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Meltzer's Musings: Umberger, CHL Playoffs

May 2, 2016, 7:49 AM ET [406 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
1) Tomorrow is eighth anniversary of the Flyers completing their five-game upset of the highly favored Montreal Canadiens in the 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals with a 6-4 win in Montreal. As he was throughout the series, R.J. Umberger was a force for the Flyers, scoring twice and adding an assist in the clincher. Over the five games, Umberger racked up eight goals and nine points.

After the season, the Flyers were unable to keep Umberger due to salary cap constraints. Philadelphia sent him to Columbus in exchange for Colorado’s first round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft (previously acquired by Columbus) and a third-round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. The Flyers selected defensemen Luca Sbisa and Marc-Andre Bourdon with those picks.

Umberger's salary demands -- buoyed by his incredible playoff series against Montreal -- were part of the problem that forced the trade. The other part stemmed from the big contracts the Flyers doled out the previous summer as they overhauled the roster after the worst season in franchise history. In particular, Scott Hartnell's six-year contract ($4.2 million against the cap) helped to punch Umberger's ticket to Columbus.

To put it mildly, the majority of Flyers fans were not happy about the team trading the 26-year-old Umberger and getting only draft picks -- albeit including a first-rounder -- in return. The trade was widely panned on the HockeyBuzz message board among other outlets. Even most of the people who understood why the trade had to be made expressed reservations that the team should have found another way to manage around the cap.

Funny how times change. When Ron Hextall made the 2014 offseason trade to reacquire five-time 20-goal scorer Umberger from Columbus in exchange for Hartnell, it was partially done because of their respective contracts. Hartnell had signed a six-year extension in the summer of 2014, running two seasons beyond the expiration of Umberger's contract.

The trade to bring Umberger back was widely panned even before he skated his first shift back with Philadelphia, following a subpar and injury-marred 2013-14 season with the Blue Jackets. Unfortunately, Umberger's struggles continued and worsened in first season back in Philadelphia.

His second season did not go much better. He skated and checked more effectively than in 2014-15 but still produced only two goals in 39 games. The veteran was a routine healthy scratch as the season progressed. He admitted at his post-season press conference that he expects the Flyers to buy out his contract this summer.

All of this is strictly a matter of business. Hockey is a bottom-line business, and Umberger did not produce. He's not the same caliber of player that he was earlier in his career with Philly and Columbus. At his hefty salary cap hit -- one that pays him as if he's still a perennial 20-plus goal scorer and all-situations player -- a buyout is probably the smartest move at this point.

The Flyers have been respectful during the situation; something that Umberger himself noted in saying that it was still an honor to return to the play for the organization and he's appreciative of his time here, even if the second stint didn't work out for either side nearly as well as the first one did

It is, however, a good case in point of the fickleness of fan support. Some of the same folks who ranted about the player's 2008 departure were the same ones who did a 180 on the same player when he came back, referring to him as "Bumberger" and other terms of contempt. But he's the same person -- a straight shooter, down-to-earth.

No, he's not Scott Hartnell; still a fan favorite in Philly two years after his departure. But Umberger has had a pretty good career in his own right and deserved a little more respectful treatment from segments of the fan base.

2) QMJHL playoffs: Flyers defense prospect Philippe Myers had an assist and was plus-four as the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies downed the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday, 5-4, to advance to the QMJHL President Cup finals against the Shawinigan Cataractes.

The Huskies overcame a 4-1 deficit with four unanswered goals over the final 20:34 of the game, including goals in the final minute of the second period and opening minute of the third period. Rouyn-Noranda then scored twice late in the third period to clinch the series. Mathieu Boucher had five points for the victorious side, including scoring the third and fourth (assisted by Myers) goals for his team.

Myers shook off being boarded in the first period by Moncton's Will Smith (a play that drew a five-minute penalty) and returned to the game. Late in the second period, Myers was called for hooking Cameron Askew on a breakaway. Askew was awarded a penalty shot and converted it.

The President Cup finals start on Wednesday. Rouyn-Noranda holds the home-ice advantage going into the series.


2) WHL playoffs: The WHL Finals between Ivan Provorov's Brandon Wheat Kings and the Seattle Thunderbirds open in Brandon on Friday night. Game Two is on Saturday
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