Philadelphia Flyers: The Dan Carcillo Effect and Why It Matters

Dan Carcillo is not a leading scorer for the Philadelphia Flyers but he's one of those guys that is very instrumental to a team.  

On a squad that boasts as much depth top-to-bottom as the Flyers do, Carcillo doesn't need to be a scorer.  

His role is simple—protect the star players and don't take idiotic penalties.

Since Coach Peter Laviolette's arrival one year ago, Carcillo has toned down his game a tad.

While still very nasty and hateful towards the opponent, his demeanor and conduct have improved.

Carcillo has been seen out there with the top lines more often than ever before. This is because Laviolette trusts him to protect the "big guns" and knows that he's also capable of making some plays.

Carcillo is more valuable to this team than people give him credit for.

How about this stat—with Carcillo in the lineup, the Flyers are 62-45 over the past season and a half.

Without him, they are just 10-15.

Those are telling numbers when you consider that he's viewed as just a fighter. It's hard to argue that the Flyers don't need Carcillo in their lineup.

Now, I'm not nominating Carcillo as team MVP or anything like that, just opening your eyes to what he means to this team. This also isn't a cry to Laviolette to insert him into the lineup, just simply a reminder of how the Flyers feed off of intimidation, even in today's game.

He just adds another dimension to a very deep Philadelphia team.

Carcillo plays his role and does so well.  

Dubbed a "goon," Carcillo is out to change his image and he's done a very good job of it during his time in orange and black.

Despite a few suspensions, Carcillo has cleaned up his act and done what's best for the team to succeed.  This much is clear when you see what their record is with him in the lineup.  

Flyers GM Paul Holmgren was smart in re-signing the enforcer this offseason.  

Now, if they can only get him to return from his sprained knee and back onto the ice.

He was a healthy scratch over the weekend, but should be back in the lineup very soon—Carcillo practiced with Blair Betts and Jody Shelley on the fourth line on Tuesday.

Whether he's starting the fight that sparks the team and the crowd, or scoring the winner in overtime, Carcillo always knows how to deliver for the Flyers. In doing so in an underhanded way, he's one player that Philadelphia loves to have in its corner.