Anyone who reads my articles knows that I am big proponent for the physical side of the game. I think it serves a much bigger purpose than most think. The Flyers’ organization was once known for being one of the most physically-feared teams to go up against. In fact, the team modeled itself for decades after their fans. They were extremely hard working, intelligent, and didn’t take grief from ANYONE! The Flyers used to play a gritty style of hockey where they would finish every checking opportunity and were willing to police the opposition whenever they stepped out of line. The game may have changed from the old times where hockey players were thought of as boxers on skaters; however, there is still a need for a few of these type players on a team.
But, sadly the current Flyers team (as talented as they are) lack this type of player on their roster right now. There is no one like a Wayne Simmonds, Scott Hartnell, Rick Toccet, or Paul Holmgren up front anymore who had enough talent to score a goal on any given night but would also be willing to drop the gloves in an instant to stand up for a teammate. There is no one on the back end either, with a mean streak like former Flyers blue liners Chris Pronger, Derian Hatcher, Kjell Samuelsson, or Behn Wilson who would look for every opportunity to put someone on the seat of their pants. So, you know there is no enforcers like Craig Berube, Donald Brashear, Dave Brown, or Dave Schultz on the current roster either. Hell, at this point this writer would even settle for an aggressive goalie (to serve as a backup to Carter Hart) like Ron Hextall or Ray Emory right now.
This team is extremely passive as a whole and does not finish their checks. In fact (besides Scott Laughton), I cannot remember the last good offensive-zone check the Flyers landed, which was a strategy that the Flyers used to use for an opportunity to make the opposition turn over the puck in dangerous areas- something which would then lead to the Flyers having more shots on goal, thus more scoring chances: The current Flyers roster has struggled with this lately- Losing the game in shots on goal two to one most nights. That raises the question why is a guy like the Flyers’ 6’5 216-pound center Kevin Hayes not using his body to benefit his team in these situations? Sure, he has been good offensively lately, but might raising his physical play allow him and his team that many more chances while in the offensive zone?
On the back end there is no one that will put a body to anyone besides Robert Hägg. How is it that Philadelphia, a team that used to be known as the Broad Street Bullies, is now afraid to lay a defensive-zone check? They have two 24-year-old docile defensemen in the forms of 6’5 Philippe Myers, and the 6’3 Travis Sanheim, who each have the size needed to put the opposition into a body bag after a delivering a colossal, hit but would rather try to poke check the puck away from some of the best players in the league. This type of effort- or lack thereof- is not going to work on the likes of Alex Ovechkin, David Pastrnak, Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, or Mitchell Marner (etc. etc.). I’m sorry but the way I was coached growing up on how to stop the opposing team’s best player was to lay them out! They can’t score if they are busy asking if anyone happened to catch the tag number of that truck that just ran me over.
Additionally, the Flyers are not clearing the porch in front of Hart and Elliott either. Time and time again you can see the Flyers’ defense standing beside- or worse, in front of the opposing player that has decided to park himself in front of the Flyers goalie. They are not trying to body him out of their real estate by any means necessary so that their goalie can see the play. Instead, the Flyers’ defense is just letting the opposition stand there screening their goalie while patiently waiting for his chance to redirect a puck or get a nice easy goal after a rebound.
Also, this team has allowed themselves to be pushed around far too often lately in games, which has resulted in blown leads- sometimes giving up two or three unanswered goals at a time. This inability to push back physically late in games and keep control of the puck has cost the Flyers many points already this season, and this is simply something that can’t keep happening if the Flyers want to make the playoffs.
Worst of all: Philadelphia has no one that will step up when one of their teammates goes down due to a dirty hit or play. How does nobody look to hand out a little retribution when Nolan Patrick (a guy who missed a year of play because he had concussion issues) gets driven in headfirst into the boards from behind by the New York Islanders recently? I was there to see that, and the sound reverberating loudly throughout the near-empty Wells Fargo Center left chills up most writers’ spines in attendance. Or when Oskar Lindblom- a teammate who is just coming back from a battle with cancer- takes an extremely late hit in one game only to take a headshot in another? To which nobody even batted an eye, let alone reacted to it happening. This just is not the same kind of Flyers team I, along with most of you, grew up following. Something has to change, the time for action is now!
