Predictions and "Grade-ictions" Series

Mike Richards

2009/2010 Regular season stats: 31G 31A -2
2010 Playoff stats: 7G 16A -1
Grade: A-

"El Capitan" went from 80 points and a plus-22 in 08/09 to 62 points and a minus-2 rating last season. An 18 point drop off (mostly in assists) is pretty significant, but Richards was still the Flyers Toyota Cup winner as the team's highest scorer. Very few would consider Richie's 09/10 season a "bad season," he simply didn't find himself on the score sheet as often.

As long as the Flyers Cup run was this past year, it's difficult to remember how much so-called turmoil there was in the Flyers locker room in the beginning of the season. At one point, Richards refused to talk to the media mostly because of a riff between him and defenseman Chris Pronger that the beat writers supposedly blew out of proportions. There were people talking of removing the "C" from No. 18's jersey and handing it over to the vocal leader of the team, Chris Pronger. But by mid-season and into the playoffs, all had been forgotten and Richards was showing why he wears the Flyers "C" and showing that he earns it every night.

I don't want to think of 2010/11 as a potential "rebound" year for Richards, but I do think that without having to worry about proving his captaincy, his assist totals will increase and he will be a more relaxed and energized Mike Richards.

2010/2011 Predictions: 29G 49A +11

Predictions and "Grade-ictions" Series

Claude Giroux

2009/2010 Regular season stats: 16G 31A -9
2010 Playoff stats: 10G 11A +7
Grade: B

I think pretty much everyone in the Flyers realm knows how good Claude Giroux is going to be. He's going to be a stud in this league, there's very little doubt (at least in this writer's mind) about that. He's going to be the Peter Forsberg that the Flyers didn't trade away back in 1992. He makes plays that were thought to be physically impossible. He has moves in his bag of tricks that he hasn't even shown yet.

Yet his progress in the regular season wasn't as great as I thought it would be. And much of that can be attributed to the revolving door of linemates that he had this season. And those coming in and out of that revolving door aren't exactly the caliber of players that Giroux needs in order to be great. He was paired with a rookie in James van Riemsdyk and a variable. Giroux needs steady linemates with scoring talent like he had at times in the 2010 playoffs (and the results showed) in order to be the most productive.

If JVR progresses this offseason like the Flyers hope and the third linemate has the ability to put the puck in the net on a consistent basis, Giroux will flourish this year.

2010/2011 Predictions: 26G 38A +11

Predictions and "Grade-ictions" Series

Chris Pronger

2009/2010 Regular season stats: 10G 45A +22
2010 Playoff stats: 4G 14A +5
Grade: A+

To give the team's Bobby Clarke Trophy and Barry Ashbee Trophy award winner a grade of anything less than an A+ would be a little hard to conceive. He was voted by a panel of sportscasters and sportswriters as the MVP of the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers, and he was nothing less than spectacular this year. If you followed the Flyers at all this season you'd know why he won these awards and was the biggest Norris Trophy snub of 2010.

He blocks shots, clears the crease, ties up opponents, antagonizes opponents, dishes out the puck, (steals the puck), slaps it from the point, scores game winners with 2.1 seconds left...he does it all. Nothing seems to bother "Chrissy." The Flyers are counting on that with the quality and amount of defensemen they've acquired this offseason, Pronger's minutes will decrease, thus leaving him more energy for late in the game and late in the season.

On a side note, Pronger had knee surgery this summer and says that he probably won't be ready for the beginning of training camp. But as long as he's moderately healthy for the season's opener on October 7th in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia has little to worry about.

2010/2011 Predictions: 11G 43A +27

Predictions and "Grade-ictions" Series

Dan Carcillo

2009/2010 Regular season stats: 12G 10A +5
2010 Playoff stats: 2G 4A +1
Grade: B+

Dan Carcillo rode the elevator of the Flyers offensive lines this season. At times he saw action on the power play and on the 1st line with Mike Richards and Simon Gagne, but then there were also times were he saw very limited minutes on both 5-on-5 and man advantage play. There were periods this season where "The Stache" was the ultimate pest--getting in players faces, trash talking and forechecking. And then there were times where he was once again the ultimate pest, but those times he was a pest to his own team. He had the huge highs in the postseason--scoring the OT winner in game three against the Devils, and the large lows--he was a healthy scratch in the final two series games against the Canadiens and only played in games two and three against Chicago.

Carcillo has the ability to notch 20 goals in a season, it just all depends on whether he can stay consistent or not. And that's just what the Flyers are hoping for this season...a little consistency.


2010/2011 Predictions: 14G 12A -2

Predictions and "Grade-ictions" Series

Danny Briere

2009/2010 Regular season stats: 26G 27A -2
2010 Playoff stats: 12G 18A +9
Grade: B

It's tough to argue with 30 points in 23 playoff games. Danny Briere shows up when it matters--in the postseason. Period. He is a playoff monster, no doubt about it. If only he could have that pace in the regular season...

Briere, like many Flyers this season, often played out of his natural position at center. He was sometimes stuck playing the wing where he couldn't exercise his full potential. But during the postseason he found himself at his natural position in center and developed some serious chemistry with his linemates--Ville Lieno and Scott Hartnell, thus resulting in some great offensive production. That line is going to stay the same this coming season and I think only good things will come from it. Barring injury, this will be Danny Briere's best season with the Flyers.

