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Two tumultuous transactions, downplayed as they were in recent weeks, are indicative of the extent the Philadelphia Flyers will go to this summer to bring about a sense of change in the wake of another playoff failure.
John LeClair has registered 558 points in 574 games with the Flyers.
Not that there's anything new about that.
Yet it's a major move that has yet to happen which could really alter the face of the Flyers as they prepare, along with everyone else, for a looming NHL labor war.
Could there be a more drastic way to change the identity of the Flyers than to trade John LeClair?
"I'm not gonna talk about it," LeClair said in a recent interview regarding rumors that he is not only being shopped, but was trying to expedite the process by waiving the no-trade clause in his contract. "Things will be worked out in the next couple of weeks. We'll see what happens then."
It's been about a week since he said that, and so far nothing has happened. As recently as Friday, Flyers president/general manager Bob Clarke acknowledged that while "a few teams" had inquired about the winger's availability, the team wasn't close to trading its long-time icon.
Then again, as a couple of other fast flip-flop moves would indicate, you never quite know what Clarke is going to do next.
Shortly after falling way short in the playoffs again, Clarke traded goaltender Roman Cechmanek to Los Angeles for a draft pick. To Clarke, the Czech goalie, who always is among the statistical leaders in the league during the regular season, had proven in a second-round loss to Ottawa that he is not a player who holds up well under playoff pressure.
John LeClair has registered 558 points in 574 games with the Flyers.
Not that there's anything new about that.
Yet it's a major move that has yet to happen which could really alter the face of the Flyers as they prepare, along with everyone else, for a looming NHL labor war.
Could there be a more drastic way to change the identity of the Flyers than to trade John LeClair?
"I'm not gonna talk about it," LeClair said in a recent interview regarding rumors that he is not only being shopped, but was trying to expedite the process by waiving the no-trade clause in his contract. "Things will be worked out in the next couple of weeks. We'll see what happens then."
It's been about a week since he said that, and so far nothing has happened. As recently as Friday, Flyers president/general manager Bob Clarke acknowledged that while "a few teams" had inquired about the winger's availability, the team wasn't close to trading its long-time icon.
Then again, as a couple of other fast flip-flop moves would indicate, you never quite know what Clarke is going to do next.
Shortly after falling way short in the playoffs again, Clarke traded goaltender Roman Cechmanek to Los Angeles for a draft pick. To Clarke, the Czech goalie, who always is among the statistical leaders in the league during the regular season, had proven in a second-round loss to Ottawa that he is not a player who holds up well under playoff pressure.
