Lupul plays first game after 51 weeks

by Gizmoitus on Dec 6, 2010 1:45 AM EST

For those who like to keep tabs on some of the ex-Flyers of the fairly recent past, you might be aware of Joffrey Lupul's injury nightmare, where he was operated on for a herniated disc, then sustained an infection of the spinal column that eventually required a 2nd operation. Lupul had 3 tuneup games, and after nearly a year on LTIR, finally made his debut with the Ducks, playing in place of Teemu Selanne who is now out with a nagging groin injury. Unfortunately for the Ducks things did not go well, as they got blanked by the Yotes 3 to zip.

Lupul faced off against his former drinking buddy Scottie Upshall who is also back from a season ending injury -- a torn ACL that derailed him from a breakout year in 2009 where he was leading the Yotes in goals (18) and 14 helpers in 49 games. After a slow start, Upshall has started to get his scoring touch back, and is again leading the Yotes in scoring albeit with only 8 goals. Given the ongoing ownership issues in Phoenix, the Coyotes continue to surprise everyone, having clawed their way into 2nd place in the Pacific with 32 points.

It's nice to see both these guys back in action after their run of extremely bad luck. Speaking personally, if there's one trade that still gnaws at me, it's the Upshall trade.

You can read a short story about Lupul's return to the Ducks here: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-ducks-coyotes-20101206,0,4020632.story

This item was written by a member of this community and is not necessarily endorsed by Broad Street Hockey.

Tweet Comment 21 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I actually miss Upshall.

Lupol not so much. But then again I don’t particularly like arrogant douche bags so there you go.

BOILER UP!! 2010-2011

"You can commit no mistake and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." - Jean-Luc Picard

by EREX21 on Dec 6, 2010 1:47 PM EST reply actions

Yeah Lupul is basically a silly frat boy. He did however, play pretty well for the Flyers and helped us land Pronger. Sustaining a post-operative spinal infection that leaves you bedridden for 2 months and out for nearly a season and a half is a really bad break, regardless, and even though doctors only cleared him to play a day ago, that didn’t stop critical Ducks fans from questioning his desire to get back on the ice because he twitters all the time about what concerts he is going to.

by Gizmoitus on Dec 6, 2010 3:01 PM EST up reply actions

Not to mention Lupul showing up on TMZ a couple of times when he was out with Jayde Nicole. For those of you who don’t know who she is, she dated Brody Jenner for a while and appeared on The Hills because of that. She also was Playmate of the Year in 2008. http://www.jaydenicole.com/

by flyersphan17 on Dec 7, 2010 9:54 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah, that Scotty trade was brutal.

Formerly... "You don't have to be sweet, to be good"

by Ed Van Chimp on Dec 6, 2010 1:52 PM EST reply actions

What you all feel as loss I feel as gain. Carcillo. That was the moment the meaning of love and happiness entered my life, haha

Carcillo's number one lover fan and defender

by Cillo stache on Dec 6, 2010 4:08 PM EST reply actions

I’d have understood it if we had gotten a 2nd round pick. Hell I’d get if if we had just swapped the players even. What Paul Holmgren was thinking when he gave up a 2nd round pick to get the less valuable asset(and really, league wide opinion backs that) I’ll never know.

Formerly... "You don't have to be sweet, to be good"

by Ed Van Chimp on Dec 6, 2010 4:15 PM EST up reply actions

He was thinking, I need to dump salary and he decided to do business with the one team who really couldn’t afford to take on salary at all so he needed to use a 2nd round pick to get it done.

BOILER UP!! 2010-2011

"You can commit no mistake and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." - Jean-Luc Picard

by EREX21 on Dec 6, 2010 4:46 PM EST up reply actions

Which makes no sense.

Formerly... "You don't have to be sweet, to be good"

by Ed Van Chimp on Dec 6, 2010 5:04 PM EST up reply actions

And consider yourself versed on the ways of Paul Holmgren.

BOILER UP!! 2010-2011

"You can commit no mistake and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." - Jean-Luc Picard

by EREX21 on Dec 6, 2010 5:06 PM EST up reply actions

He was told there would be no math.

