Meszaros could miss season
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Meszaros could miss season
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
The Flyers' summer of discontent has gotten worse.
The team announced defenseman Andrej Meszaros had surgery Tuesday to repair a torn right Achilles tendon and would be sidelined indefinitely. The surgery was performed by Steve Raikin at Jefferson Hospital.
Last month, the Flyers signed Shea Weber to an offer sheet and envisioned having the league's best defense.
Now their defense is in disarray.
General manager Paul Holmgren, whose team lost Weber when Nashville matched the Flyers' $110 million offer for the restricted free agent, said he would have a better idea of Meszaros' status in six weeks.
It's not a stretch to think he could be sidelined for the entire regular season.
Last year, the Devils' Travis Zajac tore his Achilles in mid-August and missed the first 30 games. He returned to the lineup in December, then re-aggravated the injury and missed 37 more games.
The Phillies' Ryan Howard took eight months before returning to the lineup from a similar injury last October.
Meszaros, who will turn 27 on Oct. 13, was expected to be a key member of the Flyers' defense. He had back surgery last season, but was named the Flyers' top D-man in 2010-11. The latest injury occurred during a training session in Slovakia last week.
The injury means free-agent signee Bruno Gervais will likely be one of the Flyers' top-six defensemen, and that the club will be in the market for another blue-liner.
With Meszaros out, recently acquired Luke Schenn will probably move to the second pairing. If the Flyers don't make any moves, here is how the D may look:
Braydon Coburn and Nick Grossmann; Kimmo Timonen and Schenn; Gervais and one of three other candidates: Marc-Andre Bourdon, Erik Gustafsson or Andreas Lilja.
"We have a lot of young guys we like," Holmgren said, "and we have four who have a lot of experience, so we'll see how it goes."
Holmgren added that Bourdon, Gustafsson and Brandon Manning "got their feet wet last year" and that he liked what he saw.
The best unrestricted free agent available is probably 6-foot-1, 205-pound Carlo Colaiacovo, who had 19 points and was plus-7 in 64 games with St. Louis last season. Montreal's P.K. Subban is among the available RFA defensemen.
Subban has reportedly said he will not sign an offer sheet with another team, but his negotiations with Montreal have hit a roadblock.
Washington's 6-3, 212-pound John Carlson is also an intriguing RFA defenseman. His production dipped as a sophomore last season (37 points to 32, plus-21 to minus-15). But he is only 22 and has loads of potential.
"We'll see what the rest of the summer brings," Holmgren said.
The Flyers were unsuccessful earlier this summer in trying to land free-agent D-men Ryan Suter and Weber. They also lost defenseman Matt Carle, who signed as a free agent with Tampa Bay.
Meszaros had seven goals and 18 assists in 62 games last season. The rugged 6-2, 218-pounder underwent March 21 surgery to remove a disc fragment from his back. He returned and played one playoff game against New Jersey, though he wasn't nearly 100 percent.
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.
- You're not looking at the big picture re: Couts. The kid played a lot on the PK and not on top lines. Then he owned one of the best players in the league in the Pitt series. No way you give up on him after a great rookie season like he had.
- This is Philadelphia. They just paid a veteran 7 million dollars last year for his 16 goals. He is considered folklore in Philly.
I wouldn't have moved Couturier either. He plays quality minutes against quality opposition. His offence will gain momentum once his skating catches up to his brain. As far as the Weber offer sheet. If Nashville would have accepted both of the Schenns as compensation, or Schenns and a first-rounder, it would have been great. It would have been a steal. This team still needs forwards that can compete before they are a threat to anyone in the league.— Hexy4GM - At least we still got Bryz (for 8 more years). He is considered one of the top goalies in the league. He ah I can't type anymore I'm laughing to hard.— neddyflanders
Looks like a long season ahead for the 75ers.- Q: Why are Pittsburgh fans so fascinated with the year 1975?
A: 1975 is the year that the Penguins made the "Greatest Chokers in Sports History" list by jumping out to a 3-0 lead over the Islanders, then losing 4 straight to choke out of the playoffs: http://www.the-top-tens.com/lists/greatest-chokes-sports.asp
1975 Pittsburgh Penguins - Started the choking playoff tradition displayed by the Pens against the Flyers last year. - Colaiacovo - no reason he shouldn't be signed already...scoop him up— philly thug
- Philadelphia 75ers? That’s just stupid. Maybe you can come up with something more creative like the Philadelphia "Crashers". Thanks for stopping by (that’s what I usually tell your Mom). AHHHHH! Bad jokes must be contageous (that reminds me I wanted to talk to your Mom about this rash).— NYPHILLYPHAN
- Mesz used to be very durable before he came to the Flyers two years ago. Since then, he has had three major injuries, and I doubt you can seriously count on him next year given he is coming back from back injury and now with this achilles tendon thing adding to the misery. He has played very physically in the past, but obviously, his body can't take it anymore. He will never be a regular starter again now that he is getting injured even in the summer. Praise the Lord he only has another two seasons on his contract at 4,000,000. Get well soon, Mesz, hang 'em up though if time is due.— flyerdommo
- Bad news. Lot easier I think to slip in kids to play wing. But D is a learned skill. Sheesh, losing Matt C is looming large right now.— Poppys
- themostinterestingman.....Couts scored 13 goals last year..13 and we wouldnt include him in a deal for a young all world D men which is exactly what we needed..I know he killed penalties but so did Hagelin....I know he showed great promise but he is not Crosby..Malkin..Giroux...Stamkos....I tell you what if the Rangers could have gotten Weber in a deal for Hagelin they would have done it in a minute and Hagelin is every bit the prospect that Couts is...when you had a chance for a young proven commodity , and a rare one a stud D man, you make that trade for a prospect...Homer blew it with BRYZ big time..blew it with Weber big time...just a fact!!— flyers1000
- You give a lot of opinions and call then facts. You claim to 'know' things or how things would have been or what things would happen. You also assume only the details that support your claims. So let me join in. The Flyers gave the Weber offer sheet to block anyone else (Rangers) from trying to do the same while at the same time, forcing the issue with Nashville who I believe, were asking for more than just Couts. I believe they wanted Schenn and another d-man (at least). That is to rich for a guy who you can try and sign as a restricted FA. Nashville had to ask for the moon and stars since Suter embarrassed them by leaving an up and coming playoff team for the likes on the Wild. Nashville had to save face and there was nothing short of gutting the Flyers young talent base that would have gotten a trade done. Of course, that’s just my opinion. And you should give the Bryz shtick a rest for a while. Even if he's a bust (I'm not ready to say that yet) he was just a free agent signing at a time when no other move was bigger or bolder (with near universal hockey world approval BTW). And in the end, it won't cost anything other than Comcast cash if it doesn't pan out. What if the Weber thing didn't bring home a cup? The Flyers could have gutted themselves for nothing. Hmmm, I think the Phillies are going through that kind of scenario right now.
- Show some faith people geez..Is this team better than last year's? Probably not but they will be competitive, Pens, and Devils didnt get any better if not worse. Homer will get a D man in here just a matter of time, maybe not of Weber status but probably more of Carle Mez stature...And if Flyers paid Carle what TB did this site would have blown up.— shanehockey28
