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eleven24 · Quote #1 August 5th, 2003, 03:01 PM

Source: The Philadelphia Flyers Website

With the Flyers focusing on youth in the coming years, General Manager Bob Clarke signed two players on Wednesday who will be asked to contribute to that movement in Justin Williams and Radovan Somik.

Williams, who signed a one-year deal, will enter his fourth professional season, and it will likely be the most important one of his young career. For one thing, he is coming off of surgery to a partial tear of the ACL in his left knee that he suffered in January of last season. Further, with Head Coach Ken Hitchcock and Clarke?s proclamations that the younger players will be asked to contribute more than they have in the recent history of the club, Williams is going to have to put up some numbers.

So far, Williams has shown that he is capable of scoring. He has tallied 89 points (37g, 52a) in 179 career games ? not bad for a player who made his NHL debut the same year he was drafted in 2000.

This season, however, he will be expected to be one of the team?s offensive leaders. For a 21-year-old player, even one with three years of NHL experience, that can be a lot of pressure. It is something, however, he is ready to face.

?It?s very promising when it?s coming from Ken and Clarkie,? said Williams. ?I?m really looking forward to the challenge and the younger guys like me have to embrace it.?

Another of the younger players who will be asked to produce on offense is Simon Gagne, who, according to Flyers Athletic Trainer/Strength and Conditioning Coach Jim McCrossin, was never fully healthy last season due to a nagging groin problem.

Williams and Gagne have had some past success on a line playing with center Jeremy Roenick. Hitchcock may want to get a longer look to see how a line with two rising (and now healthy) young players and an established superstar can produce goals. Williams appears to feel comfortable with those two, and would welcome a reunion of that line in the fall.

?I feel that when you play with anyone on our team it?s very easy to gel with them because of the talent, but especially with Jeremy and Simon,? said Williams. ?If you ask anyone, they would love to play with those two guys. If that?s the starting line this year, I?d be very excited.?

Williams missed 36 games last season due to the partial tear of the ACL. After he had surgery to repair the knee, he made an incredibly quick recovery in time to join the team for the playoffs. In 12 games, he posted a goal and five assists, including a three-point performance and First Star honors in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Philadelphia won that game, and went on to face the Ottawa Senators in the Conference semifinals, eventually losing in six games.

That injury, Williams says, is not anything to be concerned about.

?The knee is fine, it doesn?t give me any problems, as well it shouldn?t,? he said. ?From here on in, it shouldn?t be an issue. Technically, they say it won?t be 100% for a year since surgery, but it?s feeling great.?

A significant aspect of the deal is that it is just a one-year contract. The potential labor issues on the horizon, coupled with the fact that the Flyers want to be sure that Williams can in fact shoulder a heavy offensive load before signing him long term, made a one-year deal the most sense for the club.

?With a new collective bargaining agreement coming, we don?t know if there?s going to be problems,? said Clarke. ?We just felt that one year was the right thing to do.?

Because it?s just a one-year deal, Williams clearly recognizes that it is an important year for him professionally.

?I think every year is important, and every year you?re battling hard and every year you want to do better,? he said. ?This year, I have to keep improving and hit a mark where I feel that I?m comfortable.?

If he does in fact hit that mark, expect this youth movement to get off to a strong and exciting start.

Thursday, July 31, 2003