Sunday Morning Massacre

Pretty good ESPN analysis of the clarke years. Shrewd trader early, not so much late. Always liked size over speed which is death in new nhl. Never got a goalie, which prob. Cost them 1 cup. & no mention of lindros- his greatest trade & nemesis

 

 

Highlights:

 

“As a GM, Clarke did a pretty good job. But, as he admitted on Sunday, he couldn't deliver the Stanley Cup. During his two tours of duty as Flyer GM,

his teams advanced to the Cup finals on three occasions. Each time, the Flyers couldn't get over that final hump.

 

During his long tenure, he made some good trades and some bad ones. He stole John LeClair and Eric Desjardins from the Canadiens in 1995. In recent years, however, the bad deals seemed to outnumber the smart ones. And, despite those many trades, he never could acquire a franchise goalie.

 

In the months after the lockout, Clarke made some bold moves, signing free agents Peter Forsberg, Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje. Going into last

season, the Flyers looked like a serious Cup contender. But, they were undone by several factors. The club was crippled by injuries, losing 355

man-games (third most in the league) to injury and some of the big offseason signings -- namely Hatcher and Rathje -- proved less valuable in the "new" NHL. By the end of the season, the Flyers seemed old and slow compared to top Eastern Conference clubs the Hurricanes and Sabres.”