When Wayne Simmonds was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, numerous fans of the Los Angeles Kings mentioned how he would become a fan favorite. It didn’t take long. A couple of hits, a few good shifts, a goal or two later and Simmer officially won over many Philadelphians. The gritty winger scored four goals in five games, enough to tie for the league lead in the preseason. He won over the hearts of his coaches too and has been penciled in to the second line, alongside Daniel Briere and Jakub Voracek. Meanwhile, Scott Hartnell, who had great chemistry with Briere, appears …
Constructing a trade rumor timeline
The big rumor today was that the Flyers and Predators were working on a deal to send Scott Hartnell back to Nashville. How did this come to be? When the Flyers were originally shopping Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, Hartnell was apparently on the block too. Hartnell is the last remaining member of the Center City crew. He is overpaid and the Flyers are tight against the cap. Nobody expected Mike Richards or Jeff Carter to be traded. Now, people are more willing to believe that anything is possible. Paul Holmgren said that both Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier could …
Mair, Nylander gone; Hartnell to have heart tests
Farewell to Adam Mair and Michael Nylander, as both players were released from their tryout contracts on Sunday. The club’s current contract situation, already crowded and up against the limit, was a significant factor in the decision — as was the fact that neither player really meshed well in limited action. One nugget that made us sit up and take notice came when Scott Hartnell was limited to just over nine minutes of ice time in Friday’s preseason win over Detroit. Well, it wasn’t due to poor play, or a different line rotation. Apparently, Hartnell had an elevated heart rate …
How many goals will Wayne Simmonds Score?
In his first three NHL seasons, Wayne Simmonds scored 39 total goals, including a career-high 16 goals in 2010. His numbers place him slightly above what Scott Hartnell did in his first three seasons. During his fourth, Hartnell scored 18 goals and 33 points. Many believe Simmnods can break the 20 goal plateau this season. What do you think?
Putting some of the roster changes in perspective
In order to make sense of the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Holmgren, we need to compare these roster changes to a version of the 2010 Flyers and see how those parts changed. Here is a look at that the forwards from team: Gagne – Richards – Carter Hartnell – Briere – Leino JvR – Giroux – Asham Carcillo/Powe – Betts – Laperriere So, what’s different? A lot, on paper. Here’s my attempt at projecting the 2012 offensive lines, barring any other changes: JvR – Giroux – Voracek Hartnell – Briere – Jagr Nodl – Schenn – Simmonds …