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Dazzlers and Duds: the most loved and hated Flyers of the past decade

Several weeks back, we asked our beloved Twitter followers who were their most loved and hated Flyers of the past decade. It led to some great names and some great discussion. Well it got us thinking. In the doldrums that is August in the hockey world — not to mention the impending doom of a lockout —  we decided to put together a tournament; poll style! We’ve compiled the responses for both the Loved and Hated categories, and seeded them according to our whims and wishes. What you see before you is the result of our efforts. While we may …

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Then and Now: Sami Kapanen

In the middle of the 2002-2003 regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers shipped defenseman Bruno St. Jacques and winger Pavel Brendl to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a pair of players. Ryan Bast was one player Philly acquired in the deal, a defenseman who only played a pair of games in the NHL, both of which were with the Flyers. The other was Sami Kapanen, a veteran left winger in his eighth season in the NHL. After several seasons with the Hartford Whalers’ organization, who became the Hurricanes in his third season with the club, Kapanen became a member of his …

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CBA 101: No-trade and no-movement clauses

The standard player contract (SPC) of a Group 3 unrestricted free agent can contain a specific clause which prevents the player from being involuntarily moved from their current team. There are two types of clauses, the no-trade clause and the no-movement clause. As you might imagine, the no-trade clause prevents a player from being traded to another team without their express permission. A no-movement clause not only prevents the player from being traded, but also prevents their relocation by loan or waivers as well. So a player with a no-movement clause could not be sent down to the AHL without agreeing (which, …

Is it Giroux's time to be captain?

Point/Counterpoint: Is it Giroux’s time to be captain?

Welcome to another edition of Point/Counterpoint, where a pair of Flyers Faithful scribes square off, debating an issue with their own unique style and flair. This week, Kim P and Craig F discuss the possibility of the Flyers naming Claude Giroux their new captain. Point: Kim P. If the chatter surrounding the Flyers isn’t about their goaltending issues, it’s something about the captaincy. As of right now, Chris Pronger is still the official team captain. But it doesn’t look like he’ll be returning, still recovering from the after-effects of  a gruesome injury suffered last October, and the Flyers world is abuzz over who will …

Playoff Beard

As the world turns

Each of the 30 teams in the NHL shares one common goal: winning the Stanley Cup. Yet no two teams take the same route to the Cup. There are just too many variables involved. If it was as simple as following the plan that brought the reigning champ to victory, every team would inevitably go the same route but the fact of the matter is that it is not the case. Teams are restricted by any number of factors, including the salary cap, funds available, and/or the ability the draft and develop talent. In the case of a big market …

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Flyers face decisions with crowded blue line

As I’m sure you are now aware, yesterday the Flyers signed Bruno Gervais to a two-year contract with a cap hit of $825k. That fact in itself isn’t too terrible. The guy is 27 years old, right handed (which must be Homer’s #1 requirement this offseason), and played over 14 minutes a night last season with Tampa Bay. In fact, he had two seasons with the Islanders where he averaged over 20 minutes a night. So the guy is probably a relatively adequate third pairing guy, that comes at a good price. However, that isn’t the problem. As Bill Meltzer …

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Five Questions: Will the Flyers trade for the rights to any free agents?

Flyers Faithful is pleased to have Adam Kimelman of NHL.com, Marc Siciliano of Kukla’s Corner, Dan MacNeal of Crimespree Hockey, James Minger of Flyers-Philia, and Flyers Faithful’s own Kevin Christmann participate in the current iteration of Five Questions. This is the second of a five-part series focusing on Free Agency that will run all week. With there already being several trades throughout the league for an impending free agent’s rights, and it being a common occurrence since the lockout, do you expect we will continue to see that? Do you see the Flyers as considering that option as they have in the past? If so, for whom? Adam Kimelman: I don’t see it happening …

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With Free Agency approaching, let’s discuss Holmgren Economics

It’s rare in today’s sports world, and especially in the world of the Philadelphia Flyers, for the general population to agree on something. Let’s face it, more often than not the topic at hand tends to be polarizing. People rarely sit in the middle with indifference. You have your lovers, and you have your haters. Whether you’re discussing Matt Carle, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, a goaltending carousel, or if a particular trade rumor would be beneficial, there’s usually a clear divide among the masses. Paul Holmgren is no exception in this regard. I’ll preface this article by saying if you …

couts draft

Will the rockets’ orange glare appear at the draft?

With the draft quickly approaching many Flyers fans are wondering when the first domino will fall; and what exactly will start the chain reaction. The draft is often considered either the last official act of the previous season or the first one of the new year, and the Flyers are no exception to treating it as an important time-frame. Since Paul Holmgren took over as general manager, the Flyers have made at least two moves each year at the draft, or during the week leading up to it. Date Sent Team Received 6/23/2011 Jeff Carter Columbus Blue Jackets Jakub Voracek, …

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On Drafting Defenseman

The 2012 draft is days away and Flyers fans have been discussing draft strategy for the first round. What should the Flyers do? The general consensus seems to be that they need to draft a defenseman in the first round and anything else is disappointing. There has also been lots of talk on whether or not the Flyers should move up to draft one of the higher ranked defenders. Most specifically, Ryan Murray, who will likely be selected second. I’ve seen someone go as far as suggesting a trade of James van Riemsdyk, Andrej Meszaros, Sergei Bobrovsky, and a first-round …