NHL Trade Deadline: Did the Philadelphia Flyers Fix Their Problems?

With the NHL trade deadline fast approaching, GMs around the league are looking to make the moves that will fix the problems and patch the holes to give their teams the best shot at a deep playoff run.

Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren is no different than any other GM, and has made a few deals around the deadline to fix some pressing issues. The most important issue at this deadline for the Flyers, which seems to be the same issue at every deadline for the Flyers, is goaltending. Ilya Bryzgalov is in the first of a nine-year $51 million deal, and after Holmgren gave Jeff Carter a 12-year extension and traded him shortly after, fans can be sure no NHL team will go near Bryzgalov and risk getting burnt like Columbus.

With a young backup in Sergei Bobrovsky at a minimal cap hit of $900k, it would be in the best interest of the Flyers to hold onto Bobrovsky for when Bryzgalov is somewhere in another universe.

When the goaltending is not getting the job done, the next best thing would be a strong and consistent defense, which is something the Flyers had before they lost their captain Chris Pronger. To fix the defense that has been struggling without its leader, Holmgren went out and acquired a few new defensemen before the deadline.

The first acquisition was Nicklas Grossman, who could really help the Flyers, who have been depending heavily on some rookie blueliners. The only problem for the Grossman deal is that at the end of the current NHL season, Grossman becomes a free agent, and if the Flyers are not able to come to an agreement with Grossman, then Holmgren will have given the team's second-round pick in 2012 and their third-round pick in 2013 as a rental fee for Grossman.

Shortly after the Grossman deal, the Flyers acquired a second defenseman, a crafty vet who has already won the Stanley Cup once: Pavel Kubina. Kubina is a 34-year-old who has been around the block and has some added value in being a right-handed shot, which is something the Flyers would like to have. Kubina has some size and has some experience that could replace some of what was lost with Pronger.

The first game that the Flyers had since both of their trades were made was in Winnipeg facing the Jets to kick off a lengthy road trip. The Jets game was plagued with the same problems the Flyers have had most of the season. The analysts for NBC sports described the goaltending as another “Bryzaster,” letting in four goals on 26 shots, which is clearly unavoidable at this point in the season.

The Winnipeg power play was able to be perfect for the night, scoring on each of their three attempts, and the Flyers were able to pull out an overtime win by simply shooting and outscoring teams as they have for the majority of their wins this season.

With the trades having just been completed, it is not fair to say that they are not working because the new players have not had a good chance to get adjusted to their new team and new system. After watching the first game, the problems that have plagued the Flyers are all still there, but maybe it is just a matter of time before Laviolette is able to make the adjustments to pull it all together.