No beaming up this Scottie

By Michael Rushton
Phanatic Magazine

While many expect the Philadelphia Flyers to be big players in free agency this offseason, the club has already begun filling out its ranks.

Namely, the signing of forward Scottie Upshall to a two-year contract.

This was a no-brainer for the Flyers. Upshall posted eight goals and eight assists for 16 points in 32 games in 2006-07. Most notably, 13 of those points (six goals, seven assists) came after his trade to Philadelphia from Nashville.

While defensive prospect Ryan Parent was the key to the deal that sent center Peter Forsberg to the Predators, Upshall is no slouch himself. Drafted sixth overall in 2002, Upshall brings an energy to the ice that will, if it hasn't already, captivate Flyers fans.

This move is just a reminder that the Flyers are back on the way up. A full season of Martin Biron in net is already an improvement on the horizon, and Upshall looks to have found a home where he can shed his label of underachiever. Only time will tell how Upshall will perform long term, but 2006 was a good sign.

Let's not forget, the club also picked up another first-round pick in the 2007 draft, where they will begin the day by drafting second overall. Yes, the Flyers are once again in it for the long haul.

"It was a priority for us to get this deal done as soon as possible so we can continue to move forward with our offseason plans."

That includes bringing back some restricted free agents, including Joni Pitkanen, Lasse Kukkonen and Antero Niittymaki, as well as bulking up the squad through other free agents.

With Biron all ready in the fold, the Flyers can concentrate on their offense in defense.

Philadelphia should look to add another veteran defenseman to the mix. Sheldon Souray of Montreal and Nashville's Kimmo Timonen are the two highest on the list.

Offensively, the Flyers would love to snag one of Buffalo's pending free agents -- Daniel Briere or Chris Drury -- and one or both should be available. Scott Gomez of New Jersey, Ryan Smyth of the Islanders and Tampa Bay's Ruslan Fedotenko could all get a look.

Bringing back Forsberg is also a possibility.