Hello Flyers Fans! Welcome to Cheap Shot Philly’s home for all that is orange and black: Slap Shot Philly! If you haven’t been keeping up with the current Flyers season then shame on you - the Flyers have been tearing it up! After last night’s 4-0 knock off of their New Jersey rivals, the Devils, the Fly Boy’s record goes to 5-1 which is tremendous start considering last it took them until November 16th just to get five victories! Before we jump into this season, let’s dissect all the monumental moves made by GM Paul Holmgren and the Flyers at the end of last season and this summer.

The turn around started last October when the Flyers fired then Coach Ken Hitchcock, and General Manager Bobby Clarke stepped down from his position. They were replaced by assistant coach John Stevens (taking over behind the bench) and Paul Holmgren as GM. Holmgren did not waste any time and started making moves right away but nobody knew what a force the Flyers were going to become. Here is a breakdown of a few key acquisitions the Flyers made recently.

G - Martin Biron
Traded from Buffalo for 2007 2nd round pick (T.J. Brennan)

Expectation
Perhaps the most important pick up - something the Flyers have been lacking since the days of Ron Hextall - a SOLID #1 goaltender. His talent between the pipes went to waste in Buffalo because Ryan Miller had earned the #1 job there. Marty, his teammates, and Paul Holmgren knew he had what it takes to be the difference maker in net so everyone (even players in Buffalo) were happy to see him traded here, where he will get the time he truly deserves.
Performance
At the end of last season, Biron did a decent job for the team he had in front of him. He played 16 games and went 6-8 with a 3.02 GAA (Goals Against Average). The beginning of the 2007-08 season however; has been different. Biron was ready, and he has been absolutely phenomenal. He single-handedly took the first 6 games and played better than any other goalie in the league - going 5-1, earning a 1.50 GAA. And already has two shut-outs! Two shutouts in a row! If not for him, those games would have been a lot different.
Future
He signed a two-year contract extension last season and he could end up being the Flyers number one for a few years to come if Antero Niitymaki doesn’t step up.
Prediction - He will lead the Flyers to the playoffs this season.

C - Daniel Briere
Signed as free agent

Expectation
2006-07 Buffalo Sabres Captain. 81 games played. 32 goals. 63 assists for 95 points. What else do I need to say? He led the most dominant, President Trophy winning team last year. Briere is EXACTLY what the Flyers needed for fill the number one center position. Briere’s most impressive stat from all of last year could be his 81 games played. The Flyers have a #1 center who actually plays more than half the season?! Thank you, hockey gods! I am in no way talking down on or saying he is better than Peter Forsberg, but Peter just had to go.
Performance
Better than advertised. Daniel was expected to produce, but, if he had a little bit of a slow start, Philly fans would forgive him…right? There is no need to answer this, because Briere has come in strong, and is already setting team records. He became the first Flyer in history to start the season with three multiple point games. He had 5 points in the first 2 games played, and now is at 9 points with 6 games played. Briere has slowed down over the past few games, but that isn’t a bad thing at all - because the Flyers are still producing. Their scoring is also more balanced than in the past.
Future
When Briere was signed, all of the critics (including myself) thought the Flyers were better off with Scott Gomez or Chris Drury - who were also in the free agent pool. We wanted a replacement for Forsberg who could dish the puck to Gagne, but we forgot that the center man can score goals, too This is exactly what Briere is going to do. This makes the Flyers a greater offensive threat for years to come. Briere has a lengthy 8 year contract, which I think the team will get at least 5 incredible years out of.
Prediction - He will score 80+ points (30+ goals) this season.

D - Jason Smith
Traded from Edmonton with Joffrey Lupul for Joni Pitkanen, Geoff Sanderson and 2009 3rd pick

