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Well then the move for Gagne makes complete sense. Unfortunately McGinn just lost his roster spot this season. I had heard in a pre-game discussion prior to that fight which broke his face that McGinn probably wouldn't finish the season with the Flyers.

Just means that he was ticketed for the AHL for a while longer. He looks like he fits in well with the Flyers in the future. Just needs to be able to chip in more offensively.

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Depth move. As long as he replaces Knuble it works for me. Now to flip Briere to Ottawa for Bishop or Lehner and another prospect and I'm happy.

Nah, I'd rather move him for a d-man who can skate. We're too slow back there.
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like most of you I'm happy Gagne is back but I also wonder why (like a lot of you) he "did not fit into Kings' coach Darryl Sutter's plans."

Maybe between his injury last year and the strength of the Kings' forwards it just didn't work out for him in LA.

Gagne's a smart, fast 2-way player who loves scoring goals. Hopefully some of that mentality rubs off on our younger guys.

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Gagne Interview

Game shape's good even if I haven't played the last, I think, five games. It's been, what, two weeks since I played. Still practicing with the team, still getting a skate after every morning skate, still riding the bike. That was the only thing I was able to do, try to focus on and keep myself in shape for exactly what happened and try to go and play for another team.

FIRST OF ALL I'M EXCITED TO BE BACK AND PLAY IN FRONT OF THE FANS IN PHILLY TOMORROW NIGHT

I'm in good shape. It's going to be maybe a tough one [Wednesday night against Washington], I think they want me to be in the lineup. First of all I'm excited to be back and play in front of the fans in Philly tomorrow night. Right now the plan for me was there as no flight left for this afternoon so I have to take the red eye and fly all night. So it's going to be a special game tomorrow but I'll try to take all that emotion and try to bring that energy to the game.

On his offseason neck surgery:

Yeah, actually I feel really good since the surgery. The neck problem was going on for quite a while and it was a tough situation the last couple years having the head injury, but who knows it was maybe more my neck sometime. Having the surgery, finally finding a doctor here in LA that was willing to do the surgery. It was a tricky place to do the surgery, around the neck and close to nerves and stuff like that.

After that I felt the difference right away, just overall like in normal life coming at the house, playing with the kids, sleeping at night, stuff like that. It makes a huge difference. I'm now really excited about that. I was looking forward to starting the season and playing pretty much every game but it was not the case. It's a little bit difficult to be in the lineup and play and now try to see the difference, but I could tell I felt different on the ice and I feel better and I can't wait to try it on a regular basis.

When was the surgery?

I had the surgery in June right after we won the Cup, so I think it was five days after we won, everything was planned. That's why I was able to come back in the lineup. I had the chance to meet a lot of specialists that were willing to do the surgery for the neck and everything was planned. That's why I knew at that point the head was OK and it was more a neck issue at the end, so that's why I came back and played [in the playoffs].

Right after we won everything was scheduled to do the surgery. I'm 100 percent now, and like I said I was really excited about this year because of that, but unfortunately things didn't work the way it was here in LA this year, so now having a chance to play with Philly and play on a regular basis, I'm really excited to try that. It will be fun.

On the state of his hockey skills after not playing for so long:

It's not an easy situation. As a hockey player not playing a lot last year and not playing at the end in the Final and having the long lockout, not laying for almost six months before we started the season. But I have to say I felt really good -- the games that I played this year, I felt really good on the ice.

Does the Gagne trade help the team?

Let's settle down for a second and talk: Does this deal make the Flyers a better team?

My leg was feeling good, the skill was coming back, but it's hard when you start to feel your game coming back and you're not playing the next five games, and after that you have to go back into the lineup. Any player, it's going to be hard to ask someone to go back in the lineup after not playing for five games. It's almost like a week not playing. It's hard.

But like I said the games I played here this year I was feeling really good. I think it's just a matter of playing a little more hockey and all that stuff will come back.

Did you ask for a trade?

It's funny you mention that because it was definitely something in my mind the last couple days. I talked to my agent three days ago and the situation here you could tell was not going to get better, and we started talking about the options. It's just a little different now. I have a family and I have two kids, and you're thinking about them a lot more than you're thinking about yourself.

I was willing to suck it up maybe for a couple more games or couple more weeks and see what's going to happen here, but at the end I knew it was not my place here and it was time to move on. It just happened like that. I didn't have a chance to ask Dean [Lombardi] or [Ron Hextall] to try to trade me, they just did it on their own. It just shows you the class those guys have.

Even if it's hard getting traded in the middle of the season, going to Philly -- and they told me it was maybe the best place for me to go -- they're really gentlemen to do that to me this year.

Did you talk to Paul Holmgren?

I talked to him a couple minutes after I met Dean and Hexy. First thing he told me is "Are you ready to play tomorrow night?" I told him I'm taking the red eye flight tonight so I'll be on the plane all night. So it's going to be a tough one but he wanted me to be in the lineup so I'll be there for him tomorrow.

Have you thought about whose line you want to play on?

No, actually I just got a call right now and it just said Peter Laviolette on my phone. That'll be the first time I talk to Lavi. I don't know what the plan is for me tomorrow. I know they want me to play. I'll play and we'll see. It's gonna be fun.

Did Homer tell you what he thought you could do for the club or what it needed right now?

[HOMER] SAID I'M GOING TO HAVE A CHANCE TO PLAY A LOT OF MINUTES WITH THE FLYERS

No, we didn't have a chance to talk too much about that. Like I said, it was basic welcome back, a couple laughs, more talking about the game tomorrow. Just said that I want to play, and he said I'm going to have a chance to play a lot of minutes with the Flyers, and that was the only thing he said.

I'm sure I'll have a chance to catch up with him when I get to Philly. I think he said the next game will be Saturday after that, so that will give us some time between games to talk about the future.

Do you still have a home in the area?

Yeah, I still have it, but last month I finally found someone willing to buy it, so the closing's going to be done on March 15. It's part of the life, but at the same time we all know the market in Jersey's not too good. So just getting to find a buyer to buy the house, it's something that even if I'm going back to Philly, and it's a house we lived in for quite a while, where my son was born, and a lot of good memories.

But at the same time it was maybe the best option even if I go back there to sell the house, and maybe renting something for the next couple years or at least the next couple months. Lavi was renting the house actually. Lavi was staying in the house for the last two-and-a-half years.

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Brel... I think Rusty might be sent out of town. Still not sure why we signed him honestly and I have seen nothing from him...

There is nothing in this world that makes me happier, or makes more sense than bringing in an ex-flyer so you can ship another one out.

I think they should hire Hatcher as GM to replace Homer, and make Pronger head coach.

As a side note.... I am hearing that BC is posturing to buy the Flyers from Ed

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He is back where he belongs. One of the classiest, highly respected, the most hard-working, and honest players in the league. I really see no harm here. At the very least, he should be able to provide what Jagr did last year. But some scoring will help as well, of course.

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There is nothing in this world that makes me happier, or makes more sense than bringing in an ex-flyer so you can ship another one out.

I think they should hire Hatcher as GM to replace Homer, and make Pronger head coach.

As a side note.... I am hearing that BC is posturing to buy the Flyers from Ed

Who???

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