Gagne Traded to Tampa Bay

The inevitable has happened, Simon Gagne is no longer a Philadelphia Flyer.

Gagne was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning today for defenseman Matt Walker and a 4th round pick according to Frank Seravalli.

This move gets the Flyers back under the cap and probably concludes their moves for the offseason.

With Ilya Kovalchuk resigning with the New Jersey Devils today, it should make for another great division battle this upcoming season.

Carcillo and Zherdev Sign, Gagne Likely Out

The Flyers have come to terms with wingers Dan Carcillo and Nikolai Zherdev, putting the Flyers in the range of $2.5 million over the league salary cap.

This likely means that Simon Gagne's career as a Flyer is over. The only satisfaction I can take from Gagne departing is the fact he has never been more respected by the fans as much as he is now. Coming back from a broken foot when the Flyers were on the verge of elimination, Gagne helped carry the Flyers to the Stanley Cup.

That being said, the Zherdev signing is a smart one because:

-Youth: Zherdev is only 25 and has already shown he can put points on the board. He can best be compared to filling in the void left by Joffrey Lupul from last year.

-Single Year Contract: Like Ray Emery, Zherdev has a history of behavioral issues. He can be lazy and have inconsistent effort, but when his game is on he can be very dangerous. For a one year contract, there is very little risk involved.

By signing Carcillo, the Flyers avoided arbitration and got back the Energizer Bunny of their team. Carcillo, also well known by his nickname Carbomb, flies around the ice and is never afraid to take the body. While he does have his flaws, his flashes of skill, grit, and agitation outweigh them.

More to come if/when a Gagne deal gets done.

Free Agency Begins, Flyers Make Splash

Coming off one of the best seasons in recent memory, the Philadelphia Flyers looked to improve an already stellar roster for the 2010-2011 season.

With the opening of free agency today the Flyers made some key acquisitions:

Andrej Meszaros: A young defenseman who showed a plethora of potential with the Senators, Meszaros is looking to bounce back after two injury-riddled seasons in Tampa Bay. Look for him to compete for the #4 defensive position with Braydon Coburn. Meszaros also played extremely well in the Olympics alongside previous Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara.

Sean O'Donnell: A veteran defenseman that was plus-14 on a Los Angeles Kings team that relied more on creative offense rather than a solid defensive scheme despite a defensive mastermind in head coach Terry Murray.

Jody Shelley: A tough guy whose only two goals last year came against the Flyers. He will play on the fourth line and likely replace both Dan Carcillo and Riley Cote.

Braydon Coburn: Resigned to a two year deal after a strong playoff, but unspectacular regular season. Still a strong two-way defenseman with a lot of upside, Coburn can continue to improve while playing alongside arguably the most underrated defenseman in the NHL Kimmo Timonen.

Michael Leighton-The Cinderella goaltender earned a well deserved multi-year contract signing a two-year, $3.1 million deal. As of now he is the Flyers number one goaltender going into next season.

With these additions it's safe to say the Flyers defense is set, here's how I see the pairs turning out:

Pronger-Carle
Timonen-Coburn
Meszaros-O'Donnell

The question flying around the organization and the fanbase is if the Flyers are done in terms of their goaltending situation. The goalie position has haunted the Flyers in their quest to obtain the Cup since the Broad Street Bully days.

If the Flyers are going to go after Evgeni Nabokov, they will have to move backup Brian Boucher and possibly one other player to fit him under the cap at a possible $4 million salary.

With what cap the Flyers have remaining, they will most likely focus on adding another 3rd line winger due to their depth at the center position. Look for it to be a veteran presence such as a Miroslav Satan or Owen Nolan type player. That's all for now more updates as they come in!

Flyers Make History, Need to Refocus

After completing a comeback of epic proportions, the Philadelphia Flyers are ready to face the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The euphoria needs to subside and the Flyers need to rechannel their focus toward a hockey team that is riding the hottest goaltender in the playoffs, Jaroslav Halak.

Here are my keys to the series:

-Michael Leighton: Leighton keeps putting together stellar performances. Despite a rough start to Game 7, Leighton shut the door from that point on and made all the key saves. He is clearly the underdog going against Halak, but if Leighton has the psyche to worry about his own game instead of trying to outperform Halak, he will be fine.

-Mike Cammalleri vs. the Flyers D: Cammalleri has carried the Habs offense and missed two of the four regular season meetings against the Flyers due to injury. The Flyers top four defensemen have gotten the job done shutting down the top scorers on both the Devils and Bruins. It's a tough matchup to call. Regardless, Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen will always be on the ice when the Gomez or Cammalleri line is out.

-Coaching: If you had told me how important coaching was going to be in the last series, I would have laughed it off. Peter Laviolette is the real deal and has figured out how to motivate this team. It is no fluke as to why he won the Cup with Carolina. On the other side, Jacques Martin has had a lot of success, but cannot seem to get his team over the hump to get to the Stanley Cup Finals. Laviolette has not changed his mind set and the Flyers will be prepared.

Like the West, I expect this series to be a long, drawn out war. Regardless of who wins this series, they will viewed as significant David's to the Goliath's that are the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks.

It's hard to not trust this team now and it's not going to be easy, but we will be back in the Finals for the first time since 1997.

Prediction: Flyers in 7.

Flyers Need to Matchup, Cut Deficit in Half

The Flyers played two admirable games in Boston, but could not come away with a win. Now they return home in desperate need of a win and scoring help.

Danny Briere has been the most consistent offensive production so far. Scott Hartnell and James Van Riemsdyk continue to struggle putting points on the board despite playing with a lot of energy.

Brian Boucher has played well, but not well enough. Tuukka Rask is making the saves that steal games and Bouch probably wanted both the second and third goals back from Game 2.

Here is what needs to happen to take Games 3 and 4:

-Marc Savard has to be shut down. He has provided an essential boost to the Bruins in all areas of the ice. He had the game winner in Game 1 and is not backing down (see Dan Carcillo's finger).

-The third defensive pair has been an atrocity. I understand the top four defensemen need rest, but with less than five minutes in the game, they need to dig deep and be out there. That mismatch cost the Flyers the game. Ryan Parent and Lukas Krajicek have to be better in the defensive zone, plain and simple.

-Special Teams. The Flyers power play has disappeared. Watching both games and seeing how difficult it was for the Flyers to set up in the zone was frustrating as a fan let alone for the players. The Bruins are being aggressive with their box and the Flyers are firing into shooting lanes that do not exist. Some power play tallies can bring back that confidence and get them back on track.

Overall as a team, the Flyers just have to be better. They have played well, but not great. With the home crowd behind them, I think the Flyers cut the deficit in half and a few breaks are finally going to come their way.

Caps Lose, Flyers to Face Bruins in Round 2

Well the verdict is in. The Flyers will play the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals starting on Saturday. The Capitals collapse of a 3-1 series lead against the Montreal Canadiens is the reason the Flyers are in this position.

This series sets up well for the Flyers. Both teams play physical and have made an outstanding commitment to defense so far in the playoffs. Both goaltenders (Brian Boucher and Tuukka Rask) have elevated their play.

Here are the keys to the Flyers winning the series:

-Special teams are going to be crucial. The loss of Ian Laperriere is devastating to the Flyers' penalty killing unit that stifled the Devils so younger players will have to fill the void. Notable names mentioned have been Jon Kalinski and Andreas Nodl.

-Goaltending. Boucher and Rask have been surprisingly superb (remember in Sports Illustrated when Boucher was picked as number 16 out of 16 best playoff goalies). What it will come down to is which goalie can steal a game for his team not just make the routine saves.

Marc Savard. Savard has been cleared to play for the first time since getting annihilated by Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke and suffering a grade two concussion on March 7. Savard will most likely be rusty despite being able to practice the last couple of weeks just like when Jeff Carter came back from his first broken foot. If Savard resembles his old self though and ignites this offense, it could be a long series.

On paper and systematically, the Flyers got the match-up they wanted. As daunting as the injury list looks, the Flyers have not only overcome that adversity so far, they have done so with authority. There is no reason to doubt that now.

Prediction: Flyers in 6.

Finally I have loved all the different "History Will Be Made" fan videos that have been posted and I wanted to put one up here of my idol growing up and trying to play the game the right way.

Giroux Erupts, Flyers Advance in Five

The picture says it all.

Claude Giroux, at just 21, is already a playoff star and performer. Giroux contributed on all three Flyers goals last night with two goals and an assist, as the seventh seeded Flyers eliminated the second seed New Jersey Devils last night.

The Flyers set the tone early into the game, on a spectacular goal by Danny Briere with Giroux making an unbelievable spin move pass.

The Devils, who seemed to lack the urgency and sacrifice the Flyers showed at home in Game 3 and 4, sent a barrage of shots at the net, but Brian Boucher was up to the task, as his fantastic postseason play continues.

The second period belonged to Giroux. A blocked Mike Richards shot came right into the slot to a trailing Giroux. He teed it up and put the puck in the back of the net so quickly, the goal had to be reviewed. About three minutes later, he buried another goal on the doorstep after Scott Hartnell won a puck battle in front of the net.

The Flyers preserved the lead and now wait for their next opponent. By winning last night, the Flyers have gained some much needed rest for their walking wounded. Blair Betts and Ian Laperriere, Laperriere especially, suffered injuries from the great amount of sacrifices they gave blocking shots. Also, this gives more time for Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter to recover from their surgeries.

The most likely opponent is the Washington Capitals, but it won't hurt if the Canadiens can extend the series.