2010/2011 Predictions: 31G 49A -5

Predictions and "Grade-ictions" Series

Braydon Coburn

2009/2010 Regular season stats: 5G 14A -6
2010 Playoff stats: 1G 3A -1
Grade: C+

If someone wanted to count how many times Flyers fans uttered the words "Coburn," "idiot" and "stupid" in the same sentence during the regular season this year, it would take about two decades. I felt sorry for Kimmo Timonen most of the time this year because he would be the one who had to bail out Coburn because of his various and frequent defensive stumbles. Coburn went from 36 points in 07/08 and 28 points in 08/09 down to 19 points this past season. He had all the promise in the world after the 2007/2008 season and even influenced me to buy a Braydon Coburn jersey. And truth be told, I was embarrassed to wear it this year...until the playoffs.

Coburn was the player he was two years ago in the postseason this year. He was smart defensively and wasn't getting turned around over and over again like he had been. He was stopping the puck at the point in the offensive zone instead of letting it bounce over his stick and lead to an odd-man rush for the opposition. Coburn signed his contract to be in Philadelphia for the next three seasons due mostly to what he did in the 2010 playoffs. I see Coburn feeding off what he did in April and May and having a nice 2010/11 season.

2010/2011 Predictions: 8G 21A +3

Predictions and "Grade-ictions" Series

Ian Laperriere

2009/2010 Regular season stats: 3G 17A -1
2010 Playoff stats: 0G 1A -3
Grade: A

What more could anyone ask from Ian Laperriere in 09/10? Never in my hockey-watching life have I seen such a display of on-ice self-sacrifice than I saw in every game last season with Laperriere.

History was made when he blocked Paul Martin's power play slapshot in game five against the Devils. Video tributes were made and he was regarded as one of the toughest players in the NHL after that play. But those who don't watch (or listen to) the Flyers on a daily basis may have missed what he did October 27th against the Sabres. Lappy does whatever it takes on the penalty kill to prevent a point shot from getting to the Flyers goaltender. He blocks shots with his stick, legs, arms, midsection, and in multiple occasions this year, his face.

He played on the 4th line in 09/10 alongside Blair Betts and Darroll Powe, but it was his penalty kill presence that was indispensable to this Flyers team. I only hope that he blocks more shots this year with his shin pads rather than his right eye.


2010 Predictions: 3G 14A -2

Predictions and "Grade-ictions" Series

James van Riemsdyk

2009/2010 Regular season stats: 15G 20A -1
2010 Playoff stats: 3G 3A -4
Grade: B

It would be a little unfair to compare JVR to his 2007 NHL Entry Draft counterpart, Patrick Kane (30G 58A +16). Sure the Flyers were the worst team in the league in 06/07 and very much deserved the 1st overall pick and to have Kane in the Orange & Black. But alas they received the 2nd pick in the draft and took James van Riemsdyk. And since this was JVR's rookie year, I was a little lenient with the grading.

Van Riemsdyk had hot and cold stretches this season. He started off the 2009 season looking like a Calder Trophy candidate. But then from January 30th to the end of the season he managed only 4 points a -6 rating. Van Riemsdyk showed in 09/10 that he needs a little more time in the NHL to mature as a productive player. Many have compared JVR to Columbus's Rick Nash, and if he even dreams of becoming nearly as good as Nash, van Riemsdyk needs to spend the majority of his time this offseason in the weight room putting on some serious muscle.

The Flyers are looking for a little more consistency out of JVR this season and if he plays alongside Claude Giroux, the goals will certainly come. And hopefully with a little more consistency.


2010/2011 Predictions: 21G 28A -2

Predictions and "Grade-ictions" Series

Oskars Bartulis

2009/2010 Regular season stats: 1G 8A -12
2010 Playoff stats: 0G 0A -1
Grade: D+

The only good thing about Oskars this season was that he received a grade of a D+ instead of a D-. And the only reason for that is because he's only 23 years old, so I'll be a little more lenient. Bartulis had so much promise going into the season. The Flyers hoped that the 09/10 season would be his breakout year and that he would compete with Braydon Coburn to be in that 2nd defensive pairing, but that never happened.

In the Cup final Bartulis averaged 4:33 time on ice and every time he was on the ice it was an adventure. The Flyers had absolutely no faith that Bartulis wouldn't make a huge devensive mistake that would lead to a goal. It's quite possible that with the amount of defensemen that the Flyers have under the cap, Bartulis could spend the majority of the season with the Adirondack Phantoms in the AHL. I hope that a little more minor league seasoning will help Bartulis mature into the D-man the Flyers thought he would be.

2010/2011 Predictions: N/A

The $1.3 Million Man

This afternoon the Chicago Blackhawks signed veteran goaltender Marty Turco to a 1-year contract worth $1.3 million. He joins this year's Stanley Cup champions who have already done a complete team overhaul after winning the Cup for the first time since 1961.

This signing basically ends Antti Niemi's career as a Hawk. He won $2.75 million in arbitration and Chicago decided that their Cup-wining netminder was too pricey. Niemi now becomes an unrestricted free agent and is free to sign with any team he wants.

Just to let you all know, Michael Leighton is signed for two years at a cap hit of $1.55 million per year. For anyone who doesn't quite understand what I'm getting at, I'm saying that Marty Turco makes around $250,000 less per year than Mike Leighton. If Paul Holmgren could have realized that Leighton isn't, won't, and will never be the goaltender to win the Flyers a Stanley Cup and he could have signed Marty Turco for less than Leighton.

Let me just say that I don't think Turco will be able to bring the revamped Blackhawks back to the Finals, but I certainly don't think Leighton will be able to do it with the Flyers either. Could Turco have done it with Philadelphia? I think there was a higher chance of that, yes.