1818 Sports

Welcome to the 1st annual 1818 Sports Flyers Preview.  This is the first of a two part series.  Part One will cover the Forwards, Part Two will cover Defense and Goalies.  Enjoy.

By Chris Campbell

Forwards

Arron Asham #45 – Gritty Player with good hands when he gets some open ice and time to maneuver. If the Flyers are on or below the bubble close to the trade deadline, I would expect Asham to finish the season elsewhere. It looks like he will start the season on a line with Claude Giroux, who could make me a passable NHL’er. Either way, he’s never had more than 25 points in his 10 NHL seasons and there’s no reason to think he’ll be much above or below that mark.

Blair Betts #11 – Looking to make the team off of a tryout invitation, Betts has surprised the team and Flyers fans with his solid 2 way play. His faceoff skill and defensive prowess make him an ideal candidate to take pressure off of Mike Richards on the penalty kill. He will make the team and provided they can agree on a contract, he’ll spend the season as the Flyers fourth line center, putting up 15-20 points and making life easier for our penalty killing unit.

Danny Briere #48 – Well, what can you say about Danny’s time in the Orange and Black? Plagued by injuries and defensively lacking, he has resided on the long list of free agent disappointments to increase jersey sales and decrease payroll on Broad Street. I always though Danny was a victim of unrealistic expectations anyhow, since his career high goal total is only 32 from the 95 point year he had in Buffalo in 06-07. He looks healthy, and has a better defense behind him than he’s ever had. I think he plays 75 games, ending with around 25 goals and around 50 assists for his best season as a Flyer.

Dan Carcillo #13 – Tough guy with a bad temper who referees watch like a hawk. He will either be moved to another team or sent to the AHL by December to make room for a younger, less likely to kill-a-guy player. One of the first tough guys in team history to not be embraced by Flyers fans, most likely because we all still miss Scottie Upshall. Not Carcillo’s fault; but either way it’s time for both parties to move on.

Jeff Carter #17 – Had the breakout season to end all breakout seasons last year, finishing 2^nd in goals to perennial freak of nature Alex Ovechkin. To paraphrase The Beatles I’ve got a feeling…that he won’t repeat his success. He’ll be solid but his decrease in scoring will be a hotly discussed issue in Flyerdom. That being said, he’ll be a solid 30 goal, 50 point man and a huge part of the team’s success; just not to the level he achieved last year.

Riley Cote #32 – Fights a lot but doesn’t win a lot. That being said, he won’t back down from anyone in the league. The toughness of Chris Pronger and Ian Laperriere makes Cote’s life a lot easier this year. I predict a significant drop in his PIMS and a solid defensive year from the 4^th line winger.

Simon Gagne #12 – Should the Flyers be struggling near the trade deadline, I think it’s safe to assume the longest tenured Flyer will be a Flyer no more. The recovered and resurgent Gagne opened a lot of eyes and got a lot of attention from other teams last year with 74 points in 79 games. He’s still a scoring threat and one of the best two-way players in the game, if he stays healthy he’s going to be too hard not to move should the team be any lower than 5^th in the conference come trade deadline time. Look for Gagne in Wild Green or Canadian Red if the team is faltering. If the Flyers perform to potential, expect a slight decrease in offensive numbers for Gagne, as his ice time is likely to be decreased.

Claude Giroux #28 – I don’t think there’s any limit to how good this guy can be. His only drawback is his size (5’11, 172 lbs), but it hasn’t shown any signs of slowing him down yet. He reminds me of Peter Forsberg with the way he sees the ice and makes plays from seemingly dead forechecks. He’ll start the year as the third line center but won’t be there for long. He’ll shuffle around lines for a bit, eventually ending up on the wing with Hartnell and Richards.  He’ll have an amazing year and finish 2^nd on the team in scoring with an 85-90 point season. The sky’s the limit for this guy, and I have no trouble imagining him in contention for the Art Ross trophy within the next 3 years. I cannot stress it enough, this kid is fantastic.

Scott Hartnell #19 – He’ll need to pick up some of the net-crashing power forward slack left by Knuble’s departure and I think he’ll be up to the task. He smashed his career high totals with 30 goals and 30 assists last year, and I expect him to exceed that this year. Look for a fewer goals (25 or so) but a jump in his assist total. If he winds up playing with Richards and Giroux he’ll be one third of one of the best lines in hockey.

Ian Laperriere #14 – The man they call Lappy is a born Flyer. Not brought here for his offensive prowess, he’ll kill penalties, win battles in the corners, protect our star players and irritate the other team to no end. Overshadowed by the acquisition of Ray Emery and Chris Pronger, I think Laperriere’s signing is one of the best off-season moves the Flyers have made in a long time. A hard nosed-veteran who hates to lose and makes the other team fight for every inch of ice? Gotta love it.

Darrol Powe #36 – Good two-way forward who should see more ice time this year. He’ll be a top nine forward and get a good bit of time on the PK provided he can improve on his faceoff percentage from last year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see 15 goals from the Princeton University product.

Mika Pyorala #27 – He put up 43 points in 55 games playing for Timra in the Swedish Elite League last year, and definitely has the hands of a playmaker. The Flyers roster is crowded, but his solid passing and speed should see him playing on opening night. I think it’s unlikely though that’ll he’ll play more than a dozen or so games with the big club this year, as he looks to me to need some more seasoning as a pro; at least by North American standards.

Mike Richards #18 – The Flyers Captain has proven himself to be an elite two-way player in the league and in the opinion of many was robbed of the Selke trophy last year. That being said, his leadership came into question at the end of last season with what seemed to be a flippant attitude toward a couple of key losses, as well as some less-than flattering comments about team management. The arrival of Pronger and Laperriere will right that ship in a hurry, and I expect a dynamite year from the young superstar. I fully expect him to lead the team in goals (40+) and become the Flyers’ first 100 point man since Eric Lindros in 95-96. He’ll also bring home his third consecutive Bobby Clarke trophy as team MVP.

James vanRiemsdyk #21 – With the exception of Ray Emery, there is no bigger question mark/ cause for concern than the future of James vanReimsdyk. The 2^nd overall pick in the 2007 draft looks on pace to make his looooong-awaited NHL debut this season with a strong pre-season. Flyers fans had to sit and watch while we lost out on the #1 overall pick that year, despite having been the worst team in the league. We’ve had to watch Patrick Kane develop into an elite player, and along with Jonathan Towes, help to turn around a Blackhawks franchise that was about as popular as meningitis. All the while, JVR stayed at the University of New Hampshire, causing many to question his desire to play the game at a professional level. After a shaky late-season stint with the Phantoms last year, he seems poised to make the team and finally answer the questions swirling around him. I think expectations need to be kept in check for JVR this year. He’s a big kid with a great shot and he seems able to put it on net from anywhere on the ice. That being said, ice time will be at a premium this year and JVR might spend a good amount of time trying to make lemonade out of lemons. I would consider him a success if he were to hit the 15 goal, 35 point mark in his debut campaign. Anything short of that will have him dangled as trade bait. He shortened his leash by taking his time, and now it’s up to him to shine with whatever role he’s given and prove to the team and the league that he was worthy of his high draft position. I think he will.