Esche: Bring on the heavy workload

Esche is on the outside of goaltending rotation

Rob Parent, Of the Delco Times Staff

03/02/2007

BOSTON --- Though Flyers coach John Stevens stopped short of making an official pronouncement, it seems Robert Esche will be relegated to the No. 3 goaltender's spot for the remainder of the regular season. Esche, the former starter who carried the Flyers to within one game of the Stanley Cup finals in 2004, lost his starting role to Antero Niittymaki last year, couldn't regain it this season and was expected to be shipped out by the NHL trading deadline Tuesday.

That seemed especially certain when the Flyers acquired Martin Biron early that day. But general manager Paul Holmgren could find no takers for Esche, who subsequently declared that he would finish out the season working hard in practice and that he'd "have to make sure I can be an example for everybody."

It would only benefit Esche to play the good soldier's role when he applies for work as an unrestricted free agent come July 1. Stevens said he tentatively planned to meet with Holmgren Monday to discuss the use of the goaltenders, but until further notice, Esche "is our third goaltender."

Stevens also addressed the possibility of Niittymaki cutting short his season to expedite pending surgery on his torn left hip labrum.

"I talked to Paul about that and he said he didn't think that it was much of an issue right now," said Stevens. Flyers head trainer Jim McCrossin added that Niittymaki hasn't been complaining of pain in the area of late, and expected the goalie to finish out the season, then likely get the surgery later in April.

Asked if that would give him enough of a recovery period prior to the start of training camp, McCrossin said, "that's plenty of time."

As for Biron, he's also a pending unrestricted free agent, but prior to his first start in net for the Flyers Thursday night at TD Banknorth Garden, he sounded as if he were ready to commence a long relationship with Philadelphia.

"I was excited (Thursday) morning about coming to practice and talking to (goaltending coach) Reggie (Lemelin) about the defensemen and trying to understand what they're going to do in front of me," said Biron, who perhaps hasn't taken a good, long look at the Flyers' defense this season. "That's really going to help me get into a rhythm."

Looking ahead to the final five weeks, Biron added, "I think they have an idea in mind to try to learn more about me, in order to help them to make a decision (about a long-term contract). I'm sure that will be discussons between the agent and GM. I've got (other) things to do here."

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Niko Dimitrakos, whose most newsworthy contribution this season was getting demoted to the Phantoms on Oct. 19 with Petr Nedved at the behest of chairman Ed Snider, has been sent to Chicago to play with the AHL Wolves.

The Flyers agreed to a deal with the Wolves' parent club, the Atlanta Thrashers, for Dimitrakos, 27, to go there in exchange for forward Jared Ross.

Ross will play with the Phantoms, joining goalie Scott Munroe, a former University of Alabama-Huntsville teammate.

Snider had ordered the expulsion of Dimitrakos and Nedved one day after the Flyers suffered a 9-1 loss in Buffalo. Dimitrakos eventually returned in December, but only lasted one week before returning to the Phantoms.

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NOTES: Stevens made newly acquired forward Denis Hamel a healthy scratch, saying Hamel needed a couple of practices with the team before he was ready. Besides, Stevens said, "we weren't really that unhappy with the forwards the last few games." ...Defenseman Randy Jones joined Esche and Hamel on the healthy scratch list.