Ben Holmstrom returned to Phantoms; Danny Briere likely in tonight

by Travis Hughes on Nov 3, 2011 4:51 PM EDT in Philadelphia Flyers News

The Flyers didn't have a morning skate this morning, so we weren't graced with the presence of nine people tweeting this four hours ago, but the team just announced that Ben Holmstrom has been returned to the Adirondack Phantoms.

That likely means that Danny Briere is ready to go for this evening's game against the New Jersey Devils at the WFC. Harry Zolnierczyk is still with the team in case Briere can't go, but it appears as though Harry Z will be the healthy scratch at forward tonight. Or maybe it'll be Jody Shelley. /pipe dream

Why send Holmstrom back instead of Zolnierczyk? Well, Holmstrom is the captain of the Phantoms. He's a little more valuable there than... well, just about anybody not named Michael Leighton. Plus, Zolnierczyk has looked quite good in limited action.

So what's the deal now? The Flyers clear $750,000 in wiggle room under the cap with the move, but they have 13 healthy forwards on the active roster -- 14 total when you include the injured Matt Read. It does give them the opportunity to call up a seventh defenseman, though, if they needed to do so for Saturday in case of an injury tonight or something.

Outside of that, they'll probably be waiting. Frank Seravalli has a source on record today saying that Matt Walker will be back up in due time -- probably once Zolnierczyk goes down when Read returns to the lineup -- to give the Flyers seven defensemen again. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to understand the silliness of calling up a borderline effective re-entry waiver-eligible seventh defenseman who costs $1.7 million against the cap.

But I guess we'll cross that rickety old bridge when we come to it.

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about that rickety old bridge...

yeah, I’m afraid they’ve given Walker a few too many chances. Every time I’ve seen him in there I’ve got to cover my eyes cause I get a bad feeling the puck is going in the Flyers’ net. I like Gufastavson – he’s looked solid and I’m glad they brought him up – but in the absence of Pronger – I’d rather they give someone else a shot – even Blake Kessel – not that I know what he’s even capable of but I’d rather roll the dice with some other defenceman than go with Walker.

by ClutchNasty on Nov 3, 2011 5:08 PM EDT reply actions

there’s no way we call walker up… a team would just claim him and put him in the pressbox for the whole season just to watch us squirm under the cap pressure.

unless of course we work out a deal with montreal… ya know, the old call ’em up… let ’em get claimed… eh, eh! ya know… eh… get a doctor report… then… send ’em back…. that classic one? yeah?

-tim
Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood. ~ Daniel H. Burnham

by edesjardins37 on Nov 3, 2011 5:16 PM EDT reply actions

How silly do you feel?

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by Geoff Detweiler on Nov 3, 2011 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Perhaps the team will do the smart thing, and find some one to take Walker off our hands entirely.

“Hey, Columbus! Want a defenseman? How about we throw in a spare forward as well? He’s a great character player, yes he is. In return? Uh, I dunno. Got any of those odd bolts that hold on the Zamboni blades? Three of those, and we’ll call it even.”

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by MaximumTalbot on Nov 3, 2011 6:04 PM EDT reply actions

Getting kinda late here. Where is the game thread? Just sayin’

by fiveredapples on Nov 3, 2011 6:13 PM EDT reply actions

Potentially idiotic decision

They apparently believe that Walker won’t get claimed. At $850K, that’s a foolish risk to take, especially by the brain trust (sic )that let Randy Jones go. Plus that $850K would have to be carried next year as well (assuming similar CBA rules) !!!! For a team that has very little cap space!

The way around this is to ask whoever is last but with cap space (the Islanders? yuck, the Bruins?) to claim him and then trade him back immediately for a low draft choice.

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In 2015, which one of the following will prove to be a better investment?
a) Ilya Bryzgalov's contract b) Ryan Howard's extension (c) Mike Vick's extension (d) Greek bonds from 2009

by Bud in TN on Nov 3, 2011 6:26 PM EDT reply actions

I thought any player claimed via waivers/ reentry waivers cannot be traded without first clearing waivers again.

by mtitanic on Nov 3, 2011 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Hmmm…need DG here.

by Bud in TN on Nov 3, 2011 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions

...

"Simba needs to sharpen his claws" - Ilya Bryzgalov, on Scott Hartnell

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by Chemistry66 on Nov 3, 2011 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Pretty sure this is true. But my opinion, short of DG confirmation, is far from a guarantee.

Keeping alive the old Vaudeville joke, "I'd rather be dead than play Philadelphia."

by Snevik on Nov 3, 2011 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Ummm.....

Where’s the game thread????

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DISCLAIMER: Information written above may not be entirely factual nor provable with the use of complex statistics. But it may induce thought, humor and possibly laughter.

by MJDII on Nov 3, 2011 6:30 PM EDT reply actions

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by Travis Hughes on Nov 3, 2011 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

9 minutes later

Commenter formerly known as M from Pdaddy, but still just Call Me "M"!

DISCLAIMER: Information written above may not be entirely factual nor provable with the use of complex statistics. But it may induce thought, humor and possibly laughter.

by MJDII on Nov 3, 2011 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions