Rahul Sharma (Editor)

2008–09 Philadelphia Flyers season

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Division
  
3rd Atlantic

2008–09 record
  
44–27–11

Road record
  
20–14–7

Conference
  
5th Eastern

Home record
  
24–13–4

Goals for
  
264

The 2008–09 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Flyers' 42nd season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

Contents

Regular season

The Flyers began the 2008–09 season by naming Mike Richards the 17th captain in Flyers history on September 17, with Jason Smith headed to the Ottawa Senators as a free agent. The Flyers were looking to build on the success of the previous season, but instead got off to an 0–3–3 start which became indicative of the season ahead. Despite a solid December and January, and finishing with four points more than the year before, for the most part the 2008–09 Flyers were an inconsistent unit, playing at the top of their ability one night while subpar the next. Defenseman Derian Hatcher missed the entire regular season and playoffs with a knee injury, and Steve Downie was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Matt Carle. Two pleasant surprises were the emergence of rookie center Claude Giroux and defenseman Luca Sbisa, who was drafted by the Flyers in June with the 19th overall pick acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for R. J. Umberger, the victim of a salary cap crunch. Scottie Upshall also found himself the victim of such a crunch, traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for Daniel Carcillo at the trade deadline.

Despite holding on to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference for much of the season, due to a 4–5–1 finish to the season, highlighted by a home loss to the New York Rangers on the last day of the regular season, the Flyers slipped to the fifth seed and lost home-ice advantage in their first round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Flyers finished the regular season having scored the most shorthanded goals in the NHL, with 16, and having allowed the fewest shorthanded goals, with just one.

Conference standings

bold – qualified for playoffs, y – division winner, z – placed first in conference (and division)

AT – Atlantic Division, NE – Northeast Division, SE – Southeast Division

Playoffs

Pittsburgh dominated the Flyers in Game 1, and despite a better effort by the Flyers in Game 2, Pittsburgh came to Philadelphia with a 2–0 series lead. The Flyers were the better team in Games 3 and 4, but Pittsburgh gained a split in Philadelphia and took a 3–1 series lead. After a decisive 3–0 win in Game 5, the Flyers jumped out to a 3–0 lead in Game 6, but promptly fell victim to the inconsistencies that plagued the team all season and gave up five unanswered goals in a season-ending 5–3 loss.

Skaters

  • Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; G = Goaltender; LW = Left Wing; RW = Right Wing
  • = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.
  • = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.

    • Transactions

    The Flyers were involved in the following transactions from June 5, 2008, the day after the deciding game of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, through June 12, 2009, the day of the deciding game of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals.

    Trades

    Trade notes
  • a The Flyers would receive the fourth-round pick if the Lightning re-signed Prospal, which they did on June 30.
  • b The Bruins would have received a third-round pick instead of a fourth-round pick if Alberts re-signed with the Flyers after the 2008–09 season. The Flyers did not re-sign Alberts and the draft pick remained a fourth-rounder.
  • c The trade was nullified after McLaren failed his physical.

    • Free agency

    The following players were signed by the Flyers via free agency. Two-way contracts are marked with an asterisk (*).

    Free agency notes
  • a Contract for the 2009–10 season.

    • Re-signed

    The following players were re-signed by the Flyers. Two-way contracts are marked with an asterisk (*).

    Entry level contracts

    The following players — Flyers draft picks, undrafted free agents, and the unsigned draft picks of other teams — were signed by the Flyers to entry level contracts.

    Waivers

    The Flyers were involved in the following waivers transactions.

    Departures

    The following players left the team via free agency, release, or retirement. Players who were under contract and left the team during the season are marked with an asterisk (*).

    Draft picks

    Philadelphia's picks at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, which was held at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario on June 20–21, 2008.

    Draft notes
  • a The Flyers traded R. J. Umberger and their fourth-round pick, 118th overall, to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the Colorado Avalanche's first-round pick, 19th overall, and the Blue Jackets' third-round pick, 67th overall, on June 20, 2008.
  • b The Flyers traded their first-round pick, 27th overall, to the Washington Capitals for Steve Eminger and the Capitals' third-round pick, 84th overall, on June 20, 2008.
  • The Flyers traded their second-round pick, 58th overall, and the Nashville Predators' 2007 third-round pick to the Washington Capitals for the Carolina Hurricanes' 2007 second-round pick on June 23, 2007.
  • The Flyers traded third-round pick, 88th overall, to the Los Angeles Kings for Jaroslav Modry on February 19, 2008.
  • The Flyers traded their fifth-round pick, 148th overall, and Randy Robitaille to the New York Islanders for Mike York on December 20, 2006.
  • c The Flyers traded Vaclav Prospal to the Tampa Bay Lightning for the Nashville Predators' seventh-round pick, 196th overall, and a conditional 2009 fourth-round pick (if Lightning re-sign Prospal) on June 18, 2008.
  • The Flyers traded their seventh-round pick, 208th overall, to the Anaheim Ducks for the Ducks' 2009 seventh-round pick on June 21, 2008.

    • Farm teams

    American Hockey League – Philadelphia Phantoms (Standings)

    The 2008–09 season was the Phantoms' last playing in the Wachovia Spectrum and means they will move following the season. Comcast Spectacor sold the Phantoms to the Brooks Group of Pittsburgh on February 4, 2009, and the new ownership has expressed interest in eventually moving the Phantoms to Allentown provided that a multi-purpose arena can be constructed there. Until a permanent new home is found for the club it will have to operate starting in 2009–10 in a temporary location. The site being given the most serious consideration for that is Glen Falls, the former home of the AHL Adirondack Red Wings from 1979 to 1999. Comcast Spectacor continues to operate the team through the conclusion of the 2008–09 AHL season and playoffs.

    With Craig Berube returning to his role as an assistant coach with the Flyers, John Paddock was named head coach of the Phantoms. The Phantoms trailed the Binghamton Senators by as many as 12 points on March 14 for the final playoff spot in the East Division, but came back to overtake Binghamton and clinch the final playoff spot in the final regular season game at the Spectrum. The Phantoms final season in Philadelphia came to an end after being swept from the first round of the playoffs by the Hershey Bears.

    ECHL – Mississippi Sea Wolves (Standings)

    Mississippi missed the ECHL playoffs and announced they would suspend operations for the 2009–10 season.

    References

    2008–09 Philadelphia Flyers season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA