Leafs acquire Van Reimsdyk; Ship out Schenn & Gustavsson

Two players who were promised to be future stars by Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke were sent packing from the lowly NHL club on June 23. Defenseman Luke Schenn was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in return for James Van Riemsdyk and the negotiating rights to goalkeeper Jonas Gustavsson were shipped off to the Winnipeg Jets in return for a seventh-round pick in next year’s entry draft.

Suter’s wish list doesn’t include Flyers or the Eastern Conference

If Ryan Suter doesn’t re-sign in the Music City, how good would Nashville Predators defenseman look with the Philadelphia Flyers, solidifying their defense core after the probable loss of Chris Pronger? Or even the Washington Capitals, giving them the complete No. 1 D-man they’ve been craving for so long?

Put those thoughts out of your mind, writes Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly:

Scott Hartnell Proving to be Worthy of an All-Star Bid

UPDATE:Scott Hartnell was chosen to replace Jonathan Toews yesterday, literally 3 hours after I posted this.

Even if the NHL won't recognize Scott Hartnell as an All-Star, his play as of late has certainly been to that caliber. Coming off of a five goal weekend, with two against New Jersey on Saturday and a hat-trick against Boston on Sunday, Hartnell sits with 25 goals. Couple that along with 19 assists and he has 44 points in 47 games played. This is the same guy that was thrown into trade speculation as late as October of 2011 and everyone was all for it. Once a hated player for his balance, or lack thereof, he's quickly grown into a fan favorite here in Philadelphia.

Concussion Epidemic Strikes Flyers, and the NHL, Hard

In the past two months, concussions have been running rampant in NHL. While part of that may be general recklessness that happens in the game of hockey, especially at the highest level of hockey in the world, the other part may be the fact that we are getting better at recognizing concussion-like symptoms. While it may be too late for some guys to salvage their careers, and that could be for any number of circumstances that may include age or prior concussions, this rash of concussions may actually benefit the game. That may sound twisted, but I implore you to keep reading.

Flyers October and Mid-November Recap

So, the month of October was a bit of an interesting one for the Philadelphia Flyers. There were winning and losing streaks, but through it all, the Flyers finished a solid 6-4-1. They finished with the number one goals-for per game, but the third worst goals-against per game. The defense took a major hit when captain Chris Pronger went out with an eye injury after the stick of Mikhail Grabovski of the Toronto Maple Leafs deflected off of Pronger's stick and hit him in the eye.

Devils battling minor injuries; the future of Devils goaltending



Adam Larsson has played big minutes for the Devils,
despite having only played 4 NHL games.

http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2011/10/devils_rookie_adam_larsson_sid.html

 The 3-1-0 New Jersey Devils have won three consecutive games since dropping their Opening Night contest, 3-0 to Philadelphia.  In the process, rookie defenseman and 2011 fourth overall draft pick Adam Larsson has received big minutes.  According to hockeyreference.com, Larsson is averaging 24:14 of ice-time per game through four games.  He was struck in his leg during a practice and missed an additional practice session following the team's recent victory in Nashville.  Larsson returned to practice today.

Richards Returns (And the Three Other Games I Missed)

So, October 15th was the day former Flyers captain Mike Richards returned to Philadelphia. He's been a part of the Los Angeles Kings organization since June 23 due to the trade that netted the Flyers Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn, and a second round draft pick in 2012. Many of the fans gave him a standing ovation when his name was called during the announcement of the starting lineups. However, no one was cheering for him at the end of the game.

4th overall pick A. Larsson makes Devils, Sykora un-signed, Captain TBA

All 30 NHL teams have a Wednesday deadline to make their final roster cuts before opening weekend coming up.  This is also the deadline for teams to get under the NHL's salary cap, which shockingly, is not an issue for Lou Lamoriello and the New Jersey Devils.  The big news today, however, is that 18-year old Adam Larsson has made the Devils out of training camp, as Lou Lamoriello is impressed with the younger offensively and defensively (quotes from Lamoriello may be found on Tom Gulitti's Fire and Ice blog). 

Questions the Flyers Face Heading in to Training Camp

It is almost here, folks. Hockey season is right around the corner and every team faces questions about their roster and the chemistry that the players will have. Flyers rookies head in to Voorhees, New Jersey on Monday, hoping to make a lasting impression on the Flyers front office before the veterans show up on the 17th. Here are a few of the main points the Flyers will have to address during this year's training camp and preseason.

Flyers Invite Michael Nylander to Training Camp

Today, the Flyers announced that they have invited former Capitals center Michael Nylander to training camp on a tryout contract. Nylander, who turns 39 on October 3rd, has played with Jaromir Jagr twice in the past.

Fantasy Analysis: 10 Rookies/Prospects Ready to Breakout for 2011-2012

Looking for sleeper picks in your upcoming fantasy draft or interested in who to look for as possible up-and-comers next season?  You've come to the right place.  After hours of statistical analysis, I have compiled a top-10 list (featuring video evidence) of rookies/prospects who are likely to breakout next season as bonafide NHLers or even superstars.

For the purposes of this article:
Eligible players must have played two NHL seasons or less (of more than 5 Games Played)

The Elephant in the Room, Steven Stamkos!

It seems wrong of me to not talk about the Stamkos rumors. As much as you or I may be sick of them, they keep returning. New reporters and analysts from various websites claim to know what Stamkos is most likely to do next. Sign with Tampa, or be traded to a team who's name just won't go away...the Philadelphia Flyers.

So, Where Do the Flyers Sit?

The Flyers took a couple of lumps during this offseason. To start, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Kris Versteeg got traded. The Versteeg trade was to Florida for picks. A 2nd rounder in 2012 or 2013 and a 3rd rounder in 2012. The Mike Richards trade netted us Los Angeles' 2nd round pick in 2012, along with Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn. Schenn is considered by many as the best prospect not in the NHL. Simmonds will bring to the table what the Flyers needed all year. A gritty, 3rd line winger who isn't afraid to mix it up along the boards and also contribute offensively. Carter, who went to Columbus, netted us the 8th overall pick in 2011, the 68th overall pick in 2011, and Jakub Voracek. The two picks turned out to be Sean Couturier (8th) and Nick Cousins (68th). While Cousins is considered a "wait and see" type of prospect, Couturier has an outside shot to crack the Flyers opening night roster. However, many experts agree that Sean needs to fill out his frame and work on his skating stride. Jakub Voracek will most likely replace Leino on Danny Briere's line. We all saw what Briere did for Leino. Let's see if he can work the same magic with Jakub.