Thursday, October 31, 2013

Merry-go-round continues as Downie comes back to Philadelphia for Talbot

First reported by Adrian Dater and then confirmed by the Colorado Avalanche, forward Steve Downie has returned to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Max Talbot.

“Maxime is a veteran forward who has won a Stanley Cup and has a lot of NHL experience,” said Avalanche Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Joe Sakic upon announcing the deal on Friday. “We’re looking forward to him bringing that experience to our club."

If you recall, Downie was an untamed colt coming out of juniors, possessing skill but seriously lacking in discipline. His most (in)famous action in his first go-around here was launching like a missile into Ottawa's Dean McAmmond in a September 2007 preseason game and drawing a 20-game suspension.

Downie was shipped out early in the 2008-09 in the deal which brought us the now-departed Matt Carle, and began his reformation into an NHL player with the Bolts on a line with Steven Stamkos.

Talbot appeared in all 11 games for the Flyers this year, picking up a goal and one assist. The 29-year-old Quebec native, Stanley Cup winner in 2009 who was a key member of the 2012 Flyers club that toppled the Penguins in the first round, ed 77 goals and 77 assists for 154 points in 515 career games between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

He has also skated in 77 career playoff games, totaling 39 points (18G, 21A).

Downie, 26, has accumulated 56 goals and 145 points over 285 games for Philly, Tampa Bay and Colorado over parts of seven NHL campaigns.

Though on its face, a trade which sends out a fourth liner in exchange for a top-six player in the final year of his contract might seem to be a gain for Philadelphia -- and it is in the business sense of swapping one player with multiple years left on his contract for one heading into UFA status -- there's no Stamkos or Martin St. Louis for Downie to spend regular time on a line with, in order to create chemistry and increase point totals.

If anything, it's a better gain for the 10-1-0 Avalanche, who need some veteran leadership, grit and hustle in the wake of their surprise start to the season in a competitive Central Division. Talbot clearly struggled this year within his ice time and will benefit from a fresh start.

"He won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh, he's a great penalty killer, and he brings depth. A real playoff performer," was Avs head coach Patrick Roy's assessment of his new player at a Friday presser.

Downie will be miscast if, as GM Paul Holmgren said right after the deal was made, he envisions the new acquisition as a playmaker. The feisty winger was the beneficiary of the playmaking of his Tampa Bay teammates, and never clicked in that way as a role player for the Avalanche. If anything, time spent with Claude Giroux on the top line will benefit Downie, and not the other way around as Giroux has yet to score a goal in 11 games.

In addition, as with Ray Emery, there should be no questions over Downie lapsing into his old, wild ways. You can naturally expect him to take a role that will be closer to the Flyers ethos than in his other two stops, but at the moment, there's no direct correlation between 12 minor penalties and undisciplined play of his younger days.

What is again a concern, is that Holmgren, with his back to the wall, opted to deal for another ex-Flyer.
That makes four in the last year-plus, after Ruslan Fedotenko, Mike Knuble and Simon Gagne were brought into the fold to round out last year's postseason-averse club.

Even with an itchy trigger finger thanks to a 3-8-0 start, can you tell reporters and the fan base with any reliability that there were no other suitable players and teams willing to deal an unrestricted free agent for veteran help that didn't involve a former player?

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