If the 2012-13 regular season starts on time, the Flyers will carry seven defensemen. Chris Pronger, Andrej Meszaros and Andreas Lilja will all go on injured reserve, with Pronger and Meszaros both being LTIR candidates. In terms of pairings, there is a good possibility (barring further injuries or roster moves) that the lineup will look something like this:
Kimmo Timonen - Luke Schenn
With the loss of Matt Carle to free agency and Meszaros' torn achilles tendon, there is a strong chance that the Flyers will need either to elevate newcomer Schenn to play with Timonen or else restore Timonen's longstanding pairing with Braydon Coburn. The final possibility would be to pair a young defenseman (either Marc-Andre Bourdon or Erik Gustafsson) with the All-Star veteran.
Nicklas Grossmann - Braydon Coburn
When Grossmann was first acquired from Dallas last season, he was paired with Meszaros. They were an effective pairing but not as effective as his subsequent partnership with Coburn after Meszaros was lost to back surgery. With Timonen ailing, Coburn became the Flyers' top defenseman down the stretch and through the playoffs. He and Grossmann formed a strong shutdown duo. Peter Laviolette would likely try to keep them together to start the next season.
Marc-Andre Bourdon - Bruno Gervais
Bourdon and Gustafsson will be in competition for a starting spot, along with Gervais. At this point, it's a coin toss, but I give Bourdon the nod for the start of the season because Gustafsson is still waiver exempt. I don't think the Flyers want to use Bourdon and Gustafsson in the lineup simultaneously -- especially not as a pairing -- so the veteran Gervais currently has the inside track for the sixth and final starting spot. Brandon Manning is also in the mix to compete with Bourdon and Gustafsson.
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Best wishes for a safe and happy Labor/Labour Day to all of my readers! In the weeks to come, I certainly hope that we're talking about Flyers hockey and not a lockout. I'm trying to be optimistic about it but no matter what happens, I will continue to blog daily.
In the event of a lockout, it is my aim to focus on whatever the readers most want to read about. If it is daily coverage of the Phantoms, Flyers veterans in Europe, prospects in junior hockey or whatever the case may be, that is where my emphasis will be. Personally, I prefer to write about hockey instead of the CBA negotiations, but if that is where people want the focus, I will do that as well.
I would appreciate feedback from the readers, so I can best strategize how and where to tailor my blogging emphasis. Of course, the content will vary by day and mix and match various topics. But just as the NHL team's current season is the key emphasis when hockey is actually being played, there needs to be a central topic during the lockout.
Please feel free to weigh in on the message board, on twitter, by email (
[email protected]) and/or in the poll below. Multiple choices are allowed in the poll. Thanks and happy holiday!
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