Braydon Coburn

Despite replacing nearly half of last season's roster, the Flyers and GM Paul Holmgren managed to keep the team's defensive unit largely intact. Last season, the star-studded unit performed exceptionally well, despite Chris Pronger's bout with injuries.

With the offseason ending and 2011-2012 NHL season on the horizon, it's time to take a look at what Flyer fans can expect from the team's blueliners next season.

Chris Pronger is arguably one of the best defensive defensemen in the league.

His talent and production in all three zones makes him irreplaceable in the Flyers lineup. The only positive with this injury is that he will be better rested for the long playoff haul.

The Flyers, like every other team in the NHL facing injuries, have backup plans for their team.

The following list is of five possible solutions for the loss of production of veteran Chris Pronger.

From now until the end of the regular season you are going to effortlessly witness sports writers across the country—but particularly in Philly—doubting the Flyers as they get ready to make a Stanley Cup run.

You’re going to hear everything from “Bob and Boosh can’t stand on their heads in big games” to “Flyers can’t score like they did in the past.”

I’m here to tell you that that’s all a bunch of BS.

It's a theme repeated year after year. Teams must shed players in order to make room for the following year's salary cap. The Philadelphia Flyers may be no different despite sitting on top of the league. The Flyers are sitting at about $3.65 million in cap space. Sometimes these moves are tough, but they benefit the team in the long run. Here are 10 players to keep an eye on going into the trade deadline.

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The Broad Street Bullies. The moniker elicits varied reactions across the hockey world. In some it brings out fear, in others, unconditional hatred. In the surrounding Philadelphia area, it has always been a sense of pride, a badge of honor.

Free agents.

Every NHL team has at least a few of them every year.

Some are prime players who seem to have no problem getting signed right away.

Others...well...it's a little harder.

These are the players who are injury-prone, had less than stellar seasons, or have attitude issues that keep them from playing well with others.

These players can sometimes remain unemployed almost right until the start of the season.

The Philadelphia Flyers had a miraculous run to the Stanley Cup finals this past year, but it ended in heartbreaking fashion. Michael Leighton, the man some deemed as the savior of the Flyers season, let up one of the weakest goals in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. Leighton, who was most likely an easy bet to be resigned by Paul Holmgrem and the Flyers before that goal, now has an uncertain future. The Philadelphia Flyers are in heavy pursuit of a suitable starting goalie to come to Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Flyers came so close to winning the Stanley Cup, but the Chicago Blackhawks had too much talent and one ugly goal. The Flyers magical ride through the postseason is over. 

It had certainly been the most stunning postseason the Flyers have had possibly since 1975. 

Newsflash!!!  I take full credit for the Flyers overtime win last night!  Why you ask?  Because I decided to turn off the game once the Blackhawks were ahead to save the day.  This sounds ridiculous but is works for the Phillies, Eagles and now Flyers (I doubt even my superstitions could save the Sixers).

After only two games into the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cinderella run by the Montreal Canadiens is as good as over.  After dropping the first two games of the series to the Flyers, the pressure is mounting on the Canadiens who were able to upset the NHL’s top team, the Capitals, and the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins, earlier in these playoffs.