On a day where there weren't many surprises in terms of players selected at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the biggest surprise might have been the Flyers pulling the trigger on a deal that landed them a former franchise defenseman.
On draft day, the Flyers dealt forward Joffrey Lupul, defenseman Luca Sbisa, their first-round pick in 2009 and 2010 and a conditional third-round pick in either 2010 or 2011 to Anaheim for defenseman Chris Pronger and prospect Ryan Dingle.
Pronger Adds Toughness To Flyers' Defense
While Pronger may not be the Pronger that was the Hart Trophy Winner back in 1999-2000, he does give the Flyers a much-needed asset on defense: toughness. With Derian Hatcher retiring, and not playing at all last season, the Flyers lacked an intimidator on the blue line. At times, it seemed that the not very physical pairing of Kimmo Timmonen and Ryan Parent would get manhandled by larger opposing forwards. 20 minutes+ of Pronger, possibly paired up with either Timmonen or Parent each game, would alleviate that issue.
Plus, with a proven, steady defenseman on the ice for a good portion of the game, that will take some of the pressure off of recently acquired Ray Emery, who hasn't faced NHL shooters in a year. And just as importantly, Pronger provides leadership, character and experience, three intangible qualities no locker room can ever get enough of.
Lupul and Sbisa head to Anaheim
Lupul is a solid forward, but never flourished as the second-line scoring threat many in the Flyers' organization thought he would become. He had a nice season with 25 goals and 50 points, but he is not the breakout player many seem to think he could be. He returns to the team that once traded him to Edmonton for, ironically, Chris Pronger, and could be a decent niche player on an Anaheim team loaded with talent up front.
As for Sbisa, it seemed like the Flyers didn't quite know what to do with him last season. He could have been returned to juniors, but with the depleted defensive corps at the beginning of the season, the Flyers had no choice but to keep him for the year. Once injured defensemen started to return, the Flyers couldn't find a place for Sbisa; he was used for a time as a forward, was demoted to the minors, and stayed with the big club as a healthy scratch. In Anaheim, he will help to fill, but not completely fill the void on defense left by Pronger's departure. And at 19, he is a work in progress with a lot of potential.
Did Philadelphia Trade Too Much For Pronger?
By trading a lot of their future (including Sbisa, first-round picks in three consecutive years), the Flyers are showing that they are building to win now. With Hatcher already gone and Martin Biron probably gone by the time you read this, the club finally has some breathing room under the cap to pull off getting someone like Pronger and maybe even another free agent come July 1st, something they couldn't do last season.
On the surface, the club looks like it overpaid for an aging defenseman in the last year of his contract. But the reality is for as good as Lupul and Sbisa are or any of the other two first-round picks might be, they probably will not have the impact on a team that Pronger can and probably will. There is a lot of upside to acquiring Pronger, and even at 34, he still has a lot left in the tank. This deal might be the one to put the Flyers back among the Eastern Conference elite.
