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NFL

Wednesday, October 20
If losing continues in Philly, many moves may ensue

By Al Morganti
Special to ESPN.com

Things are getting very weird in Philadelphia.

Just about one week after announcing a stern warning from club chairman Ed Snider that the Flyers would have to lessen their payroll in the future, the Flyers on Monday signed free-agent defenseman Ulf Samuelsson to a two-year deal for about $4 million.

That signing is expected to be the first in what promises to be a series of moves over the next few weeks, and perhaps the first of some major moves, which will reverberate through the organization the entire season.


	Could Eric Lindros be on the way out of Philly?

Unless there is a quick U-turn in their fortunes, here is what can be expected from the Flyers over the next several days, weeks, or even months:

Coach Roger Neilson replaced by American Hockey League coach Bill Barber.

The Samuelsson acquisition could be the harbinger for a trade, likely to involve either defensemen Luke Richardson or Chris Therien.

General manager Bob Clarke and star center Eric Lindros will either get on the same page, or Lindros will be offered around the league before he becomes a free agent July 1.

In fact, the Flyers last week made a very discreet inquiry about trading Lindros to at least one team, the Carolina Hurricanes. Denials come from both sides, and it wasn't an overt trade discussion. But three sources confirm that there were at least "feelers" as to whether or not there would be interest in Lindros if the Flyers ever wanted to move him.

What's the problem? It is a situation that began last season, and a situation that worsened when Lindros again failed to agree to a long-term deal this past summer.

Once again, Lindros is in the final year of a deal. And once again, the Flyers are weary of the prospect of dealing with Carl Lindros, the agent/father of the star player. Last summer put a strain on all involved as Lindros' side questioned the medical practices of the club in its handling of the collapsed lung that put Eric Lindros on the shelf for the final chapter of the regular season and the playoffs.

There was also the matter of the "confrontation" between Clarke and Lindros that was alluded to in a Toronto newspaper story during the Flyers' first-round playoff loss to Toronto in which Clarke supposedly ridiculed Lindros for not being able to play in the series.

It started as a good-natured joke from a member of the Flyers' staff (not Clarke) that Jeremy Roenick was returning to the Phoenix lineup with a broken jaw quicker than Lindros was returning to the Flyers. But it deteriorated into a testy confrontation between Clarke and Lindros in Clarke's office.

Give each side full credit for trying to keep a lid on the disagreement.

Whatever their issues have been, neither Clarke nor Lindros would allow the situation to interfere with the team's preparation. However, the whole matter has produced a very unhealthy atmosphere. There is no public sniping, but as the saying goes, the silence between the front office and Lindros is deafening.

The question now faced by the Flyers as an organization is whether they want to keep Lindros as their foundation. On the other hand, Lindros -- who has always maintained that he wants to play his entire career as a Flyer -- could be having second thoughts.

The ideal "fix" would be a succession of power games from the Flyers, led by Lindros and the old Legion of Doom with linemates John LeClair and Mikael Renberg. Winning heals all wounds in the NHL, and the Flyers are in need of some quick healing in the form of victories.

As for the signing of Samuelsson, what made the Flyers brass change their tune about spending money? How about a woeful start in which the club did not win its first game until a 5-2 victory against Buffalo on Sunday night.

When Therien was benched Sunday against Buffalo, it was a good indication the Flyers wanted to upgrade their defense. They have tried repeatedly to get a team interested in Richardson, but his hefty paycheck makes him difficult to deal.

Indeed, the Flyers could agree to pay some of his contract, but that idea would be filed under last week's dictum that the club has to be more fiscally responsible. For whatever reason, Therien has always been an easy target for coaches and fans in Philadelphia, and he would be an enticing name in a bigger trade after the Samuelsson deal.

As for the coach, Snider on Monday dismissed a recent report that the coach was going to be fired within the week. As we saw with the change in heart over increasing the payroll, there can be a swift change of heart in Philadelphia.

Several sources close to the organization indicated last week that Neilson was in real danger of losing his job. Maybe the last life saver the club sent to Neilson was the decision to acquire Jody Hull, who had been cast off by the Atlanta Thrashers.

Hull has always been a favorite of Neilson, and the Flyers needed to upgrade their penalty killing with Rod Brind'Amour out of the lineup until January. Thus, they got the upgrade they needed, and they also gave Neilson one last weapon to turn things around.

As if the heat needed to get turned up any higher, the Flyers have back-to-back dates this week with the Rangers. And that rivalry always gets things heated up another 100 degrees.

Yashin money could go to Juneau
The Ottawa Senators are getting closer to terminating any possibility that hold out Alexei Yashin can come back with them this season. Once that happens, watch them quickly take the money allotted to Yashin and make an offer to free agent Joe Juneau.

You've probably been reading recently that the NHL will rule that unless Yashin returns by early December, the Senators can write him off for the season, and he will still owe a season of service before becoming a free agent.

It doesn't matter.

In fact, Yashin's agent Mark Gandler doesn't even care if the NHLPA takes up the case. The feeling of Gandler is that Yashin isn't going to play in Ottawa without a new deal, so what difference does it make if the contract is extended through next season?

Gandler does not think that Group II free agency is any sort of weapon (just ask Byron Dafoe, Keith Primeau etc.) and they might as well make their stand right now.

Injuries giving St. Louis the Blues
Already missing Norris Trophy winner Al MacInnis because of a broken left fibula, the St. Louis Blues now face a lengthy stretch without forward Geoff Courtnall -- who might be forced into retirement.

Courtnall suffered his second Grade II concussion in less than a year on Saturday night when he collided with Toronto's Bryan Berard. It took Courtnall, 37, more than four months to recover from his last concussion, and many people in the organization are concerned for his long-term health if he tries to return, and they fear this will mark the end of his career.

On the ice, the Blues will have to make alterations to their lineup. The Blues do not appear tempted by the free agent market, which still has Mark Tinordi available as a defensemen, and Pat Verbeek as a forward.

Instead, the Blues are more likely to revamp their forward lines, and try to integrate some of their minor-league talent to get them through until MacInnis returns.

Three veterans sure to be followed by trade rumors
1. Rick Tocchet, Phoenix Coyotes
2. Brendan Shanahan, Detroit Red Wing
3. Claude Lemieux, Colorado Avalanche

And wouldn't Lemieux look good with the Los Angeles Kings? The Kings could certainly use some of Lemieux's nastiness, especially in the Western Conference matchups as the playoff race gets more and more volatile.

Fleury dons face shield in New York
It took a lot of money to get Theo Fleury to leave his rodeo roots of the wild West. But now that he's in New York, Fleury has made a couple of changes with the Rangers. For one, he's gone back to wearing a face shield, perhaps to protect him from the glare of Broadway -- or maybe he just got smart.

Rumblings and grumblings around the NHL

The way rookie Scott Gomez is playing for the New Jersey Devils, somebody ought to advise Brendan Morrison to get back in uniform, or he won't even have a spot in the lineup, never mind a new contract.

If the Flyers don't make a move first, watch for the Boston Bruins to get serious about making an offer to Edmonton for fee agent Bill Guerin. It might occur after the Toronto Maple Leafs sign Dimitri Khristich, whom the Bruins "walked away" from after an arbitration ruling in favor of Khristich.

Nice to see Dale Hunter scouting some pro games for the Washington Capitals. As you might expect, Hunter is thrilled with the revised crease rule in the NHL, which allows skaters to cruise through the crease. "After everything they did with the rules, I think this is all they needed to get goal scoring up again," Hunter said. "It was not just a matter of being in the crease, but that dumb rule made people play very timid around the crease."


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