Lemieux has impressive debut in win over Detroit
PHILADELPHIA » Chuck Fletcher wasn’t completely inactive at the trade deadline on Friday. Although he didn’t trade either James van Riemsdyk or Justin Braun, who both are on expiring contracts and appeared to be likely rental candidates for playoff-bound teams, Fletcher did offload pending unrestricted free agent Patrick Brown on Ottawa for a sixth-round draft choice, and traded Zack MacEwen to Los Angeles for Brendan Lemieux and a fifth-round draft choice.
Brown, MacEwen and Lemieux are also all on expiring contracts. Fletcher confirmed Friday that acquiring Lemieux was more of a throw-in to the deal he suggested to the Kings, and that he’d made the trade essentially for the fifth-round choice for 2024.
Yet there was Lemieux, getting a starting nod for the Flyers Sunday night against the Detroit Red Wings at Wells Fargo Center.
“I see he can skate,” coach John Tortorella had said after seeing Lemieux practice Saturday. “I think he’ll add to our forecheck. He practiced hard. He’s excited to be here so I’m anxious to see him play.”
Sure enough, that would be Lemieux on the ice twice Sunday night for a pair of Flyers goals in the second period, by Nic Deslauriers and Noah Cates, and also for Scott Laughton’s empty net goal in the waning minutes of a 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
No assists for the new guy, but a bit of a thrill just the same.
“He’s a fast skater out there; he’s not scared,” Deslauriers said of Lemieux. “And he has that grit that people hate to play against.”
Lemieux, who had no goals and only three points in 27 games with the Kings this season, might have been surprised to start his first game here on a second line across from Laughton and next to Cates. That he ended up a plus-3, with five hits and a superb scoring chance in the third period was only gravy.
“I felt like I was back playing hockey, and playing with some awesome players,” said Lemieux, son of long-ago Flyers torturer Claude Lemieux. “I enjoyed it, I was in the game and it was a good win.”
Lemieux, 26, said he recalls well playing against Laughton as a teen: “He terrorized me in juniors.” However, looking ahead, he only wants to fit in with everyone.
“I have to lean on the side of relaxing and letting the game come to me rather than go out and put pressure on myself,” he said. “It’s just not in my nature. I just want to be here. I like playing here, I like this group. I just want to earn a job moving forward. That’s really what I’m here to do.”
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Fletcher took a lot of heat for not being able to trade van Riemsdyk, but Tortorella defended him at length about it Saturday. He also railed against the critics who said Fletcher should have been able to sign thenfree agent Johnny Gaudreau last July.
The one-time offensive wiz from Salem, N.J. had made it known he would sign with the Flyers if approached, but he never was, choosing to sign with Columbus instead, a seven-year deal for a cool $68.25 million. Gaudreau has 15 goals and 55 points in 61 games, but hasn’t been able to do much to help the Blue Jackets, the only Metropolitan Division team trailing the Flyers.
“I’ll tell you this, I think it was the greatest non-move by our general manager not signing Johnny Gaudreau,” Tortorella said. “It was the greatest non-move (because) we’re nowhere near ready for a signing like that. And I say that because I think we’re at the other end of it. I think some skill needs to be brought in, but it’s probably going to be second-tier skill. The second- and thirdline guys that can add skill, so we can keep growing our kids … get younger that way.
“(We’re) not going for the home run right now. We’re not ready because we’re still developing our foundation.”
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NOTES » The Flyers welcomed back fourth-line forward Tanner Laczynski for his first game since Dec. 5. He’s been out since with what was believed to be a high ankle sprain. … Carter Hart stopped 24 shots for the win.