Expectation
I’m sure most people reading this who really follow the Flyers cited Kimmo Timonen next as the most important defensive pickup. But I think Jason Smith qA the perfect Philadelphia Flyers defenseman - who has just been stuck in Edmonton the last 8 years. Smith is all you could ever ask for in a defensive defenseman. He hits. He hits HARD. He blocks shots, without any regard for anything but keeping that puck out of the net. And he is the perfect captain for any team. He led the 8th seeded 2005-2006 Edmonton Oilers all the way to the 7th game of the Stanley Cup. Captain Canada, Ryan Smyth (who was in Oil Country for 12 years) wasn’t even a better choice for captain than Jason Smith.
Performance
If you watched the Flyers vs. Islanders home opener on October 13th, you could not have turned off the game without smiling...after Jason shot the puck down all the way from his own zone to hit the empty net and clinch the game. He got the recognition he deserved, the Wachovia Center erupted, and, to end it, he got a post-game interview from Coatsey. He has been all that was expected from him, and he is sure to put more smiles on the fans’ faces as our captain for the next few years.
Future
I don’t think Flyers fans knew just how good Smith really is at what he does. Everyone got excited when they saw Kimmo Timonen’s 55 point total as a defenseman, but they forgot that we were missing that special player. The one who nobody ever notices, but who makes so many subtle important plays to help the team win; that is Jason’s specialty. He could be one of the three stars every game, yet he doesn’t show up on the score sheet.
Prediction - He will sign a contract extension this year and retire a Philadelphia Flyer.

RW - Scottie Upshall
Traded from Nashville with Ryan Parent and 2008 1st (traded back to Nashville - Jonathan Blum) and 3rd (traded to Washington - Phil Desimone) round picks.

Expectation
Compared to the other acquisitions the Flyers made, Upshall was the only one who did not have high expectations burdening him. Not much was known about Upshall, other than he would be a stud with the ladies in Philadelphia, along with Gags. He was Nashville’s first round choice (6th overall) in 2002 and he never really developed from there. Due to the overwhelming talent in Nashville at the time, he was forgotten in the AHL and checking lines. Coming over to Philly was a chance for a new beginning for Scottie.
Performance
Scottie turned out to be an absolute stud, on and off the ice. He scored a goal in his first game as a Flyer, and has continued to be a consistent threat since then. The team lacked so much depth and, due to injuries, Upshall had a chance to play on the first and second lines - where we got an idea of just how much talent this kid has. He is the only player on the new improved Flyers team who hasn’t yet played this season - due to an injury to his wrist suffered in pre-season.
Future
Go back in time to last year, to March 3rd, 2006, and watch Scottie’s game winning overtime breakaway goal. The one where he pulled out the famous Peter Forsberg deke to win the game for the Flyers. This is what to expect from Scottie in the future: speed, grit and consistent production.
Prediction- He will be a top six forward for the Flyers this season.

D – Kimmo Timonen
Traded from Nashville with Scott Hartnell for a 2007 1st round pick (Jonathan Blum)

Expectation
Kimmo has the highest expectations on his shoulders, next to Danny Briere, coming off a 55 points season as a defenseman for the Nashville Predators. He was their captain, and definitely the best defenseman available in free agency this past summer. His job is to add more of an offensive threat to the Flyer’s defense, where Joni Pitkanen was not doing a good enough job. Another factor that drew Kimmo to Philly is that his younger brother, Jussi Timonen, also a defenseman, is a prospect for the Flyers, who current plays with the Flyers AHL affiliate, the Phantoms.
Performance
He hasn’t been very noticeable so far offensively (only getting three assists), but, as a unit, Kimmo and Jason Smith could be one of the top defensive pairings in the NHL this season. They complement each other so well; Jason is a model defensive defenseman, and Kimmo the offensive defenseman.
Future
Once he gets comfortable in Philly, and more ice time each game, Kimmo will start to produce more. He will definitely help the Flyers always lacking power play, where he plays alongside another forward (usually Sami Kapanen and Mike Richards) rather than another defenseman - which makes the power play more dangerous.

As we have seen so far, the Flyers look excellent. Before the season started they were a lock for the playoffs with the talent they have alone. But now, if their defense improves a little more to get more pressure off of Biron, I see the Flyers as serious Stanley Cup contenders...even this year. The team has everything covered, besides possibly acquiring another offensive top 6 defenseman. It has been a good year so far for Philadelphia sports fans, with the Phillies making the playoffs and the Flyers off to such a great start. Fans should only expect to see more great things from this Flyers team

On the next edition of Slap Shot! Philly, I will breakdown the core of the Flyers lineup - specifically, Simon Gagne, Mike Richards and Derian Hatcher. What can they do this year to make us forget about last season?