years ago, she was brought in to CSNWashington to do much the same thing for the Capitals TV coverage, but instead apparently found herself at the center of a lacking commitment to hockey coverage.  Rather than being utilized as an entrenched reporter providing info on all things Capitals hockey, she was often used as an anchor for the general newscasts and for other non-hockey assignments.  Pucksandbooks from On Frozen Blog writes:

She’d become very much a sports generalist, covering numerous playing fields here. There’s virtue in that, I suppose, but it wasn’t the pretense upon which she’d moved here. Moreover, hockey here at such a critical time needed what Hillary brought back in 2007: serious credentials, and serious devotion. It was a distinctive vision by Comcast, and it needed to be supported. From my vantage, it wasn’t………..

The real shame in all this is that very quickly Lisa fell very much in love with her first American home, our nation’s capital. She accomplished a good deal on the beat in the limited access to it she was accorded, but with the needed support she could have done a lot more.

Kinda makes dedicating your energy to a single team’s every move quite difficult.  That will hopefully change for Lisa in Philly, where the Flyers generate a ton of interest and excitement for CSNPhilly and just bout any other outlet that chooses to give them ample coverage.

The summer has gone by amazingly quick, and the time has come for players to converge once again on the Philadelphia area in preparation for training camp.

One player in particular is expressing his desire to get right back into the fold.  Danny Briere has returned, and sat down with Chuck Gormley of the Camden Courier Post for a quick Q & A session.

http://blogs.courierpostonline.com/flyers/2010/08/30/danny-briere-im-so-excited-to-be-back/

What an unbelievable comeback.  What a series! What a Game 7! What a timeout! That happened! History was MADE!

The NHL Network helped Flyers fans relive one of their greatest moments on Sunday by replaying the entire semifinal series against the Bruins from the 2010 playoffs. The Flyers were able to overcome not only a 0-3 series deficit to advance to the next round, but also a 0-3 deficit in the 1st period of Game 7. It was only the 3rd time in NHL history, and the 4th time ever across all major North American sports that a team had achieved that feat.

So, in honor of what is clearly the greatest moment in Flyers history outside of the Stanley Cup victories of 1974 & 75, we share with you what the moment was like for these Flyers fans, and for millions more around the world!

THIS is what summer should look like.  I wish…

If you’re anything like me, you can’t stand this time of year.  Yeah…I know.  Most people are reveling in the hot temps and sunny days  (even though they seem to be in short supply this August), but not me.

Summertime to me means sweating for absolutely no reason, running up the light bill with the A/C blasting, and worst of all…NO HOCKEY.

Well, at least this week I am being appeased by the full day-to-day replay of the greatest comeback in pro sports history (yeah, I said it).  For those of you who haven’t been paying attention, the NHL Network has been re-running the entire Flyers-Bruins semifinal from the 2010 playoffs, one day and one game at a time.  And for those of you who still do not have access to the NHL Network, you have my sincerest condolences.

But soon it will be back to pining for Flyers hockey and building anticipation for the upcoming season.  Luckily, the trip from the end of last season to the start of next season has been pleasingly short.  As of right now, we are just 20 days away from the start of training camp, and even less until the opening of rookie camp.  With the Flyers coming within just 2 wins of their first Stanley Cup championship since 1975, the summer-long wait for the return of hockey has been cut down dramatically.  Sure beats a 1st round exit for more than the obvious reasons.

For us fans, especially the ones who aren’t finding much solace in watching the Phillies stumble their way through the season, the short summer is a blessing.  Soon, the wait will be over.  And I will once again be able to take to my Man Cave and be a hopeless Flyers headcase for the ensuing 8 months.

But for the players themselves, the quick return to the ice isn’t always quite so rosy.  Guys depend on the off months to recuperate from arguably the toughest postseason in sports.  It gives them time to spend with their families and unwind from a grueling season that for most ends in disappointing fashion.

And considering the deep run the Flyers had, they are stricken with the shortest summer of any team that came up short of their goal, as well as the deepest disappointment.

Teemu H of BroadStreetHockey.com had an outstanding article yesterday regarding the cost of coming up just short and how it has affected Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen.

