Grading the 2010 Flyers: Darroll Powe

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To look at Darroll Powe's season is to see the epitome of quiet.  And honestly, that's perfectly fine.  For the role that Powe is expected to play, the less noise he makes, the better.  As a restricted free agent, he just has to hope that Paul Holmgren saw his contributions and values them.

Really, it isn't hard to see what Powe brings to the table for the Flyers.  He is a fast skater who throws his weight around, but excels on the penalty kill.  These types of players are generally under-valued (ex. Betts, Blair) on the open market, so if Powe doesn't return next year, it's because the team didn't want him.

And really, Powe is a great addition to the team.  He only cost the Flyers $520,000 against the cap last year which has to be considered a bargain.  He had the 7th most short-handed minutes among forwards on the team, 6th most per game.  In those 74 minutes, he only surrendered 6 goals, a per 60 mark bested only by Simon Gagne and Blair Betts.  In the playoffs, he saw the second most short-handed time on the team.  While a large part of that was due to Ian Laperriere, Simon Gagne, and Jeff Carter being out with injury, Powe stepped in and ate up those minutes.  

While his penalty killing ability is likely how Powe will find a job on an NHL roster, his secondary contributions are what should keep him in Philadelphia.  He had the second most hits among Flyer forwards in the regular season and the most in the playoffs.  While he played tough minutes, he managed to come out right around even in both Fenwick and Corsi.  He also drew the second most penalties per 60 minutes among Flyer forwards.  Scoring 15 points is just gravy.

The only thing keeping Powe from a guaranteed spot on the Flyers next year is his contract status.  The only thing keeping him from being a lock to re-sign is Andreas Nodl.  Both Powe and Nodl have proven to play similar styles in the NHL with similar roles, but Nodl will cost $825,000 against the cap next year.  That's a pretty big difference between what Powe is expected to command.  Maybe both players break camp with the Flyers next year, maybe neither do.  But this year, Powe grew into a reliable penalty killer who can be trusted in the playoffs.

Growing into an important role on an NHL team isn't bad for an undrafted kid with an Ivy league degree.  Now he just needs a contract.