In the second of a three-part series previewing the Philadelphia Flyers for 2007-08, Brian Jennings takes a look at their defense...

Gone: Joni Pitkanen, Alexei Zhitnik, Freddy Meyer, and Nolan Baumgartner.

In: Braydon Coburn, Lasse Kuukonen, Jason Smith, and Kimmo Timonen.

Thankfully, the defense did not get bigger, but they did get better. Timonen will be the key to the Flyers success. In fact, he just might have more of an impact on the team than Briere does, if for no other reason than defenseman have more ice time then forwards do. Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje are still on the roster, but only Hatcher is contributing somewhat for the Flyers these days.

Rathje played in only 18 games last season and was put on injured reserve. His status is up in the air for next season, but recent reports claim he is itching to come back to the team if his doctors proclaim he’s healthy.

Still, it would be a major shock to see him in a Flyers uniform again. One major reason is the salary cap. His cap number is $3.5 million and the Flyers are only 900k under the cap. To get him on the roster, it would mean moving at least 2 players to get it done, and that’s just not going to happen.

Look for his contract to be bought out, or the Flyers will trade him for low round draft picks.

Hatcher was made virtually useless in the first half of the season, especially with the amount of penalties being called. As the season progressed, so did Hatcher’s game, but this was due in large part to the reduced number of calls from the referee’s, not just against the Flyers, but around in the entire NHL.

Hatcher’s value became evident on the penalty kill, which became one the few things that actually did work right for the team last season. Still, one has to wonder which Hatcher the Flyers fans will see next season. If it’s the one in the first half of the season, you can bet Hatcher will be moved by the trade deadline even if it’s for a bag of pucks. If he is the one that showed up for the second half of the season, the Flyers will be inclined to keep him for the rest of the season.

Pitkanen became the whipping boy for Flyers fans all season long. For someone as shy an introverted as Pitkanen, he did not handle the criticism well. That did not sit well with the Flyers and were more or less forced to move the young 23 year old to Edmonton.

The good news is the Flyers received two players in return for Pitkanen that should provide some help on offense and defense. Jason Smith is the key to the trade, even if Lupol does not pan out. Smith was the Oilers captain last season and will provide some much needed leadership that the Flyers sorely lacked. Smith is not a point producer, but as long as he provides stability on defense, the Flyers will me more than happy with the trade.

Kuukonen was a pleasant surprise since coming over in a trade from Chicago for Kyle Calder. His shot blocking ability was a site for sore eyes to anyone who has followed the team for years. Look for his minutes to be increased as the season goes along.

Coburn could become the heir apparent to Hatcher one day as the team’s big man on the blueline. The former 8th overall draft pick by the Atlanta Thrashers will have to improve his consistency, but his game, like Smith, is a simple one. Coburn is a stay-at-home defenseman who won’t cost the team goals. If he is paired with the right person, his game should improve along with the rest of the team.

The Flyers need to know who the teams 6th defenseman is by the start of the season. Denis Gauthier, Randy Jones, or Alexandre Picard will win the spot. Picard has shown an offensive upside, and Jones has also shown flashes as the season went along.

Gauthier’s game is a physical one, which the Flyers need, but he might have to be moved in order to make room on the roster for one of the kids. Another reason he may be moved is because of the Rathje situation. If memory serves me correctly,

Gauthier’s cap hit is 2.5 million, and since Hatcher won’t be moved, Gauthier seems like the most likely candidate to leave.

The bottom line is the defense simply cannot be the same train wreck it was last season. Improving the team’s speed on the blueline is a must, so one way or another the Flyers need to find a way to move Hatcher, Rathje, and Gauthier. After this season, they might have to move Smith as well due to his age (34 in November) and lack of foot speed.

Ryan Parent and Oskars Bartulis are waiting in the wings and are close to making the team, but don’t expect either to make the roster this season, despite rumors that Parent might make the roster out of training camp. Look for at least one of them to make it next season. Parent is the stay-at-home defenseman, while Bartulis is the offensive minded blueliner.

Another candidate to make the team is Kimmo Timonen’s brother Jussi, who played 14 games for the Flyers last season. The potential to play with his brother one day was part of the bait for attracting Kimmo to Philadelphia. A brother tandem like the one in Anaheim with the Neidermayer’s is intriguing, especially since Kimmo and Jussi are both defenseman.

Keep your eye on Michael Ratchuck who played last season for the NCAA champion Michigan State Spartans. Ratchuck is someone to keep an eye on come next seasons training camp. He is a dark horse to make the team.

This past June, the Flyers used the 41st overall pick to select Kevin Marshall, another physical stay-at-home defenseman so keep an eye on the Quebec Major Juniors for his progress. Marshall will most likely be a candidate for a roster spot in 2010 or sooner. Marshall impressed everyone during the Flyers rookie camp and is already living up to his billing as a hard hitting defenseman.

With that said, here are two questions on Flyers fans minds regarding the defense:

Will the defense be the same train wreck it was last season?

Probably not, but it still has the potential to be. If Hatcher, Rathje, and Gauthier are still on the roster by Christmas, don’t expect a lot to change. Even if Timonen and Smith pan out, the Flyers version of “the big three” must play a ton better than last season, no exceptions. Look for Timonen and Smith to take playing time away from two of them so in theory the Flyers will most likely be better than last season.

Is Timonen the quarterback on the power play the Flyers desperately need? Probably not, but he has the potential to be. His 8 power play goals were a career high last season, but having Gagne, Briere, and Knuble with him could provide the Flyers with a potent power play unit. Still, he will improve the Flyers on the defense and at this stage of the game the Flyers will take it.