Grading the 2010 Flyers: Simon Gagne

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It was another injury riddled season for Simon Gagne. In October, old groin issues showed up once again, forcing number 12 into sitting down for 24 games. Once he returned in December, however, his addition was one reason the Flyers were able to turn their season around.

At the end of the day, when you look back at Gagne's season, it's hard to say it was necessarily a success. He missed more than a quarter of the season with injury and he scored less far less than a point per game when he did play. Gagne went through long stretches this season without scoring, but when he broke through, it mattered.

Think that overtime game against the Devils just before the Olympic break, for example. Gagne had scored just one goal in his previous 18 games, but at the end of that game, he gave the Flyers a crucial 3-2 win in a game they were down 2-0 in the first period.

In the case of Gagne, despite a frustrating regular season, his playoffs are what defined his year. He saved the Flyers season at least three times in the playoffs with clutch goals. Without his courageous, less-than-100-percent return from injury in Game 4 against Boston, that historic comeback simply does not happen.

For his timeliness and his playoff heroism alone, Simon Gagne earns a B.