Holmgren continued to stay busy after the defense-heavy draft by acquiring even more defensive help. The Flyers traded Triston Grant and a seventh round pick in 2009 for Finnish offensive-defenseman Janna Niskala from Nashville.
Niskala played all of the 2007-08 season for the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, where he scored 19 goals and 25 assists in 80 games. The 26-year-old was 11th in the league in points for defenseman with 44. He is a strong player with a powerful slapshot and a good wrist shot.
With the signing of Ryan Suter and Shea Weber, the Predators defense is about as deep and taltened as the Flyers’ offense, thus leaving no roster room for Niskala. The Finn has proved he can produce in the AHL and will be looked at as a low risk-high reward type of transaction for the Flyers, that gives the team more puck-moving depth.
After the Flyers lost both Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn in what seemed like the blink of an eye, the Flyers were left flailing for substitutions. Holmgren seems to have made sure that options are available if that were to ever happen again.
Phila.Bright 