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The off-season of 2010 has been a wild one; many players have found new homes as the NHL looks drastically different then it has last season. Your Philadelphia Flyers have been one of the more active teams so far bringing in forwards: Jody Shelley, Nikolai Zherdev and what many believe will soon be veteran forward Bill Guerin. The blue line has become a lot deeper as well as the most expensive in the league with the additions of Andrej Meszaros, Sean O’Donnell and Matt Walker. But if the Flyers want to repeat the success that they had last season, two things must happen. Continued success must carry over from last season and they must bring that high level of play into the arena every night to win games against much improved teams! So lets look around the NHL to see which teams have improved and which have regressed. The Pittsburgh Penguins have always been a tough team to play and with 6 games against them in the regular season that rough task will continue. Our former friend Arron Asham has joined the Pens this off-season and this gritty 5’11, 200 lb winger will bring a lot more to this team then most people will give him credit for. Ash is a hard-nosed guy with soft hands, and when he is given the room to do so he is actually able to light the lamp a bit

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New faces in New places, who challenges Flyers in the East in 2010-11

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Hard to believe, but there are just 14 days left before the NHL hits training camp after one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory. The Philadelphia Flyers are coming a season where they won the Eastern Conf. Title and made it to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. What will this year bring the orange and black? We have plenty of time to discuss that, so lets save that for a later date. Furthermore, an interesting bit of news came out of the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees NJ today. Recently released NHL veteran Bill Guerin, was seen working out in Flyers gear this morning, according to CSNPhilly.com’s Tim Panaccio. Guerin, 39, was surprisingly released from the Pittsburgh Penguins on August 27th when the Pens decided not to bring him back to the team for the 2010-11 season

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Guerin looking for tryout offer, players arrive early

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Photo/Getty When Team Canada took home the Gold medal at February’s Olympic Games in Vancouver, many fans around Philadelphia saw how that win benefited them and the captain of their hockey team Flyers captain Mike Richards took home the Gold, along with fellow Canadian and teammate Chris Pronger and after that achievement, the two came back home and had a new-found outlook on the season. Richards, 25, at that point in the season was going through a media battle that trickled down into the city. It wasn’t a secret that their captain was in constant battle with the team’s media, so a trip to Vancouver might have been a saving grace. CSNPhilly’s and 610WIP’s hockey legend Al Morganti spoke with me in length about Richards and his leadership for this respected Flyers organization. An organization he’s been around for over 25 years. “I’m not sure if the Olympics played a major role in the leadership, I just think it’s because he’s such a great and gritty player,” said Morganti. “I almost think he’s underappreciated by the city and fans, that they don’t realize how good this guy is

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Richards’ leadership no longer in question

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Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette In a recent article from Philly Magazine, Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette was named the best coach in Philadelphia.   Which is really impressive when you consider Philly has Andy Reid, who has coached the Eagles to be one of the most consistent teams in the NFL over the last decade, including 5-NFC Championship Game appearances & a birth in Super Bowl XXXIX back in 2004. Charlie Manuel has led the Phillies to three straight NL East titles, two straight National League pennants, & Philadelphia’s only major sports championship in the last 27 years. Meanwhile, Laviolette hasn’t even been employed in the city for a full calendar year, so why is he the best coach in the city? To answer that, you’ve got to start from the beginning. In early December last season, the Flyers were hovering near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. When you’re picked my many experts to win the Stanley Cup, that’s obviously not a place you should be.

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Peter Laviolette: The right coach at the right time

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Photo/Getty It has always amazed me how quickly someone can be the toast of the Philadelphia sports scene, to the guy who hits the back-burner in a matter of seconds. That basically sums up the summer for Flyers starting goaltender Michael Leighton. The Flyers signed Leighton a tw0-year contract extension back on June 30th. Many believed that was the sign that Leighton would be given the starting job between the pipes. The job he earned.

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Flyers should be Leighton’s to protect

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Simon Gagne spent the first 10 years of his career in Philadelphia. Photo/Getty It has been known for weeks that Flyers left-winger Simon Gagne was on his way out of Philadelphia. The question remaining was, when? That answer came Monday afternoon when Gagne was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Gagne, 30, was sent South in return for defensemen Matt Walker and a 4th-round draft pick. “This was a move to solidify our defense,” said GM Paul Holmgren

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Gagne era ends as winger dealt to Lightning

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Simon Gagne celebrates after scoring the game-winning overtime goal in Game 6 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Its become a forgone conclusion that one of the longest tenured athletes to ever play in Philadelphia, will have a bitter ending. Simon Gagne, who was drafted by the Flyers way back in 1998, has been with the organization ever since and looks to be on his way out the back door. The 30-year old left-winger has been with the Flyers since the 1999-2000 season where he made the NHL’s All-Rookie team after notching 20 goals and 48 points. With the Flyers recent signing of unrestricted free agent winger Nikolai Zherdev, formerly of the New York Rangers, to a one-year $2 million deal. Zherdev, 25, last played in the NHL in 2008-09 campaign with the Rangers where he scored 23 goals and 58 points in 82 games. The Zherdev signing put the Flyers over the $59.4 mill cap by $1.4 million. So regardless of the Zherdev arrival the Flyers had to shed salary somewhere.   The signing of Zherdev left fans and personal around the NHL a bit puzzled due to the well-known and respected playing style the Flyers are famous for.

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Gagne deserves a better replacement than Zherdev