No general manager in the entire NHL was as busy at work trying to improve his team this summer than Paul Holmgren. Considering his Philadelphia Flyers came just two wins short of winning the Stanley Cup last spring, the rest of the league has serious cause for concern... that is if Philly’s goaltending situation didn’t remain such a joke.
No, seriously. Apparently, Robert Esche called both Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher to let them know he wanted his mediocrity back... I mean, that and his job... and a one-way ticket out of Russia. It was a very uncomfortable conversation from what I’ve been told, because both Leighton and Boucher seemed very committed to the lie that they’re actually half-decent major-league goalies. Can you say “awkward”? Now Leighton and Boucher deserve some credit. They after all were able to lead the Flyers to the finals last playoffs, but it should never be forgotten that they did it playing over their heads all the while. Going into last season, the Flyers were thought to be legitimate contenders, but that was with Ray Emery in the crease, which, in retrospect, is probably the punchline to an even funnier joke no one has thought up yet.
With Leighton out a month with a bulging disc in his back, the Flyers will move ahead with Boucher and Johan Backlund at least until Leighton returns to the line-up. Don’t be surprised if Backlund is able to wrest away the starter’s job away from both of them in the long run, not because he’s so friggin’ awesome – 29-year-olds who have only played two games in the NHL rarely are – but because he’s likely more consistent than the other two. It would be very hard for him not to be, and that’s Leighton and Boucher’s problem in a nutshell. They’re not horrible players. The Flyers just don’t know what they’re going to get one game to the next with either of them in between the pipes.
Besides, it’s not as if the Flyers haven’t gone the journeyman route before since Ron Hextall retired. In fact, 15 goalies have played for the Flyers since that 1998-1999 swansong of his, including the ever-eccentric Roman Cechmanek. He also called and wanted Esche’s mediocrity back, because at least sucking that much would have given him three more years in the NHL. Needless to say, that horror show won’t be making its way back to North America, no matter how many Vezina Trophies he was nominated for (just the one in 2000-2001). It should also be noted that Cechmanek beat out Boucher for the starting job in Philly that season... and here we are, 10 years later. The more things change, right?
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| "Holy S&*^! It's actually in my glove! Outstanding!" |
In all honesty, Philadelphia’s defense has been infinitely strengthened with the additions of Andrej Meszaros and Sean O’Donnell. The re-signing of Braydon Coburn to a two-year deal also bodes well for the team moving forward. However, trading Simon Gagne to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Matt Walker may have been an ill-thought-out salary dump. Gagne, while often injured, is more than worth his $5,625,000 hit when healthy.
It’s true that the Flyers right now have three solid lines (and now seven legitimate defensemen), and the seemingly impending signing of Bill Guerin would give them yet another underrated weapon, but essentially trading Gagne for Nikolai Zherdev (whose cheap $2,000,000 price tag may or may not make up for his egnimatical refusal to live up to his potential) is a questionable move at best.
Considering the Boston Bruins reportedly had Tim Thomas on the trade block, it made little sense to get another defenseman the Flyers have little use for. Also considering Marty Turco signed with the Chicago Blackhawks for less money than Leighton ($1,300,000 versus $1,500,000 this year), and Antti Niemi with the San Jose Sharks for just slightly more ($2,000,000), Holmgren’s reported misguided faith in loyalty as a virtue will likely come back to bite him where the sun doesn’t shine. And if Holmgren indeed kept Leighton and Boucher out of loyalty, what of Emery and the fact that the Flyers wouldn’t even have made the post-season without his 16-11-1 record last year?
Clearly, management opted to let Emery, ego and all, twist in the wind, because he wouldn’t have given the Flyers a realistic shot at winning this upcoming season. Remind you of anyone or any two current Flyers goalies by any chance? Obviously only a select few people know the nature of the conversations that took place between Holmgren and the Bruins and Holmgren and Turco’s agent (if there were any), so hindsight, even when the Flyers’ goaltending blows up in their faces, won’t exactly be 20/20. But what simple foresight tells us is that Leighton and Boucher are not the answer... unless the question is: “Who are the latest Flyers goalies to leave fans tearfully reminiscing over Hextall?”
The Flyers are a team built for the playoffs, and with the team’s revamped squad from the non-inclusive net out, they might very well win the Cup, if they are able to get back to the second season. The team’s defense is as strong as ever and can properly protect Leighton or Boucher (or Backlund) once in the post-season. But until the Flyers make the playoffs with their two eyesores in net, it will be quite the adventure just like it was last season. And it likely won’t be a pretty one. Just look at Patrick Kane’s Cup-winning goal against Leighton.
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