By Jim Ryan ©2000
 

Flyers roster

The first issue is a huge obstacle, and it has to be addressed quickly. The goaltending is very questionable. For a contending team, it's the most important position that you need to be strong in. John Vanbiesbrouck is a good goalie, but he has one fatal flaw. He lets in what seems to be a weak goal every game. Goalies such as Martin Brodeur, Dominik Hasek, and Patrick Roy have all been known to steal games. Vanbiesbrouck does not seem capable of doing that at this stage of his career. At least, not on the Flyers where he has shaky defense in front of him. Rumors have the Flyers looking to trade for another goalie. Most prominently mentioned are Buffalo's Hasek, and Montreal's Jeff Hackett. If a trade goes down, Vanbiesbrouck likely will be traded elsewhere. If the team sticks with the goalies they have, then that is also a sticky situation. Rookie backup Brian Boucher has played very well this year. And he's also starting to play more. He plays solid, in that he doesn't let in the soft goals that Vanbiesbrouck does. Barring a trade, the Flyers have 2 options. Continue with Vanbiesbrouck, say a few prayers, and hope he can lead the team to the promised land. Or, play the solid, yet inexperienced rookie. For my money, I'd go with Boucher. I've seen the kid play, and he's a keeper.

The other suspect area on this team is it's defense. They are average. On a contender, that is simply not good enough. They have one of the game's best in Eric Desjardins, but it falls sharply after him. They've recently signed Zarley Zalapski to help out, but, there is a reason why he's been playing in the IHL. Luke Richardson's had a solid year, and Adam Burt is usually pretty dependable. Dan McGillis is a big time hitter, although sometimes can get caught out of position. When Ulf Samuelsson gets back from an injured shoulder, he'll take Zalapski's spot, which is an upgrade. But, Ulf is in his mid 30's now, and is slowing down and can be beat. Chris Therien's had an awful year. On most good teams, he'd be a # 4 or # 5 defenseman. On this team, he's playing with Desjardins. They need a puck moving defenseman to take his spot. Sylvain Cote would've been a good fit, but he was traded to Dallas. They desperately need someone of that caliber to better the defense core.

Some may believe that the Flyers could still use another forward or two. They may be right. But, I think they're good enough to get the job done. However, if this team is to get another shot at Lord Stanley, they must get better on the backline and in net. In the playoffs, it comes down to defense and goaltending. Solid defense, and a rock of a goalkeeper. As of now, the Flyers have neither. If they don't acquire them, look for another early playoff exit.