“It felt like ten months had gone down the drain. Actually, it still feels like that.”

Timonen played well over a hundred games last season, including preseason, regular season, Olympics and playoffs. It was demanding physically, but possibly even more so mentally.

“It was the toughest season I’ve ever had. My body was pretty much broken in the end.”

The summer so far has not been enough time to recover from all of that.

“My body is in a relatively good condition, but I haven’t recovered mentally yet. The idea of having to jump back into a similar situation feels pretty hard right now.”

It’s pretty safe to say that Timonen is likely not the only guy on the Flyers roster who feels the same way.  Briere, Hartnell, Laperriere, Pronger…these are guys who are no longer considered young’uns, and each of them beat the hell out of themselves to get as far as they did last year.  In all fairness, they definitely could use more than a mere 9 or 10 weeks to get ready to do it all again both physically and mentally.

For those reasons, it’s also not inconceivable that this short offseason could very well result in a difficult start to the 2010 campaign.

Pronger is expected to miss all of training camp, and still isnt sure that he will be ready for opening night.  Think about the implications.  At training camp one year ago, you could see that Pronger was in command on the ice, directing and helping guys at every phase.  He acted almost as an extension of the coaching staff.  For all his experience and presence on the ice and in the dressing room, Pronger’s absence in practices WILL be felt.

Peter Laviolette made his expectations clear during exit interviews at the end of last season.  He told his team to come to camp in the best shape of their lives.  There will be no rest for the weary.  Laviolette expects this team, with all its improvements and changes, to take that final small step and finish the task.

Flyers fans are going to chomping at the bit once the season does finally get underway.  There will be little quarter given to the team that defied all odds last season and nearly won it all.  But is it fair to expect the Flyers to come out roaring with their asses on fire?

My thinking is not so much that Flyers fans should be tempering their expectations for the 2010 season, but that fans should be willing to give the Flyers a bit of time to get their game together at the start.  We, as fans, need to not get short-sighted if the start of the season is difficult, and avoid running for the nearest bridge.  It was a hellride last year, and one that isn’t going to be easily recovered from.

To start things off: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk7veyXEsLY

That youtube hit doesn’t do justice for the real thing…. but boy does it cause quite some tingles!

The Flyers season is right around the corner. Like the diehard fan that you and I are, I can’t wait for them to drop the puck! So to get excited about the best game in the world, I want to ask what makes you a Flyers fan?

What is it that you love about the game and the best team in the world?

Why do we watch this team every night regardless of the score?

It’s a way of life, an orange blood, a true religion that we love to follow, and a feeling that nobody else can understand.

There is no doubt that the Philadelphia Flyers were created as and are the Broad Street Bullies. A totally different game was introduced when Ed Snider put the orange puck inside that flying P! And ever since we proved that we can scare teams out of the rink, the management has continued to ink agitators, instigators, fighters, bullies… whatever you want to call them.

However….

In the post lockout era, GMs have rebuilt their teams to have stronger, faster, and more “puck moving defensemen.”

In recent years we’ve had our share of Brashears, PJs, Boulerices, that guy who cried over Pronger’s pucks, Cotes, and I could keep going on and on.

There just is no more room for these guys to play on the fourth line. A coach wouldn’t dare put a fighter out their in OT, would he? You can’t take that chance anymore.

Dan Carcillo is a different kind of player, and shows the same upsides that Steve Downie does. An agitator that occasionally puts the puck in the net. Which is why Chico got resigned, and why Downie got a nice extension from Stevie Y today.  

Steve Downie has proved to be a different player, one who brings offensive talent to the table in addition to his agitating skills. And that is why he signed a 2 years at 3.7 million deal. He had 22 goals and 24 assists last year, in addition to his 208 PIMs. Now at the age of 23, those are much more offensive numbers than the new kid on the block, if you know what I mean. (His name rhymes with the Bob the Hound ______)

Mind you, Carcillo had a total of 22 points last season compared to the sucker puncher’s 46 pts.

If Carcillo wants to remain on that top line with the Captain, than he needs to bring his energy and speed every night along with his work habits, and the pucks will find the back of the net.

