Flyers Season thread

[Wingspan]

I don't want Hatcher and that rumor sounds highly UN-reliable.

PS...I LOVE getting both Hatcher and Rathje.

[rjs246]

Oh snap!

[PhillyGirl]

Hatcher along with a second dman is what I love. Just getting Hatcher, a 33-year old, isn't what I wanted all along....and that had been the rumor on several Flyers boards.

Now, please tell me how Therien falls into this equation?

[Wingspan]

Now, please tell me how Therien falls

he cant skate

[PhillyGirl]

lol...excellent point.

With Hatcher, people were making it out to seem that he would be THE one the Flyers went out and got. I love what I have read about Rathje and I think he makes a much better deal than JUST picking up Hatcher (who, coming off an injury plagued 2003-4 season, might not be the same as what he was before with the knee injury).

Now, the only thing that MIGHT make Therien coming back here (and being the last possible guy on defense), would be a solid trade sending Seidenberg somewhere for a decent player.

[PhillyGirl]

Just an FYI...Hatcher cannot play until game 4 of the season while he serves a 3-game suspension from an elbow he served up in the playoff series vs. the Flames.

[Dillen]

You'll love Rathje, hard hitting motherfarger.

[PhillyGirl]

Any good thoughts I had on this deal just went down the farging toilet.

They traded Markov. 

[Geowhizzer]

What I get for going back to work...

We signed Hatcher AND Rathje?  Excellent.   

But Terry-Ann?  Hoo-boy, pylons tonight. 

[PhillyGirl]

What I get for going back to work...

We signed Hatcher AND Rathje?  Excellent.   

But Terry-Ann?  Hoo-boy, pylons tonight. 

And traded away one  of my favorite players on the team, DAMNIT....its going to take a while to get over this.

[PhillyGirl]

On a side note...looks like those idiots Ilkka and Eklund were about as far off as one gets:

Kevin Epp, the agent for free agent defenseman Scott Niedermayer, says he's disappointed the Flyers have not called. It's believed Niedermayer's reported $7-million asking price was just too high for Clarke.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.as...177&hubName=nhl

Hmm, according to those 2, the deal was a done deal.

[Seabiscuit36]

any confirmation on Markov being traded?

[rjs246]

Wait, what did they get for Markov?

[PhillyGirl]

Flyers move to shore up defense
Team signs free agents Hatcher, Rathje ad Therien
By Tim Panaccio
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

In one mighty swoop the Flyers have leveled the ice surface along their blue line by signing two, big, bruising defenseman, Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje, while also bringing back Chris Therien.

The Flyers also re-signed Phantoms forward Jon Sim to a a one-way NHL contract. Sim played with Hatcher in Dallas.

To make cap room for all four players, the Flyers traded defenseman Danny Markov to the Nashville Predators, according to league sources. That trade will be announced later today.

What haunted the Flyers heading into free agency was the possibly of yet another season in which Ottawa Senators forwards Marian Hossa, Daniel Alfredsson, Martin Havlat would come across the blue line and smile, knowing no one was there to intimidate them.

Those smiles have been wiped off the collective faces of the Senators this morning.

A long-time Dallas Star before moving to Detroit two seasons ago, Hatcher stands 6-feet-5 and weighs 235 pounds. If the 14-year veteran is fully recovered from the torn knee ligaments in his right knee that caused him to miss 64 games as a Red Wing, he can again become one of the game's dominating presences.

Hatcher was a favorite of Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock in Dallas where he averaged 26 minutes of ice time a game and never played a lick on the power play. If healthy, he is durable and he puts up decent offensive numbers. Three years ago, he was plus-37 with 22 assists.

The 6-5, 235-pound Rathje was a draft choice and developed product of the San Jose Sharks and their former general manager Dean Lombardi, who is now a pro scout for the Flyers and pushed heavily for Flyers GM Bob Clarke to sign him. He has 12 years of NHL experience. Rathje averaged 24 minutes of playing time for the Sharks. Three years ago, he led the defense in goals (7), assists (22) and points (29).

The 6-5, 235-pound Therien is no stranger to Flyers fans, having been drafted and developed by the organization and playing here for 10 years. He was moved at the trading deadline to Dallas in 2003-04.

The signings figure to leave the Flyers with a payroll of between $36.5 and $37 million. The NHL salary cap is $39 million this season.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I liked Markov, but I kind of always felt he was underachieving.  Plus, he is injured a lot and gets the team a lot more in trade value than would Seidenberg.  They probably got a couple more 2nd rounders or maybe even a 1st.