Then and Now: Ville Leino

By Craig F
Posted on 05/08/2013 at 11:00 am

After spending parts of six seasons in the SM-liiga, Ville Leino became a member of the Detroit Red Wings’ organization for the 2008-2009 campaign. The forward spent time with the Tampereen Ilves, HPK, and Jokerit before he spent most of his first season with the Wings’ franchise in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins. Leino saw regular season and postseason action for both the Griffins and Red Wings during 2008-2009, as he posted 46 points in 57 games with Grand Rapids and nine points in 13 tilts with Detroit. In the AHL playoffs, Leino totaled three goals and 10 …

Homer’s Do’s and Doh’s: Leino Trade v. Giroux Extension and Gagne Trade v. Shelley Signing

By Nick D
Posted on 12/03/2012 at 7:00 am

Paul Holmgren became the interim General Manager of the Philadelphia Flyers on October 22, 2006. That interim title was removed only weeks later on November 11. Holmgren was able to take a team that finished last in the National Hockey League, and rebuild it to make a deep run all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals the very next season. Yes, some of Holmgren’s moves have been amazing, but he’s also a guy who has gotten this organization into some hot water with the salary cap and was forced to make deals that were head scratchers to say the least. If you enjoyed …

Homer’s Do’s and Doh’s: Pronger Trade v. Leino Trade and Gagne Trade v. Versteeg Trade

By Nick D
Posted on 11/23/2012 at 7:00 am

Then and Now: Mattias Timander

By Craig F
Posted on 11/21/2012 at 9:00 am

The Philadelphia Flyers acquired defenseman Mattias Timander late in January of 2004 from the New York Islanders in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2004 NHL Draft. The Isles used the Flyers’ draft pick, which Philly obtained by swapping a pair of picks with the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2003 draft, to draft defenseman Chris Campoli, who played in 233 games for New York before also playing for the Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks, and Montreal Canadiens. Of the 40 games Timander played for the Islanders’ franchise during the 2003-04 campaign, 35 were for the Isles’ AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport …

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Homer’s Do’s and Doh’s: Our favorite and least favorite deals under Paul Holmgren

By Nick D
Posted on 11/15/2012 at 2:00 pm

Then and Now: Freddy Meyer

By Craig F
Posted on 10/24/2012 at 9:00 am

In May of 2003, the Philadelphia Flyers signed defenseman Freddy Meyer to an entry-level contract. The mobile d-man was coming off a season at Boston University where he had five goals and 16 assists in 38 games as the Terriers’ captain. During the 2003-2004 season with the Flyers’ organization, Meyer spent the majority of the campaign in the AHL with the Philadelphia Phantoms. He had the second-most goals for a blue liner on the team with 14 goals in 59 games, while John Slaney led the team with 19 goals in the same number of tilts as Meyer. The American defender also had 14 helpers, 50 PIMs, …

Then and Now: Ole-Kristian Tollefsen

By Craig F
Posted on 09/12/2012 at 9:00 am

After his fourth season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen signed with the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2009 offseason. Known as a tough and physical defender, the Norwegian played all of 18 games for the Orange and Black before being traded away for a crucial piece in the Flyers’ 2010 playoff run. Tollefsen endured all his games in the Orange and Black from October 8th, 2009, which was the Flyers’ first loss of the season in a 5-4 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins, to January 30th, 2010, a 2-1 win for Philly over the New York Islanders. In that time the defenseman …

Then and Now: Niko Dimitrakos

By Craig F
Posted on 06/13/2012 at 9:00 am

Before suffering a groin injury in the middle of February this season, Tom Sestito had played in 14 games for the Philadelphia Flyers posting an assist and 83 PIMs. The Orange and Black obtained Sestito in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets in February of 2011, where the Flyers shipped Greg Moore and Michael Chaput to Ohio in exchange for the hulking forward. Columbus was able to draft Sestito with the third-round pick they acquired in a draft-day deal with the San Jose Sharks in 2004, which sent a fourth-rounder in 2006 and a second-rounder in 2007 San Jose’s …

Then and Now: Patrick Thoresen

By Craig F
Posted on 06/01/2011 at 10:00 am

A player who will most likely be remembered for an infamous injury in the playoffs, Patrick Thoresen was a respectable 4th liner for the Flyers during the latter part of the 2007-2008 NHL season. In his 35 games in a Flyers’ uniform, Thoresen didn’t register a single goal, but did post seven assists (two in the postseason). However, the success of Thoresen’s game was measured more in defense and sweat rather than goals and assists. Since leaving the Flyers in the 2008 offseason, Thoresen has found his scoring touch in route to a Gagarin Cup. Picked up off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers on …