Formerly... "You don't have to be sweet, to be good"

by Ed Van Chimp on Dec 6, 2010 5:26 PM EST up reply actions

My problem with that is Holmgren didn’t dump much salary. Carchidi said Upshall for Carcillo cleared $341k, and when I went on my epic rant this summer, I calculated the trade saved $347k.

Either way, the “salary dump” netted less than $350,000.

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Dec 6, 2010 7:41 PM EST up reply actions

But wasn’t the trade made to free up space so someone could come back or remain with the team? Giroux? I don’t remember all the details.

BOILER UP!! 2010-2011

"You can commit no mistake and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." - Jean-Luc Picard

by EREX21 on Dec 6, 2010 7:42 PM EST up reply actions

No, it was a pure salary dump and one that apparently we had to sweeten with a 2nd round pick! (WTF!!!!) Upshall was heading into an RFA year, so they still could have made a deal for him.

My biggest gripe is that the team was in solid position for a cup run at the time, and this made the team worse. They were absolutely sailing, and after the trade they went into a funk and underperformed right into the playoffs. Before the trade, Giroux had started to emerge, and everyone was excited about Briere coming back off his injury, and the 3rd line being Giroux Briere and Upshall.

by Gizmoitus on Dec 6, 2010 7:53 PM EST up reply actions

Exactly. That team was playing great hockey and had great chemistry. I will never understand that trade, especially when there was a slightly useless overpaid guy like Randy Jones sitting in the lineup.

Simon Gagne may move between towns, wear new jerseys and call different arenas home, but at the end of the day, he will always be a Philadelphia Flyer.

by PursuitOfLappyness on Dec 6, 2010 8:02 PM EST up reply actions

You’re right, but answer this: The Flyers only freed up less than $350,000. Even after losing Vaananen and Metropolit for nothing.

But really, it’s because the Flyers had Briere on LTIR, and they were using that space after acquiring Matt Carle.

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Dec 7, 2010 1:20 PM EST up reply actions

You’re right, but answer this: The Flyers only freed up less than $350,000. Even after losing Vaananen and Metropolit for nothing.

That’s not in the form of a question.

BOILER UP!! 2010-2011

"You can commit no mistake and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." - Jean-Luc Picard

by EREX21 on Dec 8, 2010 1:13 PM EST up reply actions

This is true. I don’t know why I said that.

Maybe I meant, "Answer this: The Flyers only freed up less than $350,000 in a trade after losing two players for nothing. How can a trade be for “cap reasons” when it frees up so little money, and it’s not even a third of all the moves made in order to “solve” the cap problem?"

Which you clearly should have understood from the comment above :/

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Dec 8, 2010 6:33 PM EST up reply actions

Please Geoff, I may start weeping at the idiocy of that trade again if you keep stating these facts. Can’t you sugar coat it — maybe we are better off not having to over tax Homer with the decision of who he would have had to draft? There’s got to be a silver lining (or in other words some way to rationalize) this blunder!

by Gizmoitus on Dec 6, 2010 7:44 PM EST up reply actions

haha, sorry. That’s why I didn’t quote my rant, I just linked to it.

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Dec 7, 2010 1:20 PM EST up reply actions

Haha Cillo, I was wondering what took you so long.

I really do like Carbomb — he’s grown on me with his work ethic, and I think he does bring some good stuff when he’s healthy and playing at his full potential. The Upshall trade sucked, but that wasn’t his fault, and truthfully, he’s proven in his time here that he’s actually coachable, which was questioned seriously before he came.

He had a good stretch on the first line last year with Richie and Gags, and didn’t embarrass himself at all. There’s plenty of guys who go through a career without a playoff OT goal like he scored last year against the Devils too. I’d much rather see him back on the ice in place of Shelly, and if he doesn’t get traded I wouldn’t be surprised if we do see him there.

by Gizmoitus on Dec 6, 2010 7:41 PM EST up reply actions

<3 is all I have to say about that

And it took me a while because I’m getting hired out to make Christmas cookies, thank God for Jeanie (my mom) deciding she should pay me for it. Oh and school which cuts into my Flyers-time.

Carcillo's number one lover fan and defender

by Cillo stache on Dec 6, 2010 8:00 PM EST up reply actions