Gambling on Chouinard
Injury-riddled Flyers take chance on another forward with a questionable work ethic
By TIM PANACCIO
Faceoff.com correspondent
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So how many Pavel Brendls can the Philadelphia Flyers afford to carry?
General manager Bob Clarke and coach Ken Hitchcock like to think that they've changed Brendl's work ethic from a guy who wasn't committed, to a player who now understands what hard work is all about.
But can they afford to carry Eric Chouinard, too?
Late Wednesday night, the Flyers picked up Chouinard, another player perceived to have all the physical tools (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) and skills necessary to be a NHL player.
The only thing the big centermen lacks is a strong work ethic. Sound familiar?
The 22-year-old is the son of former NHLer Guy Chouinard. He was traded to the Flyers from the Montreal Canadiens for a second-round draft pick this summer. The NHL draft is expected to be very deep this year with quality players in the early rounds.
If the Flyers didn't have so many injuries, Chouinard would be reporting to the Phantoms. Instead, he was summoned from Utah directly to the swamplands of East Rutherford, N.J., where the Flyers face a pivotal contest Thursday against the surging Devils.
It sounded like Chouinard might actually suit up against New Jersey even though hasn't played an NHL game in more than a year.
"Chouinard is a very talented and skilled prospect," Clarke said in a prepared statemnt. "He hasn't proven he'd ready for the NHL yet, but we think he'll be a scorer in the NHL."
Clarke said he expected Chouinard to "grow" in the organization and hinted he would be given a chance in Justin Williams (left knee surgery) absence. Whether that means now or later is up in the air.
But ask yourself this question: why would Les Miserable, who are struggling for a playoff berth, give up on a former, highly-touted prospect - a No. 1 draft pick (16th player taken in 1998) - unless they feel he has universal flaws?
Canadiens GM Andre Savard put it succinctly.
"The pressure of being a first-round pick associated with the pressure of being compared to Simon Gagne were unbearable," Savard said.
Chouinard and Gagne hail from the same 1998 draft class. Both played juniors together in Quebec. Chouinard was drafted six spots ahead of Gagne, who has become the star of that draft class in most people's minds. This season, Gagne has been struck with multiple injuries.
In Montreal, Chouinard was perceived as a player who could can get a couple of goals one night and then disappear for a dozen games.
He had a good early training camp but pulled a groin muscle and never played in exhibitions. He has 13 career NHL games and just one goal.
In other words, he's not going to solve the Flyers immediate problems for goal scoring.
THE GAME: The Devils are three points ahead of the Flyers and have shut them out twice in succession this season. Lose tonight, and the Flyers are guaranteed that they will lose the head-to-head tie-breaker with New Jersey for playoff seeding. The Flyers have lost three games in succession - second time this season that has happened - and have been shut out twice in succession. Those are two bad signs for Thursday's game.
THE OUTRAGE: Tampa Bay's 3-Love win on Tuesday night sparked outrage from Hitchcock. The team didn't show up. There was no work ethic anywhere on the ice.
"We were ready to win and not willing to pay the price," Hitchcock said. "The other team was willing to pay the price. The last couple of times we've come into this building expecting to win and not willing to work. We had far too many passengers. We had players who did not want to compete at the level of the game. If you are not prepared to work, that is disappointing. But that is not the problem. The problem is that we have people who usually carry the mail who were not ready to go."
AI
