Will trade winds blow for Flyers?
COLUMBUS, Ohio _ The Flyers insist they are not having a hangover from last season's remarkable playoff run.
Will trade winds blow for Flyers?
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio _ The Flyers insist they are not having a hangover from last season's remarkable playoff run.
Could have fooled us.
Their power play has been alarmingly bad, and their offense has resembled Ryan Howard in the post-season - lots of chances, but little productivity.
They are 3-4-1 after Monday's listless 2-1 loss in Columbus, and they have failed to put together any winning streaks in eight games.
If not for Brian Boucher's oustanding goaltending, Monday's loss could have been 5-1.
Afterward, coach Peter Laviolette ripped his team in the media, saying they had no energy and no passion - and that they played "mindless" hockey.
The Flyers will try to ride this out for a while, but the hunch here is that if things don't improve by, say, Thanksgiving, major charges are in order.
The team is overloaded with quality centers. Claude Giroux, who is currenly playing out of position at RW to accomodate Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and Danny Briere aren't going anywhere.
So....
If things don't improve, Carter - who can become a restricted free agent after the season - could be offered in a trade for a much-needed, high-quality winger. (Thus far, Nik Zherdev has been a disappointment.)
The Flyers don't want to trade Carter, but if the puzzle pieces don't fit....
Give me your take.
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I anticipate a trade for a mucker and grinder or a fighter or a player who has not live up to expectations or an older player past their prime.— borncynic- 79. That is the number of goals Carter has scored in the last two years. On a team challenged to put the puck in the net seems a little premature to ditch your most natural goal scorer. But for argument sake how about Carts to the Kings for Anze Kopitar?— jaxflyers41
Comment removed.- Zoe--the only line working at all is Briere/Hartnell/Leino, so your suggestion to break them up is about on par w/ most of your other ideas. Flyer's would never break .500 if you were steering the ship.— MaC130
How nice that Lavy ripped the team to the media. Question is, who ripped the team to the team? Bring back Gagne and or get Guerin. After that, Homer should step down. I'm tired of these old timers running the team.— dianne16- Nik Zherdev is the ultimate anti-flyer. Get the heartless POS out of Philly. We might as well have brought back Jiri Dopita.
JVR is quickly becoming a bust (if not already). Hard to believe our luck. we could have had Pat Kane, instead we have what they were hoping to be Tim Kerr. Carter needs to be cut loose. Get rid of him before we lose him for nothing. BTW, the Kings are not giving up Anze Kopitar. These GMs are not stupid.— flyers87 - Claude Giroux is NOT playing out of position at RW. He was a winger his entire hockey playing life before being moved to center as a Flyer..Shouldn't a beat writer actually know about the sport he covers as much as the fanbase who read him?— JSaq
- Yeah...Gagne is doin' real well down in Tampa. Real well.....— LiLAlConroy
- Teams have ebbs and flows throughout the whole season. Remember the Flyers start out of the gate last year, then the mid-season funk (which caused Stevens his job), then the last day shootout to see if they even MADE the playoffs, then the Finals run.
Let it play out for a little while- it's still very early.— mrjarn 
Trade him now, before he sticks his willy in somebody elses wife and destroys the already fragile chemistry in the locker room....again.— 7xChamp- I think trading Carter has the most appeal, he's one dimensional and that dimension seems fading with this system.— retzlaff
- TRADE CARTER. So he has a good shot? He doesn't even look like he's attempting to play a physical game. At least JVR is really giving it his best. If Carter's shot was good for 40+ per season his other liabilities would be worth it. Not so. Trade him while he's still full of potential, and not after his apathy is obvious to all.— skaff
Trade Carter? Sure. First they have to find someone who wants him. Good luck. Nobody wants to waste that kind of money on a proven dud, much less give up a decent player in return. Best thing is to waive him as an RFA next year and make him a healthy scratch whenever possible until then.— icarus- It's time to get giroux top line minutes, he's slowing turning into our best player. That being said it might be time to move carter, to many guys clogging up the middle. He would be better suited in the other conference. In a perfect world it would be nice to see him moved in a package that would bring rick nash from columbus. Would love to see him in a flyers jersey— db1
- We should call Giroux "Claudsy" or "Girouxzy." I think that will help. That and trade Carter for whatever.
