The bad news keeps getting worse for Flyers GM, Paul Holmgren. His blue line is a veritable yard sale right now. Things just got worse with the shocking announcement that D Andrej Meszaros is out indefinitely with a torn Achilles tendon.
"Andrej had successful surgery this morning to repair a torn right achilles tendon," Holmgren said in a statement. "The surgery was performed by Dr. Steve Raikin at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia.
"Andrej was injured last week during summer training in Slovakia. Andrej will be out indefinitely."
Meszaros has been recovering from back surgery.
Meszaros missed the final six weeks of the 2011-12 season. He only played in one of Philly's 11 playoff games last spring due to undergoing surgery to repair a small disc fracture in his lower back.
Meszaros finished the season with 7 goals and 18 assistsin 62 games. He was the third highest scoring Philly D, behind only Kimmo Timonen and Matt Carle. He skated 20:40 TOI per game.
This is a huge loss for Philly.
Holmgren needs this injury like a hole in the head.
thanks, flyers tv
Back on July 25, Holmgren was asked during the conference call with the media regarding Shea Weber staying in Nashville, Holmgren was asked to assess his blue line.
I love our defense; I love the youth of our defense. We have good size and we have some kids that have a taste now in Marc-Andre [Bourdon], Erik [Gustafsson] and Brandon Manning as well. We added Bruno Gervais in the summertime, who we really like. We are perfectly happy with our defense right now. To try and add a guy like Shea Weber, doesn't really speak to anything other than maybe you are adding one of the best guys in the league."
Not feelin the love today.
Chris Pronger's career is likely over due to concussion issues. Matt Carle was paid a boat load of money to leave Philly via free agency last month. Kimmo Timonen is 37 years of age and showing signs of rust. Nik Grossman is a solid D, when healthy. Braydon Coburn provides solid play and plays a distinctly physical role, however, he's no Shea Weber, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, or Keith Yandle. Coburn is what he is. He's not a 25+ minute D. The Flyers traded JVR for Luke Schenn, who will be a solid fifth D. They also signed Bruno Gervais who will battle with Andreas Lilja for the sixth and seventh slot.
Plus, Holmgren tried and failed to acquire defensemen Ryan Suter and Shea Weber.
Meszaros, when healthy, is one of the team's top defensemen.
The Flyers DESPERATELY need D help. They need two top four D, in a hurry.
Will Holmgren go to the free agent market to fill his holes? Or, will he make a trade?
Here are the notable D on the maket right now:
Rozsival $ $5 million cap hit
Spacek $3,833,333 million cap hit
Finger $3.5 million cap hit
Eaton $2.5 million cap hit
Barker $2.25 million cap hit
Martinek $$2.2 million cap hit
Colaiocovo $2.125 million cap hit
Forster $1.8 million cap hit
Sauer $1.75 million cap hit
Campoli $1.75 million cap hit
Jurcina $1.6 million cap hit
Buffalo needs a centre.
Hey, Danny Briere ($6.5 million x 3)... how you doin?
Sekera ($2.75 million x 3) and Leopold ( $3 million x 1) to Philly?
Imagine if you will, a scenario where Buffalo hook up in a trade to help one another. Imagine Sekera and Leopold to Philly, in exchange for some guy named Danny Briere.
The Sabres are thick on their NHL blueline, having 8 quality D to play 6 spots. Myers, Ehrhoff, Regehr, Leopold, Sulzer, Weber, McNabb, and Pardy, The Amerks are loaded too, with Brennan, Pysyk, Leduc-Gauthier, and Finley waiting for their chance to play with the big boys.
The Flyers are loaded down the middle with Giroux, Briere, Schenn, Couturier, and Talbot. They have five quality centreman. They also have promising pivot Ben Holmstrom on the come. Prospect Nick Cousins is intriguing to Flyers management.
Philly's area of strength is Buffalo area of weakness. The Flyers are depleted at D, while the Sabres are over-loaded.
What the world needs now, is love, sweet love.
I propose that we the citizens of Pegulaville bury the hatchet with the Flyers. Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies closer.
The Sabres could use a Briere-type of top line centre who can play against the other team's top line and play special teams. The veteran centre would also act as mentor to Ennis, Hodgson, Grigorenko, and Girgensons. Briere knows the Lindy Ruff system like the back of his hand. Hell, he played the D-first system like a Steinway piano, to the point where he thrived by posting huge offensive numbers. Another thing that Briere has going for him is the fact that he Ville Leino thrived while playing with #48 in Philly. What's more, Briere has three seasons left on his deal. He's a paltry $6.5 million cap hit for those three seasons. Say what you want about Briere. Like him or not, you cannot argue with his body of work. He was a great point producer in Buffalo. He hasn't lagged since signing in Philly.
Briere has played 330 games in Philly. He has generated 267 points in his first five seasons. He's showing no signs of slowing down as he grows older. Injuries notwithstanding, Briere still holds his offensive value.
Briere has blown up in the postseason for the Flyers, where he has scored 72 points in 68 playoff games. 72 points in 68 games? Thats just stupid!
He has scored 37 playoff goals, including several death blows to the Sabres, in his past five seasons in Philly.
There's no denying that Briere has been money in the bank.
Which centre would you be more inclined to invest $6.5 million in per season? Briere? Stastny?
When the Flyers signed Briere to his monster 8 year deal back in July 2007, snickers and jeers could be heard across the hockey landscape. The critics moaned and groaned about the fact that Briere was nowhere near worthy of such a lucrative contract. He's quietly proved the cynics wrong. The Flyers have been to two eastern Conference Finals in the past three years. Briere's fingerprints are all over the recent success that the Flyers are experiencing. He will be 37 in year 8 of this deal. Briere is entering year 6, and is still very productive, on both sides of the puck. Is he a 100 point centre? No. Can he get you 70-80 points, and more importantly, improve the scoring efficiency on the PP? Yes, he most definitely can.
Before you scoff at the idea of Briere returning to Buffalo, hold that thought. Danny was content to stay in Buffalo, however, when the NHL arbitrator awarded him the $5 million one year ruling in 2006, the Golisano era Sabres were not going to pay Briere $5+ million on a long term deal. The Golisano-led Sabres were a middle of the pack, revenue sharing team, with tight budget constraints. Its the polar 180 opposite paradigm for the Pegula owned Sabres.
Maybe the Sabres don't need Doan, Ryan, or Stastny afterall. Briere may be the prescription to heal all that ills the Sabres.
All things old can be new again.
Think about it. I know Ville Leino is.
Briere has a no movement clause built into his contract. H ewould have right of refusal on any trade. Wayne Gretzky always says: "you're going to miss 100% of the shots you don't take".
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