For The Love of God, Just Bring Him Back Already

Forced into having to report to the Penguins minor league affiliate in Wilkes Barre/Scranton after clearing waivers for the second time, veteran forward John LeClair has opted to stay home. Pens GM Ray Shero will make a decision on what to do with him today, according to today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Will Johnny Come Marching Home Again?

The obvious question is, why the hell isn't he back in Philadelphia? I know that bringing back another aging former star with at least one prior turn on "Insert Corporate Name Here" ice will stoke a thousand cynical fires, but in this case, a return is warranted. Sure, it'll be akin to placing a big red bow on a pile of moose dung which is the 2006-2007 season, but at the very least nobody will complain about a bunch of Phantoms losing to NHL clubs night in and night out.

If anything, LeClair will serve two purposes: a badly needed veteran presence who can guide the dozen or so Phantoms who populate the roster through the remainder of the year, and someone who can spend 10 minutes a game planted in the crease on power plays. Plus, now that he's been cycled through waivers with no taker twice, he comes at an unbelievable discount for the remaining 2/3s of the season.

Put him with Eager and Umberger on a second or third power-play unit, and the Flyers might be able to bash out an extra goal here and there. Then, if everyone is healthy in February, send him home. He's back here anyway with his family while Pittsburgh twiddles their collective thumbs, and he obviously wants to begin the non-playing phase of his life in the Philly area.

Ed Moran, last week in the Daily News, practically whined like a six-year-old at the prospect of LeClair, the Stanley Cup Winner and three-time 50-goal-scorer sitting home with no action on the Flyers' part. He convieniently forgets that age becomes a discriminating factor for all but the very best talents the league has to offer. Remember that Larry Murphy, Dave Andreychuk, Vladimir Malakhov, Brian Leetch and Doug Gilmour all faded out of existence when no team offered them jobs, and that's just in the last five years.

Seriously, between a washed-up LeClair and a green Stefan Ruzicka, which would you rather have in these desperate hours? The answer to that question is completely obvious. Apparently, maybe not obvious enough for Paul Holmgren.