Well, it didn't take long for Flyers GM Bob Clarke to throw an absolute fit and push the panic button after a 9-1 loss, waiving 3 unproductive players and calling up 3 youngsters.

Yet, Rebound Machine remains on the squad. Waaaat?

From TSN.ca: (Thanks to Sherry for the pointer)

A day after getting humbled 9-1 by the Buffalo Sabres, the Philadelphia Flyers have placed three players on waivers.

The team placed defenceman Nolan Baumgartner and forwards Niko Dimitrakos and Petr Nedved on waivers and will recall right wing Stefan Ruzicka, defenseman Alexandre Picard and left wing Ben Eager from their AHL affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms.

According to Flyers Assistant General Manager Paul Holmgren if the three players clear waivers Dimitrakos and Nedved will be assigned to the Phantoms and Baumgartner will remain with the Flyers

Well, it's not as if Clarke is trying to dump some print talent here. You've got a disintered center who is no longer effective at either end of the ice, a career minor leaguer who had himself one decent season, and a dime-a-dozen winger.

Still, there is a lot of stupidity involved here.

1. Nolan Baumgartner - Bob Clarke just signed this d00d to a deal paying him $1.2mil this season and next. If he clears waivers, they just intend to keep him around? Wow. I can just imagine how thrilled Baumgartner must be just weeks into his new contract. If he does stick around, you've pretty much screwed up a working relationship with him... for all of Baumgarter's faults, he hasn't been close to the worst defenseman on the Flyers this season. Why aren't they waiving Chewbacca?

2. Petr Nedved - He used to be a semi-decent player, but ever since his engagement to Ms. Verakova, he's been absolutely useless. Why did the Flyers bother to acquire him in the first place? You can imagine how thrilled the Coyotes were to ever find someone dumb enough to take Nedved and his albatross deal off of their hands. Now, nobody is going to claim Nedved and the Flyers are stuck with flushing over $2mil this season. It's good to get rid of him, but dumb to ever put themselves into this situation. It was obvious that Nedved had no game in the first place...

3. Niko Dimitrakos - Ok, so he makes a pittance and plays just as much, but, again, the Flyers went out and specifically acquired this guy and gave up on him pretty quickly. Do the Flyers not have pro scouts? Why do they keep going out and getting crap?

4. Yes, Robert Esche is still with the club. Is they want to dump salary and improve, why not dump this guy? Esche has a very bad attitude and obviously can't stop a puck without it bouncing off of him and into the slot.

Now, I'm excited to see Stefan Ruzicka can do. The Flyers need some secondary scoring and Ruzicka can provide that, but I suspect he won't get much of a chance. The Flyers do have secondary talent in Mike Richards, Kyle Calder, Geoff Sanderson, and Jeff Carter. Carter and Richards have been snakebit, but are getting their chances.