Vincent Lecavalier open to return…as long as Berube is gone

Philadelphia Flyers center Vincent Lecavalier is open to a return to the Flyers bench next season; however, it may be at the expense of their Head Coach Craig Berube.

Oh, the drama! We yell as we collapse to the ice in one of the most sarcastic and overacted dramatic scenes to ever make their way to the screen. That is…if we were making a movie about the drama going on in the Philadelphia Flyers locker room as of late.

Even if you are new to the game of hockey, if the Philadelphia Flyers are your team, you know all-too-well about the immense amount of discord in the locker room between veteran center Vincent Lecavalier and Flyers Head Coach Craig Berube.

While neither one will just come right out and say it, these two forces of nature simply don’t like each other. This is something that has quite a bit to do with the fact that they cannot see eye to eye on Lecavalier’s role on the ice.

During his exit interview this season, Lecavalier discusses his disappointment with the way this season went and what he hopes for in the future.

"“I like this team, I like the players, but as for my future I don’t know.” Lecavalier said. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens around the Draft.”"

When the media pressed him a little more about his disappointment from the way things went down this season, Lecavalier opened up a little more on the matter.

"“I still believe in myself. I still think I can bring a lot to the team; more than not playing and sitting on the bench. I think to produce you need a little bit of time on the ice, and you get opportunities, and I haven’t really got that this year.”"

Of course, Lecavalier is making reference to the numerous times that Lecavalier was inexplicably scratched this season, leaving Philly fans to wonder why their team would spend the obscene amount of money that Lecavalier is owed on his contract only to have him ride the bench.

Whereas Lecavalier did his best to be professional about the situation and not entirely through his coach under the bus, the same cannot be said about Flyers Head Coach Craig Berube.

"“Vinny wants to be at center ice,” Berube told the Courier Post. “He played center most of his career and we tried him there a little bit— not a little bit, quite a bit last year. More last year than this year. We just don’t see eye-to-eye there.”"

When Berube was asked why Lecavalier has been relegated to the fourth line and what some of his reasons for not making him a second line center, he suddenly got really standoffish.

"“My reasons will stay in the locker room,” Berube said. “I don’t need to express my reasons to you guys of why we use him the way we use him.” – Courier Post"

We are simply speculating here, but what that sounds like to us is “I don’t really like you or your play, so I am going to do what I want because I’m the Coach and you have to do what I say without question.” Of course, these are not Berube’s words…just those of someone who is baffled as to why things have played out as they have.

Berube’s next comments almost play right into our assertion as to the true meaning of his actions this season.

"“I think the whole thing affects the play because he doesn’t accept his role, what I gave him. I’m not saying it’s an easy thing for him to do with what he accomplished as a player so far in his career and goal scoring, but at some point he’s gonna have to accept his role and he can help the hockey team.”"

It almost sounds to us, and again…we’re just spit balling here, that he is placing a lot of the blame for the Flyers’ less-than-stellar season squarely on the shoulders of one Vinny Lecavalier.

While we will assert that Lecavalier has declined in production over the last few years, hockey is a team sport and a team does not live and die by solely one player. There are plenty of other players on the ice that have suffered similar production problems this season, and as the old saying goes…”you win as a team, and you lose as a team.”

Unfortunately, that burden is on that of the Head Coach.

Berube currently has one year left on his contract. Given the team’s performance as of late, there is a lot of speculation that the team may let him go at some point in the off-season. There are teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs who have already started to clean house, but it is also possible that the team is looking for a smooth transition and hoping to have some more pieces in play before the decision is made.

Lecavalier, on the other hand, still has another two years on his contract in which he would be owed at least another nine million before he becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent in 2018

There is no telling at this point how this dreadful story is going to play out when all is said and done; however, we have a feeling that once we get a little closer to the NHL Draft, we will know a little bit more about where the road is taking us; however, there is one thing we know for sure. Vincent Lecavalier and Craig Berube won’t be going on any family vacations together anytime soon.

What do you think about the ongoing drama between Vincent Lecavalier and Craig Berube? Do you think that Vinny hasn’t been given a fair chance or do you believe that the Coach sees something that we don’t and makes a valid point? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

[H/T: SportsNet]

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Vincent Lecavalier open to return to Philadelphia…as long as Berube is gone

By Tasha St. Pierre | Apr 14, 2015

Philadelphia Flyers center Vincent Lecavalier is open to a return to the Flyers bench next season; however, it may be at the expense of their Head Coach Craig Berube.

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