Flyers Camp Opens Today

PHILADELPHIA — After Claude Giroux’s first year as captain of the Flyers, he went back to his Ottawa-area home and immediately hit the gym.

There he worked off the disappointment of the Flyers missing the playoffs for only the second time since 1994.

“I think the best way to learn is to fail,” said Giroux, whose Flyers open training camp today at Wells Fargo Center. “When you know how to fail, you change it up. As a team, we’ve learned a lot, and we’re gonna take it as motivation.”

The Flyers themselves have changed a lot. Gone are Danny Briere, Ilya Bryzgalov, Simon Gagne, Mike Knuble, Kent Huskins and Matt Walker.

The additions have been pricey. After the Tampa Bay Lightning bought out their captain, the Flyers signed Vincent Lecavalier to a five-year, $22.5 million contract in July. A month earlier, they’d snatched up the New York Islanders’ captain, trading for the rights to defenseman Mark Streit, then inking him to a four-year, $21 million deal. They did save money by bringing back Ray Emery in July to compete for the starting goalie job at $1.65 million.

After adding those pieces, the Flyers stand at $2 million over the salary cap. They need to be back under by the time the season opens.

Starting today, it’s about seeing how all those new pieces fit together.

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Dave Isaac covers the Flyers for 97.3 ESPN and The Courier Post.  Reach Dave Isaac at disaac@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @davegisaac.