![]() ![]() Downie, scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, will bring the Flyers a $2.6 million cap hit, while Talbot’s hit was only $1.75 million with two years remaining on his contract. Downie was traded to Colorado in February 2012, and this season was stationed at right wing on the Avalanche’s most productive line with Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly. ‘Claude should start to score goals,’ Tocchet said. ‘You need that kind of player to wake your bench up.’ Tocchet also offered the opinion that Downie, being a right-handed shot that can play left wing, would be a natural fit next to Giroux and across from former Lightning teammate Vinny Lecavalier. ‘Who’s that guy that can go out there and change the momentum? Get in front of the goalie, win battles in the corner, even just collisions with guys?’ Tocchet said, verbally scanning the Flyers roster. ‘He’s been hurt, and has some issues,’ Tocchet said, ‘but there’s a hockey player there.’ It’s already being presumed that Downie’s act might play best on the Flyers’ top line, at least now while Giroux continues to struggle. I’m excited to show Philly what an older Steve Downie looks like.’ Tocchet went so far as to say he’s had recent conversations with referees he knows who say Downie has cleaned up his act in recent seasons, though injury problems have continued to haunt him. ‘I was younger and, I don’t know if immature is the word, but I think I’ve grown as a player and as a person. ‘I was 19 or 20 years old the first time I played (here),’ he said. ‘But Steve’s smart enough to recognize that and Craig will make him realize that.’ Downie doesn’t see it being any problem. ‘With a team struggling to win games, the last thing you want is guys taking stupid penalties,’ Tocchet said. And every now and then, Tocchet added, ‘I’d have to read him the riot act.’ Tocchet also thinks his old buddy Craig Berube, who coached the rookie Downie with the Phantoms, will be good at helping him keep focused on the job at hand, especially if that role includes getting Claude Giroux to play like he’s supposed to play. Steve Downie can keep people off balance when he is under control.’ But how easy was it to keep Downie under control? He was a rare entity that season in Tampa when he scored 20-plus goals while registering 200-plus penalty minutes. ‘Anybody can play with those guys,’ said Tocchet, now an analyst for Comcast SportsNet. In Tampa, Downie first thrived under head coach Rick Tocchet, and would act as right-hand fist to top Lightning scorers Steven Stamkos and Marty St. 7, 2008 with Steve Eminger for defenseman Matt Carle. ‘But he still plays the game hard and he’s going to take the odd penalty just because he plays the game hard.’ The young Downie was traded by the Flyers to Tampa Bay on Nov. ‘I think he’s probably matured exponentially in that regard,’ Holmgren said. That earned a 20-game suspension for Downie and didn’t do him any favors with upright coach John Stevens. He started his NHL career in September 2007 with a vicious hit on Ottawa’s Dean McAmmond in a preseason game, leaping off his feet to sandwich McAmmond’s head into the boards, knocking him cold. The altercation was said to have stemmed from a hazing incident and wound up with his coach, Moe Mantha, getting fired. I’m excited to show Philadelphia what I have to offer.’ Downie’s history included a suspension in junior hockey when he cross-checked a teammate in the face, knocking out three of his teeth. Now that I’ve been in the league for seven seasons, I’ve grown with the game, I’ve learned the game. ‘I was really eager to get into the league and make an impact. ‘My first years I had a couple of suspensions,’ said Downie, who first stuck with the Flyers in 2007-08. That began with Philadelphia, where in 38 games as a Flyer he scored six goals and 12 points while putting up 84 penalty minutes. He can make a lot of plays.’ Downie also brings a reputation for taking bad penalties for much of his career. ‘He’s good with the puck, strong on the puck. ‘Steve’s a good player, a better player than maybe people give him credit for,’ Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. But he has had his moments as a scorer, too, registering 22 goals and 46 points in 77 games with the Lightning in 2009-10, and 56 goals and 145 points in 285 career NHL games. Downie, who had a goal and seven points in 11 games with Colorado this season, is coming off a torn ACL in his right knee that wiped out essentially all of his 2013 short season. – The Flyers Thursday traded defensive forward Max Talbot to Colorado for Steve Downie, a forward with a sharper scoring sense who is a former Flyers first-round draft pick. ![]()
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