Yes, his agitation is a necessary part of the game to help stir the pot. But his unneccessary minor penalties and timely errors are unacceptable.

Players like our new Jody Shelley along with other fourth liners these days have to be skilled and have the ability to be defensivly sound, and on occasion produce offensivly. If they can’t kill penalties or have proper positioning, than there is just no way that they can play in the playoffs where everything is on the line.

Which is why Carcillo was benched for several playoff games, and Asham played! And why the Roy dropper was a healthy scratch for a majority of the season.

The way that players get noticed by scouts are by Points or PIMs. Even a guy like Riley Coyote was a 28 goal scorer when he was in Juniors.

I know the response to this is…. Jody Shelley is gonna kick any and every yada yada yada.

The problem with that is that no matter how much we love watching Carcillo and Shelley be Broad Street Bullies…

WE WANT A CUP IN PHILADELPHIA!!

So my question to you is, what is it that you love about the Flyers? What causes your adrenalin to boil the most?

Is it the youtube video? Timely PEEEEEEEECO Power Play goals? Shorthanded goals? Comeback wins? Dominating wins off of the first puck drop? Goals in the first minute of the period? The last minute of the period? Penalty Shots? Overtime wins? Shootout wins? Hat tricks? 5 on 3s?

Top shelf where your mother doesn’t dust? Blasts from the point? A dip and dangle and no chance for the GT? How about a tic tac toe and a beauty!

Netminding? Shutouts? Snake-like glove saves? Bouch-like angel saves? Saves on breakaways? Shootout saves…. especially on Olli Jokinen?

Stamping someone’s emblem into the boards? Crosby sandwiches? Open ice hits? Forechecks? Backchecks?

Don’t get me wrong, as much as I went crazy when Carcillo knocked the living fool out of Bradley. We all remember how Coach Lavy’s first day on the job went because of that knockout. 

To finish off, I’ld like to share my best memory of Game 6:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyVgccKJE-Y

Despite all the hollering that went on around Flyers circles as the start of free agency came and went, GM Paul Holmgren has managed to remake the Flyers roster without essentially blowing it up.  Alot of new faces and a couple tough departures later,  the Flyers may in fact be in better position to challenge for the Cup than they were just a few weeks ago.

Although it is a bitter pill for nearly all Flyers fans, Simon Gagne is gone.  That is going to take some serious getting used to.  But as a result, the spotlight is going to shine brighter and hotter on a number of Flyers.

In fact, every section of the Flyers’ roster is going to be under greater scrutiny this coming season than it has in a long, long time.  And not just for the obvious reasons.  Yes, the Flyers were a mere 2 wins from a Cup Championship.  That in itself tends to ratchet up the pressure.  As great as this past spring’s playoff run was (and make no mistake, it was incredible), it left some bitter tastes as weaknesses were exploited in the Finals.  There’s nothing like getting so close to the Promised Land of hockey and just falling short.  But essentially every area (except goaltending) has undergone some notable change.

But beside the natural, aforementioned pressure on the team as a whole, there will also be a ton of pressure placed on individual players.  There are a number of Flyers who were not expected to be on the roster next season, underperformed last season, showed great potential and promise, or have to live up to the contracts they were handed this offseason.

So, which Philadelphia Flyer is going to be under the most pressure in 2010-11?

Click here to cast your vote!!!

Jody Shelley

Even though he has yet to play a single minute as a Flyer, Shelley has already been tagged as a pariah of sorts.  Shelley’s role is clear.  He’s here to crack skulls.  And while that would normally lend itself to some level of respect amongst the Flyers faithful, there are two aspects of Shelley’s signing that are problematic.  First, the addition of a dedicated enforcer would seem to be unnecessary considering that both Ian Laperriere and Dan Carcillo are returning and capable of handling the fisticuffs when duty calls.  Second, Shelley carries a $1.1M price tag…money thought by many to have been better saved or applied to the top shelf goaltender so many were clamoring for.  Fair or not, Shelley is going to have his work cut out for him to justify his presence on the Flyers’ roster.  Who knows…just getting into the lineup on a regular basis may prove difficult considering that Riley Cote was a healthy scratch for most of last season.  Does Shelley offer anything more than Cote could besides a greater ability to whoop ass?  His numbers say no.  We shall see.

