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Sunday, September 02, 2001

By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The Hockey News, in its preseason yearbook, has tabbed the Flyers as the Stanley Cup champions.

Premature? Sure.

Off the mark? Probably not.

When Coach Bill Barber draws up his initial depth chart on the locker-room chalkboard, it might be more imposing than any in the NHL.

Keith Primeau, Mark Recchi and Simon Gagne figure to make up the top forward line. Big free-agent signee Jeremy Roenick will skate between John LeClair and Rick Tocchet on a second -- yes, second -- line. Jan Hlavac, the key acquisition in the Eric Lindros deal, will work next to Czech star Jiri Dopita, a fresh arrival in North America, and Justin Williams. The fourth line will have grinders Kent Manderville, Paul Ranheim and heavyweight Todd Fedoruk.

On defense, Philadelphia is just as deep, with Dan McGillis,Luke Richardson, Eric Desjardins, Chris Therien, free-agent signee Eric Weinrich and Lindros-deal acquisition Kim Johnsson.

Add to that the goaltending of Roman Cechmanek, a Vezina Trophy finalist last season, and it should be enough to make the rest of the Eastern Conference shiver.

"Now, we just have to put it together," Recchi said this week after training with Mario Lemieux on Neville Island. "We all have to believe in Bill's system, which most guys already do. Now, everybody else has to come and fit in, and I don't see it being a problem."

And it won't hurt the mood in the Flyers' locker room, Recchi added, that the epic Lindros saga is done.

"We got three good, young bodies out of the deal, which obviously makes us a much better team," he said, referring to Hlavac, Johnsson and prospect Pavel Brendl. "And it's closure to the situation. I think we'll obviously have to answer questions when we go back, but once that's over, it will be done."

As for Lindros ...

"He's a New York Ranger now, and he'll do well. We don't doubt that he's a good hockey player, that he'll do well there. But it was time for them to part ways, and I think everybody's happy it's over."

Recchi hardly is the only one optimistic on the other side of the commonwealth. General Manager Bob Clarke has talked about how he believes his team has closed the gap on the Devils. Barber is licking his lips at the kind of competition for jobs he will have in training camp. And Tocchet is calling this team the best on which he has played since the 1991-92 Penguins.

You remember what they did.

Icy chips

If that isn't enough, in all of Clarke's recent dealings, he has managed to enhance the team's future rather than deplete it. The Flyers kept all their prospects and have piled up 14 picks for the nine-round NHL Entry Draft in 2002.

Capitals Coach Ron Wilson wants Adam Oates to be Jaromir Jagr's center this season. "The way I look at it, the opportunity to play with a guy like Jaromir Jagr, geez, I don't know what more you can ask for, personally," Wilson told The Washington Post. Trouble is, Oates still is demanding a trade, and he probably will get his wish. And that puts more pressure on General Manager George McPhee to complete the much-delayed trade of Dainius Zubrus to the Penguins for Jan Hrdina, whom Jagr wants desperately to join him.

Al Iafrate, the all-time king of the hardest slap shot contest with a 105.2 mph blast in 1993, is talking comeback with the Hurricanes. But don't bank on it happening. Iafrate, 35, has a long history of major knee trouble and hasn't played in the NHL since 1998 with the Sharks.

The Blackhawks conducted a sort of town-hall meeting on the Web this week, with General Manager Mike Smith soliciting questions from fans. It quickly turned sour. After several chatters did nothing more than criticize highly unpopular defenseman Boris Mironov, Smith snapped: "It's getting sickening listening to fans pick on Boris. He's a Chicago Blackhawk, so get used to it!"

If you don't have tickets for the Penguins' lone visit to Columbus, Feb. 28, forget it. The game sold out within 20 minutes of individual tickets going on sale this week. The Blue Jackets feel it's within reach to sell out every home game this season.

Mike Barnett might be the most prominent agent to become an NHL general manager when he accepted the post in Phoenix this week, but he's hardly the first. The Canucks' Brian Burke and the Avalanche's Pierre Lacroix also took that route.

No team works harder than the Predators, but more than mere sweat is expected this season. General Manager David Poile and Coach Barry Trotz, who have held those titles since Nashville joined the league in 1998, were told by the owners they will enter the final years of their contracts without extensions. Never a good sign.

Chris Osgood's first reaction when he learned the Red Wings had acquired Dominik Hasek was to demand a trade. He has since adopted a far healthier stance. "I believe I'm as good as he is, and I'm not afraid to go up against him," Osgood told The Hockey News. "He doesn't intimidate me." For what it's worth, Osgood has a 1-0 edge on Hasek in Stanley Cups.

Only 31 days until the puck drops between Lemieux and Joe Sakic.

Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@ post-gazette.com.