The latter half of the previous week allowed to quietly go on a winning streak and try to right the ship. The reason why you ask the spotlight was taken off the Phillies for the past couple of days is because of the NBA Draft held on Thursday night in New York City and the NHL Draft held on Friday and Saturday in Los Angeles.The Sixers made it official the worst kept secret that their man they were drafting was guard/forward Evan Turner. This comes a week after shipping, Captain Underachiever, Samuel Dalembert to Sacramento for forwards Spencer Hawes and Andreas Nocioni. The trade of Dalembert and the drafting of Turner has sent a message from the new head coach Doug Collins to the rest of the team that the Sixers will be full of hard workers and players that will themselves to victories.
After the LeBron sweepstakes is over and all the big stars like James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, and Joe Johnson decide what their new addresses will be, those teams that will loose on the sweepstakes will take a look at what will take to bring in Elton Brand. In no way, realistically, were the Sixers going to be able to move Brand's $51 million. It was evident that the main players like Chicago and Miami were dumping salary just to make room to make max offers to the before mentioned free agents.
Unlike the major retooling the Sixers have to do their roster, the Flyers just to make a few tweaks to their roster to make a hopeful return to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Flyers as well last week before the draft make a deal aquiring the rights of defenseman Dan Hamhuis and a conditional draft pick in 2011 from the Atlanta Thrashers for defenseman Ryan Parent. During the season, the Flyers made a push to try to acquire Hamhuis from the Thrashers. Hamhuis, before being dealt to Pittsburgh during this weekend's draft, would have given the Flyers three formiable pairs on defense.
But the Flyers management and Hamhuis' agent, Wade Arnott, weren't getting any closer to reaching a deal. Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren realized that the Flyers weren't going to be able to reach a deal before July 1st and wanted to make sure they could get value for Hamhuis before they would loose him to free agency. The Flyers were able to acquire a third-round pick in the 2011 draft.
Since the Flyers acquired defenseman Chris Pronger from Anaheim last year, the Flyers didn't have a pick until the third round. But the Flyers were still trying to make deals to address needs on their team. Rumors have been circulating that the Flyers were looking at the Boston Bruin netminder, Tim Thomas, along with the Jonathan Quick from the LA Kings. But the newest name out their is that the Flyers are trying to bring in San Jose Sharks soon-to-be free agent Evengi Nabakov.
I will be shocked to see the Flyers bring back Michael Leighton back after his success in the playoffs. Personally, Leighton had an unforgettable run but the journeyman will most likely not be able to repeat the success he had last year. I would prefer a proven winner like Nabakov or a young and talented goalie like Jonathan Quick. It is very fitting that Patrick Kane's winning goal was a "soft" goal that went between Leighton's five hole. The achille's heel of the Flyers will forever be the goaltender position until they get a franchise caliber netminder.
