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Then and Now: R.J. Umberger

R.J. Umberger may have been born in Pittsburgh, but some of his best memories so far in the NHL have come with the franchise located on the other side of the state. Although his first NHL game came with the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2005-06 season, Umberger was a member of two other NHL organizations before he made his way to Philly. The skater was picked 16th overall in the 2001 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks, as he was the first American forward to be selected. Mike Komisarek was the first American picked by the Montreal Canadiens with the …

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Flyers face decisions with crowded blueline…again

So I sit down to begin this article, and I write the headline “Flyers face decisions with crowded blueline” and then I think to myself… “wait, didn’t I write something similar last summer”. Of course I go take a look and, sure enough, I did. I wrote almost the same exact article last summer that I am about to begin now. It’s the same story, with different players, and some slightly different circumstances. The major difference is timing. Last summer I wrote the article after the Flyers had made their defensive acquisitions. They knew who they had and it was just …

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Future Flyers Report: Konan/Akeson finish season with Flyers, three prospects in 2013 IIHF World Championship, Titans finished, Canadian junior updates

Another pair of Philadelphia Flyers’ prospects made their NHL debut this week, as both Matthew Konan and Jason Akeson appeared in contests for the Orange and Black. Konan made his debut in the Flyers’ 2-1 win on Thursday against the New York Islanders at the Wells Fargo Center. He had two hits and a blocked shot in 13:09 of ice time. In Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators, both Konan and Akeson suited up for the Flyers. Konan had four shots on net, three hits, and one blocked shot in 18:42 TOI during his first NHL appearance. As for …

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Future Flyers Report: Brandon Manning joins the Flyers, Leier’s Winterhawks nearly in WHL Finals, Straka and Baie-Comeau almost in QMJHL Finals

After Kent Huskins suffered a concussion from Ryan White’s illegal hit in the Philadelphia Flyers’ 7-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday, yet another unexpected defenseman made an appearance on the Flyers’ blue line. This time it was Brandon Manning. Manning played in a few games for the Orange and Black last season, as he posted a plus-1 rating in four contests for Philly. He didn’t record a point with the Flyers last season, but the former Chilliwack Bruin played well in his first stretch at the NHL level. A day after Huskins’ injury, Manning appeared in his first …

Straka in his time with Rimouski Oceanic. Image courtesy of mrx.ca.

Future Flyers Report: Straka signs an entry-level deal, Gostisbehere named an All-American, Wellwood suffers major injury, OHL/WHL playoff updates

The Philadelphia Flyers’ organization signed forward Petr Straka this week. The 6’0″ 194-pound skater is currently helping Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the QMJHL in their postseason run, as the club is set to take on Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the semifinals. Picked 55th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2010 NHL Draft, Straka had 41 goals and 41 assists in 55 games for Baie-Comeau during the regular season. He also eight goals and 10 helpers in Drakkar’s eight postseason games so far this postseason, which is good enough for third overall in the QMJHL playoffs. In the NCAA, Shayne Gostisbehere …

Rafael Diaz

Five Questions: Fixing the Flyers

Flyers Faithful revisited a former recurring feature, Five Questions, to address some current hot and important topics, including the draft, prospects, and the future of the Flyers. For this edition of Five Questions, we asked John Saquella, Jim Butler, James Centifonti, Joshua Janet, and our very own Jared Abbott to participate. Below, you will find their answers to today’s question. If you were currently the General Manager of the Flyers, how would you go about fixing the defense without decimating the core of the team? John Saquella: I feel, rather strongly, that a lot of the team’s defensive issues are due …

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Future Flyers Report: Alt signs entry-level deal, Cousins and Alderson debut with Phantoms, Oshawa on the brink of elimination, Zolnierczyk traded

Mark Alt joined the Philadelphia Flyers’ organization just before the beginning of this shortened NHL season began back in the middle of January. In a deal that also brought Brian Boucher back to Philly, the Orange and Black also acquired Alt from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Luke Pither.Alt spent this season with the University of Minnesota, a squad that was upset by the Yale Bulldogs in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Over his three years with the Golden Gophers, Alt totaled seven goals, 32 assists, and 85 PIMs with a plus-39 rating in 117 games. The …

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Future Flyers Report: Lauridsen in the NHL, Yale ruins Frozen Four dreams, OHL/WHL playoff updates

Oliver Lauridsen experienced a sample size of professional hockey with the Adirondack Phantoms in the 2010-2011 season before spending the entire 2011-2012 campaign with the club. Due to several of the Philadelphia Flyers’ defensemen being out of action because of injuries, Lauridsen got his first taste of the NHL this weekend. At 6″6′, 229 pounds, Lauridsen is a gigantic blue liner that uses his size to his advantage by being a physical, stay-at-home defender. From 2008-2009 to 2010-2011, the defenseman spent most of his time with St. Cloud State University where he had seven goals and 15 assists along with …

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Future Flyers Report: Kyle Flanagan earns tryout, Shane Harper has big weekend, prospects in NCAA tournament, updates on OHL/WHL playoffs

Earlier this week the Philadelphia Flyers’ organization signed Kyle Flanagan, a forward that recently completed his senior year at St. Lawrence University, to a one-year entry-level contract. The 24-year-old, who finished second on St. Lawrence’s squad with 47 points in 35 games and was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, will join the Adirondack Phantoms on an amateur tryout contract for the remainder of the 2012-2013 regular season. In his first two games with Adirondack Flanagan had two helpers. In the ECHL, forward Shane Harper had a weekend to remember, as he helped the Trenton Titans go 3-0-0 while …

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Future Flyers Report: OHL and WHL playoffs set, Holmstrom signs extension

The playoffs for both the OHL and the WHL start this weekend, as four of the five teams in the two leagues that feature Philadelphia Flyers’ prospects advanced to the postseason. In the OHL, the Oshawa Generals and the London Knights will have home-ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs, while the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds will be on the road to start the 2013 OHL postseason. The Generals finished third in the Eastern Conference and will play the Niagara IceDogs, who boast Ryan Strome, a forward that went fifth overall to the New York Islanders in the …

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