Ruslan Fedotenko News

They missed the playoffs for just the second time in the last 18 years, and their offseason wish list figures to include a productive winger and a top defenseman.

THE FIRST order of business for Paul Holmgren this summer is determining which unit was more a cause of concern for the Flyers: the offense or the defense.

TWO KEY FLYERS defensemen face an offseason of doubt, as both Nicklas Grossmann and Andrej Meszaros try to bounce back from serious injuries.

Standing next to each other on the blue line, with the lights dimmed and the first notes of 'O Canada' playing, Claude Giroux tapped Jason Akeson on the shinpad to wish him good luck.

By trying to bring free agents Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, and Zach Parise to Philadelphia, Holmgren, in effect, was saying the Flyers needed major upgrades.

Marc Staal is assisted off the ice after being hit by a puck in the third period of a game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden.

Watching the Philadelphia Flyers last season, forward Ruslan Fedotenko believed that they needed more defensive players and he hoped to help fill that void when he inked a one-year, $1,750,000 contract.

Or maybe it's partly because their recent opponents - most of which have already clinched playoff spots - seemed to be going through the motions.