Wednesday Morning Fly By: Recapping a Loss, Goalie Shuffle, and Bettman Points

by Geoff Detweiler on Mar 17, 2010 10:14 AM EDT in Morning Fly By

Today's open discussion thread, including your daily dose of Philadelphia Flyers news and notes...

Last night's NHL scores... Predators 4 - Flyers 3 (SO); ATL 4 - BUF 3; BOS 5 - CAR 2; MTL 3 - NYR 1; WAS 7 - FLA 3; TOR 4 - OTT 1; PHX 2 - TB 1; COL 5 - STL 3; MIN 4 - EDM 2; DAL 8 - SJ 2; NYI 5 - VAN 2
Recaps of last night's game: [BSH] [NHL.com] [On the Forecheck] [CSNPhilly] [DelcoTimes] [Inquirer] [Daily News]
Photos from last night's game: [SBN]
This week's edition of Broad Street Hockey Radio will be up later in the day. Tim McManus was our guest, and we spent 40 minutes talking to him. If only we knew Backlund was injured...
The big news from last night's game is Michael Leighton's injury. [Daily News]
Because of this, many speculated Johan Backlund would be called up. But apparently he too is hurt. [PostStar]
Which means the Flyers will call up Jeremy Duchesne to backup Brian Boucher in Dallas. Duchesne was only recently called up from the ECHL. [DNFlyers]
To take Duchesne's spot on the Phantoms, Michael-Lee Teslak was recalled from Wheeling. [euroflyers]
Joacim Eriksson made his pitch to join the Flyers by sporting some Philadelphia gear. [euroflyers]
The always popular Jersey Fouls. This one includes one of the worst YouTube videos I've ever seen. [Puck Daddy]
Predicting the Flyers to be the #5 seed in the playoffs and call them one of the "teams to definitely watch in the second season." [Puck Prospectus]
Alex Ovechkin commented on his suspension. [Japers' Rink]
A look back at all of Ovechkin's questionable hits. [Hockey or Die]
Should the NHL institute the headshot ban before next season? [Puck Daddy]
A unique look at the NHL's MVP race. Two Flyers are in the Top-5. [On the Forecheck]
With last night's shootout loss, the look at five teams benefiting the most from the Bettman point. [Hockey or Die]
And the five teams missing out on the Bettman points. [Hockey or Die]
A story about the recently signed Luke Pither. [Daily News]
Lastly, if you read any of these links, this is the one to read. Seriously. A great story about the Predators assistant equipment manager. s/t to Moridin417. [The Tennessean] [BSH]

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Comments

Since the Flyers have just two healthy goalies in their organization, what would happen if they signed a free agent goaltender? Would he be playoff eligible?

One of the goaltenders they had discussions with over the summer is available.

by MarioD on Mar 17, 2010 10:46 AM EDT reply actions

Who would that be? I hope you don’t mean Robert Esche.

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Mar 17, 2010 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions

I liked Esche he needed to mature a little bit was great on 2003-2004 but wasn’t the same after the lockout similar to Andrew Raycroft in that way just couldn’t put it together post lockout

by chrislanci on Mar 17, 2010 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions

I don’t see why he wouldn’t be available care to be specific who is out there?

by chrislanci on Mar 17, 2010 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions

Is there even a goalie out there available to sign? Are you referring to Bob Esche? I’d actually be fine with that, except he’d probably break after 2 weeks of starting every game.

Managing Editor - HockeyOutsiders.com

by HockeyOutsiders on Mar 17, 2010 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Available goalies:

Juan Vanbiesbrouck
Don Hextall
Blaine Lacher
Jim Carey
Pokey Reddick
Stephane Beauregard

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Mar 17, 2010 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions

did I mention that i’m a huge Jets fan. I love Pokey Reddick.

Managing Editor - HockeyOutsiders.com

by HockeyOutsiders on Mar 17, 2010 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions

I specifically didn’t say esche because I wanted to know the rules, not have a silly conversation about him.

If he’s playoff eligible, its a no-brainer:
1) He’s a much better goalie than Jeremy Duchesne
2) The Flyers have plenty of cap room
3) The Flyers have roster space (both 50 and 24 man)

by MarioD on Mar 17, 2010 12:05 PM EDT reply actions

Didn’t he sign a two-year contract in the KHL? His availability might depend on that, too.

