The Hatcher saga comes to an end

Derian Hatcher has announced that he won't come back to the NHL after undergoing knee replacement surgery. Hatcher, the only American-born player to captain a team to the Cup, didn't play since the end of the last year's playoffs - he spend the whole season on LTIR. His contract with the Flyers, one of the last moves by former Flyers' GM Bobby Clarke proved to be a complete failure - he was too slow for the "new NHL", he lacked the positioning play and was often injured. His retirement was obvious since last year, but he was kept on the team to ensure that he would get the full salary from his contract.

Hatcher will now replace Eric Desjardins - he will work with the Flyers prospects and younger players. This switch seems bad for the Flyers - Desjardins was the defenseman Philly is somewhat lacking right now - not physical, but superb positionally and able to lead the rush. Desjardins would have been an ideal candidate to help Luca Sbisa to take the next step. Hatcher's style of play and skillset, which will be reflected in his work as a development coach, might not be so suitable for the young d-man.