Michael Leighton

“Leights” finds himself in both the most exciting yet nerve wracking scenario of his roller coaster career.  Two remarkable runs as the Flyers starter last season, including the final stretch to the cusp of a championship, have afforded the late-blooming Leighton the confidence of the Flyers organization and the chance to secure his first undisputed starter’s job.  Even while much of the Flyers fanbase was collectively pumping their fist in the air demanding a proven elite goaltender, GM Paul Holmgren held firm and resigned Leighton to a new 2 year, $3.1M contract.  But the onus is on Leighton to prove that he deserves the job and can make people forget the soft goal that clinched the Stanley Cup for the Chicago Blackhawks.  He will have plenty of competition as journeyman Brian Boucher (who had his own stretch of playoff brilliance), Johan Backlund, as well as prospects Joacim Ericsson and Sergei Bobrovsky will be attempting to challenge for a spot when training camp rolls around.

Claude Giroux

As one of the most promising young talents to come through the Flyers organization in years, the expectations for Claude Giroux are enormous.  He has shown that he can be one of the most potent weapons the Flyers have, especially during the last playoff run when he was second in Flyers playoff goals with 10.  However, a hot and cold regular season had many wondering if he could really put it together and get up to the pace of the game over the long haul.  Now, with two full NHL seasons under his belt, Giroux will be looked to to provide that breakout year and put more  goals on the board.  The bulk of the goals lost with the departures of Joffrey Lupul and Mike Knuble in the summer of 2009 were never actually replaced.  And now with Simon Gagne leaving for the Tampa Bay Lightning, the need for consistent goal scoring will be even greater.  Time for “Gee-Roo” to put those Peter Forsberg-like puck handling and play-making abilities to greater use.

Scott Hartnell

The struggles of Scott Hartnell during the course of last season were nearly as well publicized as the BP oil spill.  Every beat writer and blogger in Flyerdom was stunned not only with the lack of points production from the multi-faceted winger, but also with his seeming inability to avoid bad penalties at the worst of times.  The result was a tidal wave of trade rumors and speculation that the Flyers would be seeking to convince Hartnell to waive his no trade clause so they could shed his $4.2M cap hit.  As it turns out, Hartnell was rumored to be having some personal off-ice issues.  Fortunately for the Flyers, those issues were also rumored to have been cleared up in time for the playoffs, where Hartnell suddenly became the force Flyers fans expect.  It will now be up to Hartnell to put his personal past behind him and produce a bounce-back season the likes of which will keep him from once again turning into trade rumor fodder.

Nikolai Zherdev

Zherdev may be the most intriguing off season move made by the Flyers.  After a one year trip to the KHL, Zherdev has returned to North America by signing a one year, $2M contract with the Flyers.  Widely touted as a smart move, it also poses the highest risk and highest potential reward.  Zherdev’s explosive offensive abilities are no secret, but he also brings with him a reputed questionable work ethic.  We all know just how well that will go over with Sgt. Laviolette, and one would have to assume that Zherdev was also made well aware of it before putting pen to paper.  But what Zherdev may not be aware of is the fact that his contract is preceived by many to be the reason Simon Gagne was pushed out the door.  The only way Zherdev is going to be able to put those Gagne loyalists at ease is to locate the twine and do it often.

Braydon Coburn

As one of the Flyers’ top 4 defensemen almost since his acquisition in 2007, the talented 25 year old Coburn has had alot on his plate.  In the 2008-09 season, Coburn was actually considered to be the Flyers #2 as he played alongside regular partner Kimmo Timonen.  But the pickup of Chris Pronger at the 2009 draft effectively pushed him back to the second pairing as the Flyers did not want to break up the chemistry between him and Timonen.  The reduction in responsibility and minutes would have seemingly given Coburn the room he needed to mature his game and learn from a veteran like Pronger, who has a comparable size and frame.  However, Coburn struggled through much of the season and did so while losing much of the physical edge he had displayed through the previous year.  Speculation grew regarding his contract status over the summer, but he and the Flyers avoided arbitration by inking a new 2 year, $6.4M contract.  Now, with his potential transformation from young talent to top tier defenseman just over the horizon, Coburn needs to validate the confidence the Flyers have shown in him.

