Walshy's Wrap Around

Welcome to the 3rd installment of Walshy’s Wrap Around on PhillyPress. This week I will be covering the Philadelphia Flyers over the Last Week and looking at some news around the National Hockey League. The Flyers only had 2 games this last week Thursday vs. Thrashers, Saturday vs. Islanders and Monday vs. Flames. Flyers had wins vs. New York and Calgary and a Tough 4-3 loss vs. Atlanta. The Flyers are up to 6th in the Eastern Conference with 59 points. There is also news that the Flyers are listening to trade offers from Atlanta involving Kovalchuk bringing him to Philadelphia would make the Flyers a legit contender. There is a catch though, the Flyers would have to give up fan favorite Jeff Carter in the deal reports say. Is it worth it I say no since Carter is younger and could possibly be a better player down the road.

Big trades have been made over the last 2 days. The Anaheim Ducks made a move sending backup and former Conn Smythe award goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere to Toronto for LW Jason Blake and G Vesa Toskala. In my view I believe the Ducks made out on this deal just by getting Blake hes a playmaker and a scoring threat that could be great on any line. Also Toskala will thrive as a backup in Anaheim since he will not have the pressure of being the starter for Toronto and having high expectations and failing season after season.

The Leafs made another huge move by trading LW Niklas Hagman, C Matt Stajan, D Ian White, and RW Jamal Mayers to Calgary for hard hitting defensemen Dion Phaneuf, LW Fredrik Sjostrom, and Prospect Keith Aulie. In this deal I feel it was even the Flames got 2 guys that will play on the first line with Iginla, an average Dman that will try to replace Phaneuf’s presence and Jamal Mayers who will be the tough guy presence with Prust going to the Rangers. Phaneuf will be great in Toronto if resigned. Toronto has a lot of injured Defensemen and it seems like all these moves we made a little to late for this season but just in time for next.

Also just in as of 1:11 AM the Rangers traded Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik to the Flames for Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust. I love this deal for the Rangers Higgins and Kotalik have been complete busts for the Rangers. Kotalik who has a -18 this season with only 22 points. In his last 4 seasons he has hit the 20 goal mark 3 times. Higgins has 14 points and was a 27 goal scorer in 07-08. Jokinen is a very very under rated player in this league. Hes had 30+ goals 4 times in his career. Prust brings the physical aspect the Rangers have been lacking.

See you next Tuesday on the next installment of Walshy’s Wrap Around.