Yesterday, I spoke with Flyers' defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon in connection with an NHL Draft-related article for the Flyers official Web site. Bourdon reports that he's feeling much better than he was a few weeks ago, when he was unable to practice during the playoffs.
"I'm definitely doing a lot better now," Bourdon said. "I still need a little more time, but I'm doing pretty good right now."
That is good news for the player and the team. If there's such a thing as a silver lining to a team exiting the second round of the playoffs in five games, it's that injured players have a little extra time to get well before they begin their rigorous conditioning regimens to prepare for the next training camp.
Bourdon, who battled concussion-like symptoms over the latter part of the season, is one player who definitely can use that additional down time in the month of May. If healthy, he has a good shot at winning a job with the big club next season out of training camp.
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The Flyers have until Friday to decide whether to sign 2010 draft picks Brendan Ranford and Ricard Blidstrand to entry-level contracts or relinquish their rights the players. While the organization is not expected to sign defenseman Blidstrand, it faces a tougher decision on Kamloops Blazers' forward Ranford.
Yesterday, Ranford's agent Mark Mackay said via email that he is still in discussions with the Flyers about his client and the door remains open to reach an agreement.
"We're still hopeful," Mackay wrote.
Ranford, who turned 20 on May 3, is a gifted offensive player in the WHL. He tallied 40 goals and 92 points this year after potting 33 goals and 86 points the previous year. Over the course of his junior career, it has been the left winger's weight and conditioning, lack of size (5-foot-10) and the other areas of his game -- namely skating and defensive play -- that have been questioned. That is why he slipped to the seventh round of the 2010 draft.
Last summer, Ranford acknowledged that he let his conditioning slip over the course of the 2010-11 season, which played into a second-half slump after he led the league in the early going of the season. He also incurred a six-game suspension for cross-checking a linesman, which carried over to the first four games of this season.
This past season, Ranford's production was more consistent and he appeared to be on the right track in working to improve the areas that were holding him back. Has he improved enough in the Flyers' eyes to merit an entry-level contract? We'll find out soon.
In an
interview last week with Kamloops Daily News, Ranford said that he hoped to be signed by the Flyers.
"I would love to be a Flyer," Ranford told the paper. "That's probably my No. 1 choice. They drafted me and they have been great to me."
At the same time, the forward acknowledged that a contract with the Flyers -- and a spot on the Adirondack Phantoms roster next season -- was still far from a foregone conclusion. If he goes unsigned, he'll try to further improve his conditioning this summer and catch on with another organization.
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I am a bit surprised by how many people -- media pundits and fans alike -- are underestimating the New Jersey Devils' chances in the Stanley Cup Final against the Los Angeles Kings. As dominant as LA has been in the postseason, New Jersey has been the more consistent club over the course of the entire season.
I would argue that the Devils beat two better clubs -- the Flyers and Rangers -- in the Eastern Conference semis and finals than LA faced in the second and third rounds of the Western playoffs. The Devils can throw a forecheck at LA that is far tougher than what the Kings faced against St. Louis or Phoenix.
My gut instinct tells me that New Jersey wins the Stanley Cup in a series that goes six games. I expect them to jump on an overly rested LA team early tonight and then hold on to win Game 1. Thereafter, I wouldn't be surprised if the clubs wind up splitting in both Newark and LA but the Devils will ultimately prevail.
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