Joe Dustin Hockey 2007

Hockey Hearsay

The Philadelphia Daily News is of the opinion that it's just short of a declarative statement, but the Flyers expect Brayden Schenn to play for the big club all of next season - and maybe play big for it, too. Yes, Wayne Simmonds also will be a valuable piece, and yes, they still expect to come to terms with him on a new contract, but if the kid is toiling with the Phantoms in Glens Falls in October and Mike Richards is pumping them in on the Left Coast, there will be quite the queasy feeling around here.

It has made answering questions more challenging than usual this summer for Paul Holmgren. The Flyers' general manager said again yesterday that none of the fresh faces on the ice at SkateZone this week have a job sewn up, but any time the conversation extended from there it appeared that he has made at least one exemption. Holmgren is already fond of dubbing Schenn, the highly touted prospect who was the linchpin to the Richards trade, "the best player outside of the NHL last year," and if you take this literally, it means Schenn is right now better than Jaromir Jagr . So why wouldn't he be part of this team?

He will be, of course. The club is apparently even quietly seeking housing outside of Philadelphia for the 19-year-old, if you get the drift. Because he's so refreshingly honest, Holmgren also slipped in Schenn's name yesterday when discussing what the team might look like when it opens up in Boston on Oct. 6. Asked again whether the Flyers had taken a step back trading away its two homegrown stars in a span of hours, Holmgren quickly responded, "Not in our mind. Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup. That's our goal every year."

By definition then, Schenn and the others acquired should be expected to contribute this season, not the next. Right?

"Absolutely," Holmgren said. "But there's some insulation there when it comes to the other guys around him. Claude Giroux and Danny Briere and Max Talbot . Guys like that who are experienced and have played a lot of playoff games over the last few years . . .

"It's not like we're asking them to make a huge impact."

The Daily News continues that by "them" he means not just Schenn, but the unsigned Simmonds, Jakub Voracek and first-round draft pick Sean Couturier, who was also on the ice yesterday. But it's Schenn wearing the bull's-eye. If he develops slowly, if he proves to be just OK, and Richards flourishes in a less-scrutinized environment, this is the deal that taunts and haunts the Flyers for years to come.

Hockey Narrative: NHL 2007-08 Mid-season Review

Though many players have exemplified rat-like qualities over the years, one NHLer became synonymous with the label. Kenny "the rat" Linseman played in the NHL for 13 seasons and established himself as a world class agitator. He riled teams, tormented opposing players and on occasion would throw down the gloves. Though he would just as soon let those he badgered take a penalty for retaliation. The Carolina Hurricanes' 46 points (Edit: now at 48 points) would see them out of the playoff race if they were in the Western conference. But it gets them top spot in the league's weakest grouping in the Southwest division and the accompanying third place in the conference. One of the more exciting teams in the league, the Canes are only second behind the Detroit Red Wings in goals scored but have also surrendered more than 26 clubs in the league. The Toronto Maple Leafs began a road swing in California this week, with games against all three of the state's NHL clubs. Team President Richard Peddie is accompanying the team, with the tacit qualifier that he needs to be on hand if a trade request comes in for Mats Sundin (not sure how to break the logic of that one down--perhaps to lean on Sundin to waive his no trade clause or maybe because the Sharks and Ducks are two of the teams mentioned most often as being interested in a potential swap.) With this news the public castration of GM John Ferguson Junior is almost complete. Ferguson could now walk away from the team without further humiliation and not many people would label him a quitter (as absurd as that seems.) While he has apparently been marginalized to a degree that he no longer has full control over the normal duties of an NHL general manager, it seems as though he will still have some say in any big moves made before the trade deadline. For a team that many picked as winning their division and potentially going deep into the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins got off to a disappointing start. Their young stars have been steady performers, if unspectacular by their standards, but goaltending has been a question mark for them. Circumstances provided a chance for Ty Conklin and he has responded well, rattling off seven straight victories and helping the Pens to an 8-2 record in their past 10. Steve Downie may be emerging as a strong NHL forward sooner than anyone expected. Despite all the Downie haters out there (I've offered my share of criticism as well) he has the potential to be more than a 3rd or 4th line grinder.

Chase's Calendar of Events 2007

Sports Illustrated Kids Year in Sports 2008

Boats, Knots, Other Things

Tales of the Komets

ESPN Sports Almanac 2008, America's Best-Selling Sports Almanac