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Mar 17, 2010 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions

how did boosh look last night to you?

Managing Editor - HockeyOutsiders.com

by HockeyOutsiders on Mar 17, 2010 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions

MarioD so you would be in favor of signing him here as link reporting the same thing it is Eklund so take it for what it is worth.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=27038

by chrislanci on Mar 17, 2010 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions

damn, if eklund is reporting it, it’s not going to happen.

Managing Editor - HockeyOutsiders.com

by HockeyOutsiders on Mar 17, 2010 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Just to get this out there…. We do have 1 spot available on the 50 contract list, but it is only 1 spot. So whoever they sign to an NHL contract to allow them to play, they better hope it’s the right solution.

They’re allowed to go over the active roster for 48 hours in the case of a goalie emergency, but they still have to have that person signed to an SPC and count on the 50 man contract list. Injured players and non-roster players with an SPC still count toward the contract limit. I don’t see any exemption for going above the 50 man rule, and I searched the whole thing.

From the CBA:

“Reserve List” means the list of all Players to whom a Club has rights
including all Unsigned Draft Choices, all Players signed to an SPC (whether or not
currently playing in the NHL), and all Players who have signed an SPC but who have
subsequent ly been returned to Juniors. A Club may have on its Reserve List, at any one
time, not more than 90 Players, which shall include the following:
(a) Not more than 50 Players signed to an SPC and not less than 24 Players
and 3 goalkeepers under an SPC. Age 18 and age 19 Players who were returned to
Juniors, and who have not played 11 NHL Games in one season, shall be exempt from
inclusion in the 50 Player limit.
Any Club violating this provision shall be liable to loss of draft choices as
determined by the Commissioner.

So feel free to debate about who you want, but unless someone can find a provision for going over 50 SPCs that I missed, we only get to sign 1 guy. So if it’s Esche, Eriksson, Riopel, whoever, I think it’s a 1 time deal.

I also don’t see anything preventing a player signing after the deadline from playing in the playoffs.

by DragonGirl0583 on Mar 17, 2010 1:34 PM EDT reply actions

If Leighton is out long-term (which we probably won’t know for a month, what with Homer’s 4 step injury process), the team will need to sign a legitimate backup (not Duchesne, Eriksson, or Riopel). If Leighton is only out a week or two, the team probably is fine. I’m sure they can be loaned some non-roster player to back up Teslak in Adirondack.

Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.

by Geoff Detweiler on Mar 17, 2010 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Of all the talk about who to sign, I literally have no idea what goalies are out there who do not have a contract. Since Esche has one with his KHL team, I don’t expect him to be discussed at all. Maybe Kevin Weekes would like to step into the organization he thinks can’t draft goalies.

Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.

by Geoff Detweiler on Mar 17, 2010 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions

see, i’d be interested in who we could actually sign that would be available in some way, even if it becomes a non-factor due to the severity of Leighton’s injury.

Managing Editor - HockeyOutsiders.com

by HockeyOutsiders on Mar 17, 2010 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Meaning the list I posted at the same time you commented? Or Eriksson, Riopel, etc.?

Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.

by Geoff Detweiler on Mar 17, 2010 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Finally found a list of all those UFA goalies from last summer who didn’t sign a contract:

Manny Fernandez
Martin Gerber (Signed in KHL)
Mikael Tellqvist (SM-Liga)
Kevin Weekes
Jean-Sebastien Aubin (DEL-Liga)

Man, that list is awesome.

Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.

by Geoff Detweiler on Mar 17, 2010 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions

all those guys have shown flashes of brilliance at times. Of course, they have all but god-awful as well.

Manny Fernandez? He might make a suitable door opener?

Managing Editor - HockeyOutsiders.com

by HockeyOutsiders on Mar 17, 2010 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh, I totally understand that. I just wanted to point out that if we’re dealing with a new contract, we only have room for one new contract. So hypothetically, let’s say we sign Esche, but he gets hurt too. We can’t then go and sign any other free agent or prospect, because we’d be at the contract limit with no wiggle room. That’s all I was getting at, because it was pointed out that we have room on the 50 man roster, but it wasn’t mentioned that it was only room for 1 person.

by DragonGirl0583 on Mar 17, 2010 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh, yeah. Good point.

Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.

by Geoff Detweiler on Mar 17, 2010 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

They could release Emery or Leighton or Esche in that case, since all of them would be done for the season and their contracts would all be about to expire.

by MarioD on Mar 17, 2010 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions

I believe the term is “buy out”, sorry. And just count the minor cap hit against this year.

by MarioD on Mar 17, 2010 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions

There’s so many weird rules with buyouts, but I think they have to be offered up on unconditional waivers and clear them first, as per 13.21. I’m not super familiar with the whole unconditional waiver process, though.

by DragonGirl0583 on Mar 17, 2010 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions

That only takes 24 hours.

by MarioD on Mar 17, 2010 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Okay. I think that has to be the way it would go if something bad happened, I’m not sure whether we’d meet all the weird conditions and rules for buyouts at this point.

by DragonGirl0583 on Mar 17, 2010 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions

hypothetically, let’s say we sign Esche, but he gets hurt too

if that situation was to arise I imagine I would be okay with being totally fucked, it his hard to blame home for not making sure we would have enough roster spots in case we lost 3 goalies with long term injuries any time in the league would be fucked going to their 4th string goalie Bad Luck.

Also hard to blame Lavvy for overworking these guys Leighton got hurt on a freak play it could have been his 1st game in a week and he still would have rolled his ankle on that play. He should still use the backup more especially with all the back to back games but that had nothing to do with Leighton’s ankle.

by chrislanci on Mar 17, 2010 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Hartnell?

So I didn’t get to see too much of the game last night because it was opposite the Coyotes game in Tampa (although I did see the exciting third period comeback). It looked like Hartnell played a better game…so maybe he really was enthused seeing his Preds equipment assistant friend. Glad you guys liked the story…I put it in the Daily Links over at fiveforhowling, but have no idea if anyone over there has gotten a chance to read it yet…

Support Coyotes Hockey - Five For Howling
(Oh, and go Philly teams as well!)

by Jordan Ellel on Mar 17, 2010 2:03 PM EDT reply actions

Same here, no one has commented on it.

Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.

by Geoff Detweiler on Mar 17, 2010 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, I meant more that nobody comments on any of the links over at our site…occasionally, but not often. But we are growing the community and that’s the first step…

Support Coyotes Hockey - Five For Howling
(Oh, and go Philly teams as well!)

by Jordan Ellel on Mar 17, 2010 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions

more from Eklund

Bad News

Official word from the NHL. Esche can sign, but not play in playoffs. So I guess the Flyers may be looking at him as help to get them there.

by chrislanci on Mar 17, 2010 3:22 PM EDT reply actions

that’s pointless. I would prefer Fernandez anyway, although he’s probably not in game shape anymore, haha.

Managing Editor - HockeyOutsiders.com

by HockeyOutsiders on Mar 17, 2010 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions

if he is coming from the KHL I imagine he would be subject to the same no playoffs ruling right…

by chrislanci on Mar 17, 2010 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions

he’s not playing anywhere from what I can see.

Managing Editor - HockeyOutsiders.com

by HockeyOutsiders on Mar 17, 2010 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Thats what I thought, because I remember the FA Forsberg and Sundin talk the last few years was that they had to sign by the trade deadline.

by MarioD on Mar 17, 2010 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions

It might not hurt to have him on hand until the playoffs.

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Mar 17, 2010 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Absolutely. I would sign him right now and he should be able to be in Philly for the game Saturday. God forbid Bouch gets dinged or has a skate problem or something and Deserres has to come in.

by MarioD on Mar 17, 2010 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions

You mean Duchene, but your point is well taken.

I’m sure Esche can still play, but as we saw in the early season, Emery had to get a few games under his belt before he fully re-adjusted to the North American style of play… and he was only gone for one season, not two.

Ultimately, I think it depends on Backlund. Even though he’s inexperienced at the NHL level, he’s been playing well in the AHL this year so he is acclimated to the style of play and won’t have to “remember” anything a la Esche. So if he’s not too dinged up I’d rather have him than Esche I think.

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Mar 17, 2010 9:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Backlund

argee I would give Backlund his shot if Boosh got hurt at least we would know more about what we have in Backlund he is playing good in NA. Bottom Line our team defense needs to get back on track no matter who we have in net just play old sloppy with the coverage rotations at the moment.

by chrislanci on Mar 18, 2010 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions