He had played in just 22 games during the regular season, but when defensemen Braydon Coburn and Kimmo Timonen succumbed to injuries, it was the 21-year-old Parent's turn to take over - right in the middle of the Eastern Conference finals.

On a month's rest.

"There's not much time for mistakes and correcting yourself," Parent said. "You have to be on top of things. They just wanted me to play simple. It worked out well."

Parent played like a veteran. When Timonen returned to the lineup for Game 5 against Pittsburgh, Flyers coach John Stevens was so impressed with Parent's effort in the previous two games that he kept the rookie in the lineup.

In a series when most went wrong for the Flyers, Parent's on-the-fly maturation was one of the few positives.

The defenseman, who is still on an entry-level contract, is participating in this week's prospect camp at the Skate Zone in Voorhees simply because general manager Paul Holmgren could bring him in.

"It's certainly not a punishment that he's here," Holmgren said. "We view him as one of our top young players. Right now, more than anything, we're relying on his leadership with some of these other young players who are just getting started."

That's what three solid games in the playoffs can do for a young player.

"You figure out the game real fast," Parent said, smiling.

The Flyers seem to have figured out that Parent, who prides himself on moving the puck, is a cornerstone for the attempted defensive overhaul this off-season. This summer, he's trying to add 10 or 15 pounds to his 6-foot-2, 205-pound body.

Parent said he had learned how to play under pressure during those three games against Pittsburgh.

"It obviously helps the confidence," he said, "but it's good for the experience, too, showing that they have that much confidence in me."

Coach Desjardins. Newly hired player-development coach Eric Desjardins is on his first official assignment this week at the prospect camp. The former Flyer, who retired in 2006, is working with the young defensemen and is coaching one of the teams in the daily scrimmages. "For me, it was good to go away and take that break," Desjardins, 39, said. "But two years, it's long, so it was time to do something. It's perfect for me at this time." During the season, Desjardins will travel with Flyers prospects and file reports to Holmgren and Stevens.