Jeff Carter

As the centerpiece of the most talked-about Flyers trade scenario of the past year, there is undoubtedly going to be alot of pressure on Carter.  Despite his 108 goals over the last 3 seasons, Carter was thought to be the likeliest candidate for a salary dump, mainly based on his lack of a no trade clause and his often frustrating inconsistency.  No one can deny that Carter has a terrific scorer’s touch, however, his defensive game lacks and his lackluster followup play in front of the net easily denies him another 10-15 goals each year.  His inability to produce during the postseason has also become an issue.   His 12 playoff goals in the last three playoff years have been a sore spot at times when the Flyers were looking for a scoring catalyst.  Also, considering that many Flyers fans would have preferred to part ways with Carter than Simon Gagne, many will be looking for Carter to be a monster in 2010-11 to justify the preference Paul Holmgren showed him over the 10 year fan favorite.

Danny Briere

As the most salary cap-expensive player on the Flyers roster, Briere will face alot of scrutiny as long as he wears orange and black.  However, his injury history and respectable-but-not-earth-shattering regular season offensive numbers have made him a target, especially during offensive slumps.  The logjam at center also caused Briere to spend much of last season on the wing, where his weak backchecking stuck out like a sore thumb on many a night.  However, Briere does have something going for him…his playoff production.  The injury to Jeff Carter in the 1st round against NJ gave Briere a chance to return to center, and as a result, there were many hockey writers who believed that Briere should have received the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP despite the Flyers’ loss.  He also may have made a case for the honor back in 2008 had the Flyers gotten past the Penguins in the ECF’s.  This coming season, it is unclear whether or not Briere will get to work the middle again as the riches at center remain.  But in either case, Briere is going to have to work through and earn his top dollar contract.  Showing up for the playoffs alone will not be enough.

Ville Leino

As one of the biggest and most welcome surprises of the Flyers’ 2010 postseason, Ville Leino has earned himself alot of admirers and even more eager observers.  Leino set a Flyers playoff record for points by a rookie with 21, shattering the previous record of 15 set by Brian Propp in 1980.  That number also tied him for the all-time NHL record set by Dino Ciccarelli back in 1981.  And that all happened after sitting out the first 4 games of the ECQF against the Devils.  However, through just more than a year in the NHL, the 26 year old Leino has had a tough time staying in the lineup during the regular season.  Leino was a healthy scratch for weeks on end with the Red Wings before being dealt to the Flyers, where he sat for an additional month before finally getting to dress.   He was in and out of the lineup again until Jeff Carter was injured in the first round of the playoffs.  But once the spotlight shined brightest, Leino was amongst the most dangerous people on the ice every night.  The challenge for him this coming season will be to live up to that performance and show an ability to maintain a high level of play all year long.  Leino has more experience than the average sophomore, so the learning curve is much shorter.

James van Riemsdyk

As the 2nd overall draft pick back in 2007, JVR’s arrival had been eagerly awaited.  Finally, his rookie season came, but the excitement was tempered by an inconsistent and rocky performance.  Much of the difficulties can and should be attributed to the tall order of adjusting to the level of NHL play and the length of the season.  After all, his prior season included just 43 total games between the University of New Hampshire and the Phantoms.  This season, he played in 78 regular season games for the Flyers, and 21 playoff games.  However, he was a healthy scratch in 2 of the Flyers Cup Finals games because it was rather clear that he was in over his head.  Even so, van Riemsdyk showed enormous potential at times.  After adding some strength and muscle in this offseason, hopes are high that he will be able to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump.  The skill set is there and it is deep.  It is up to JVR to now make the leap and help Flyers fans forget that if it hadn’t been for the draft lottery, the Flyers would be watching Patrick Kane in a Flyers jersey instead.