Dan Carcillo

Daniel Carcillo of the Chicago Blackhawks and Rene Bourque of the Calgary Flames are watching their upcoming NHL games from the stands.

The NHL, more than ever with its new rule restrictions, is full of dirty plays. 

Brendan Shanahan has done his job in really enforcing these rules and handing down steep but acceptable punishments.

Here is a list of the five dirtiest players in today's NHL, and in turn, the players that can expect a call from Shanahan the most often.

As always, feel free to comment about what players you think should be included on this list. I am always interested in hearing other people's opinions. 

By now, most of you know about Stan Bowman's shocking signing of Dan Carcillo on July 1, 2011.

In 282 NHL games, Carcillo has racked up 36 goals, 37 assists, 73 points and 986 PIM.

Shawn Thornton and Carcillo made up the first-ever NHL outdoor fight. He told broadcasters a few days earlier that this was his goal.

During the 2008-2009 NHL season, the Philadelphia Flyers traded Scottie Upshall to the Phoenix Coyotes for then-NHL penalty minutes leader, Dan Carcillo.

"Carbomb" became an instant fan favorite on Broad Street for his aggressive, explosive playing style.

One of the best parts of watching the NHL is that fact that people like Sean Avery and Dan Carcillo are allowed to roam free—or, relatively free.

Many will argue the purpose and necessity of an agitator in the league.

The truth is that a person who can agitate the other team and get them off their game can put their own teammates in the best position to win.

The NHL requires players to perform at 100% and when a player is preoccupied by an agitator, that gives the other team the advantage for that moment.

I wasn’t watching the Penguins-Islanders Fightfest Part Deux live, but I should have been. You had to know there was going to be a carry over from the game just nine days prior.

Maxime Talbot flattened Blake Comeau, yet wasn’t suspended and Rick DiPietro needed facial reconstruction surgery after being one punch KO’d by Brent Johnson.

I should have set my DVR immediately.

 Now that the core of players for the Flyers has been ironed out, it’s time to cut the fat. The Flyers will have seven players who will become free agents after this season; four of them will be unrestricted free agents and three will be restricted free agents.

Unrestricted free agents are free to sign wherever they would like. Restricted free agents can solicit offers from other clubs, but their current club has a chance to match any contract offer.

The second half of the NHL season, primarily after the All-Star break, is always a nerve-wracking time for hockey fans. 

If you're a Flyers fan, you remember the second half of the 2009-2010 season as being a memorable one. The Flyers, falling off of a cliff, were saved by a fearless coach in Peter Laviolette. The team turned things around, squeaked into the playoffs, and fought their way to the Stanley Cup Finals. 

I pose this question because I have noticed that the Flyers are not a particularly tough team to play against of late. Gone are the scraps and scrums after every whistle, the melees if an opposing player gets within two feet of the goal crease, and the retribution for dirty plays.

For the love of Gordie Howe, just trade Dan Carcillo already!

Since his arrival in Philadelphia, it has been abundantly clear this team and much of its fan base do not have the intestinal fortitude necessary to tolerate a legitimate NHL pest like Dan Carcillo on the Flyers roster.