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The team does have someone that could lead by example and fits this mold to a “T’: 6’7 Sam Morin. Clearly, team management thinks he is not quite ready for the NHL full time, so what other options are out there? How about a trade? The Flyers were recently linked to the Columbus Blue Jackets’ rugged defenseman David Savard. He lays big checks, clears his team’s porch with ease, and has shown in the past that he is always ready to be a willing combatant in order to stand up for a teammate. Sounds great right? Well, the Flyers probably did not pull the trigger on him because of the $4.25 million dollar salary he is due through the end of this season. So why not find a more affordable option similar to him, but who could fill in for the rest of the season and be the answer to not only the Flyers lack of physicality, but sure up their defensive problems as well?
Where might they find a guy like that you ask? How about in Anaheim, California, the Ducks’ Jani Hakanpää to be more precise. This is a 28-year-old 6’5 218-pound Finnish defenseman who is a right hand shot, who may not be that well known given the fact that he is a bit of a late bloomer- but that only helps the Flyers’ chances. He is not flashy: he does not put up a lot of points (although he can). But what he does do is play the body and he will drop the gloves to come to a teammate’s aid! Jani plays with the type of physicality that the Flyers so desperately need- which is made evident by the 40 checks he already has on the season. Those totals are good enough to rank him 8th overall in the NHL in hits currently. Hakanpää also excels at other defensive categories as well, totaling 30 blocked shots thus far which is good enough to place him 2nd overall in that category in the NHL; he is also responsible for just 6 turnovers (or giveaways) on the season. That is less than half of what the Flyers’ Star defender Ivan Provorov currently has with 15! Hakanpää is a stay-at-home defenseman that is perfectly fine just sitting back on his team’s porch (the crease) and keeping away any unwanted guest. With him shining in all these defensive categories, it should go without saying that Jani tends to always be a plus player.
Now I get that you may be saying if he is that good why on earth would the Ducks be willing to part with him? To which, I would retort that Anaheim has been a bit dinged up as far as defenders go lately but are on the verge seeing a very crowded blue line once again. One of those injured Ducks that is almost back from injury is the incredibly talented and very physical defender Josh Manson, who has been out with an oblique injury. Then, other soon-to-be returning players are defenseman Brendan Guhle (who has been out with a sprained MCL) and defenseman Ben Hutton (who is now labeled day-to-day). Once these players come back Hakanpää will most likely be sent back down to the teams American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate the San Diego Gulls. You would think that the Ducks would want to keep him around just in case this kind of thing were to happen again soon, but this writer does not think they will need to do anything of the sort. For their 2020 1st round pick, (the 6th selection overall) defenseman Jamie Drysdale is already proving to be near-NHL ready, scoring at a point-per-game pace for the Gulls this season in the AHL.
The best part about a potential trade for Hakanpaa is that he would come with an expiring bargain basement cap hit of just $750,000. So, this trade would not block future Flyers’ blue liners like Wyatte Wylie, Egor Zamula, Cam York, and Mason Millman who are in the system already and seem to be just a year or two away from joining the NHL ranks. Plus, the chances are quite good that the two teams’ general managers could reach some agreement because they already have been able to agree to a trade in the past as recently as the latest trade deadline (in which the Flyers were able to receive center Derek Grant from them for their playoff push).
It is imperative that the Flyers address their lack of physicality, and their lack of willingness to drop the gloves when someone is needed to come to the aid of a fellow teammate. A trade for Jani Hakanpää (or someone like him) would surely address all of these needs- and many more. The Flyers were once thought of as cohesive group of players that you didn’t want to provoke. They are now not respected in that same manner and teams are starting to take cheap shots like the incidents with Patrick and Lindblom. If the Flyers do not seek out a guy like Hakanpää their current level of respect will continue to fade away and will result in more and more cheap shots or runs being taken on their star players. That’s why the time to act is now so no further careless and reckless acts of violence will come to harm the Flyers players in the future.
Calling Dustin Byfuglien. Please pick up the rugged courtesy phone that was ripped from Tyler Pitlick’s hands.
Lol I suggested Big Buff in an article I think last month. He would be a great trade deadline add for a playoff push.