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FLYERS PROSPECT UPDATES: SEPTEMBER 5, 2017
1) Flyers Rookie Camp officially opens on Sept. 11. In the meantime, Flyers' CHL prospects remain with their junior teams and are taking part in preseason games. On Monday, Flyers' 2017 second-round pick Isaac Ratcliffe collected a goal for the second straight game and put five shots on goal as his Guelph Storm club downed the visiting Mississauga Steelheads via shootout, 4-3. Ratcliffe was unsuccessful on a shootout attempt against Emanuel Vella.
2) In Barrie, Ontario, the visiting Owen Sound Attack skated off with a 5-3 preseason win on Monday. Flyers 2017 fourth-round pick Maksim Sushko, who played in Sunday's game in Owen Sound between the same clubs, did not play in the return match.
3) Flyers 2016 third-round pick Carsen Twarynski's Kelowna Rockets club is in preseason action on Tuesday as they host the Kamloops Blazers.
4) MHL (Russian Junior League): Flyers 2017 third-round pick Kirill Ustimenko is slated to get his first start of the regular season as his MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg club hosts Chaika Nizhny Novgorod on Tuesday. The 18-year-old Ustimeko recently served as the Russian national under-20 team's third-string goalie in the Four Nations tournament; often an indication that a goalie is being groomed to tabbed for the World Junior Championships the next season.
5)SHL preseason: Flyers defense prospect David Bernhardt is in action on Tuesday as Djurgårdens IF Stockholm plays host to Luleå HF.
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FLYERS TOP 25 IN THE LAST 25 YEARS: ERIC DESJARDINS
Smooth as silk with a superior defensive stick and remarkable two-way smarts, Flyers Hall of Fame defenseman Eric Desjardins was the backbone of the team's blueline for nearly a decade. Twice during his Flyers career, he finished in the top five of Norris Trophy balloting and was twice a second-team member of NHL All-Star Team. Internally, he collected seven Barry Ashbee Trophy nods as the Flyers' best defenseman.
Born June 14, 1969 in Rouyn, Quebec, Desjardins was originally selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round (38th overall) of the 1987 NHL Draft. Spending the first six-plus seasons of his career with Montreal, Desjardins had considerable success including a Stanley Cup ring (1992-93) and a hat trick in the Final against the Los Angeles Kings. As a Hab, he played in the 1992 NHL All-Star Game at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.
Shortly after the settlement of the 1994-95 lockout and the start of a 48-game season, Desjardins was acquired by the Flyers from the Montreal Canadiens on February 9, 1995 in a blockbuster deal that also brought fellow future Flyers Hall of Famer John LeClair as well as Gilbert Dionne while sending Mark Recchi to Montreal. The trade paid immediate dividends for the Flyers, who vaulted to Stanley Cup contender status after missing the playoffs five consecutive seasons.
Spending the remainder of his career in Philadelphia, Desjardins became one of the highest-scoring and best all-around defensemen in Flyers history, recording 396 points (93 G, 303 A) over 738 career games. Desjardins was arguably the second-best defenseman in franchise history, behind only the ethereal all-around talents of Mark Howe.
Desjardins was nicknamed "Rico" by teammates, as in Rico Suave. His two most frequent defense partners were fellow ex-Canadiens defenseman Kevin Haller in Desjardins' first two seasons with the Flyers and Chris Therien thereafter.
A consummate professional, Desjardins kept himself in excellent physical condition. Although he had numerous significant injuries during his Flyers' career, Desjardins found ways to bounce back upon his return.
During the course of his 10-plus season career with the Philadelphia Flyers, Desjardins was one of the most under-appreciated sports stars in the city. He just went about his business in a quiet, graceful and dignified way and it was easy for even many Flyers fans to take his play for granted. "Rico" was a model of consistency, game after game and year after year.
During his career, Desjardins may not quite have been a Norris Trophy candidate at the very top of the NHL heap, but he was in the category a half-step down: perennial All-Star caliber two-way defensemen. While there is temptation to compare Desjardins to other top Flyers defensemen such as Mark Howe or Kimmo Timonen, the best comparison player may be someone who never played for the Flyers: Teppo Numminen. They played a similar style, both shot righthanded and had similar temperaments.
An often over-looked part of Desjardins' career is the way he adjusted his game over the years as major injuries set in. A turning point season for him was the 1998-99 campaign, when he valiantly played through an 80 percent tear of his left anterior cruciate ligament (wearing a brace while essentially playing on one leg). Subsequently, he had a pair of serious shoulder separations and a shattered forearm that required a titanium plate to be inserted for stability.
Desjardins adjusted his game accordingly over the years. For example, he employed a six-day-per-week workout regimen to add strength after the ACL tear -- which affected his skating for a couple of seasons -- caused him to lose a step. Previously, Desjardins had been one of the smoothest skating defensemen in the NHL. He coped without missing a beat.
"Rico" always played a highly intelligent and structured game. Perhaps it was no coincidence, then, that he played the best hockey of his Flyers career under the structured approaches implemented by Murray, Roger Neilson and Ken Hitchcock. It was under Hitchcock that Desjardins experienced a latter-career revival after a couple of uneven seasons both for the team and for himself.
Two of the defensemen's best offensive seasons came in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, the first of which saw him record 51 points (15 G, 36 A) in just 68 games. The following year, Desjardins posted 55 points (14 G, 41 A) in 80 games. He was named a second-team postseason NHL All-Star in both seasons and finished in the top five in Norris Trophy voting in both of those years.
Desjardins' seven Ashbee Trophy wins are an all-time franchise high. As a Flyer, he played in two additional NHL All-Star Games (1996 and 2000). Internationally, he played for Team Canada at the 1985-86 and 1986-87 World Junior Championships, the 1991 Canada Cup, 1996 World Cup of Hockey and 1998 Winter Olympics.
Among all-time Flyers defensemen, Desjardins trails only Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Howe in goals (93), assists (303) and overall scoring (396 points). He is third in games (738) behind Therien and Joe Watson, and seventh in accumulated plus-minus (+143).
Overall for his NHL career, Desjardins played 1,143 regular season games (136 goals, 439 assists, 575 points, 757 penalty minutes) and 168 playoff games (23 goals, 57 assists, 80 points, 93 penalty minutes).
Desjardins retired on Aug. 10, 2006. He briefly served as a Flyers Development Coach (2008-09 season) but found he did not enjoy the work. Subsequently, he became involved in several successful non-hockey business ventures. He was inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame on Feb. 19, 2015.
Looking as fit and smooth as ever, Desjardins participated in the 50th Anniversary Alumni Game (Jan. 14, 2017) between the Flyers Alumni and Penguins Alumni at the Wells Fargo Center. As usual, he excelled. Nevertheless, "Rico" laughed afterwards as teammates and reporters told him he looked like he could still be playing the game professionally.
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