Nikolay Zherdev one of the best among under-30 free-agent crop

It’s the time of year where the free-agent options are slim. There are available veterans who could help — guys like Chris Drury, Bryan McCabe and Alex Kovalev. But the ultimate goal in free agency during the salary-cap age is to find someone who can outperform their contract. The ideal situation is to find a

Zherdev’s Play Forces OT, Flyers Capitalize to Force Game 7

Nikolay Zherdev’s assist on Scotty Hartnell’s third period tying goal led the Philadelphia Flyers to defeat the Buffalo Sabres in a thrilling overtime victory, and force a Game 7 matchup on Tuesday. Trailing 4-3 with 9 minutes remaining in the high stake game, Zherdev took control after flying up the wing and released a hard

Nikolay Zherdev nets 2 goals as Flyers drop Rangers

Nikolay Zherdev is playing his way into a more prominent role for the Philadelphia Flyers. Zherdev, playing against his former team for the second time this season, scored two goals and Brian Boucher stopped 24 shots to lead the Flyers to a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers on Saturday. Andreas Nodl and Ville

Nikolay Zherdev Finds New Friends as Flyers Topple Canadiens 5-3

It’s amazing what two days on a proper scoring line can prove. Skating with Jeff Carter and James Van Riemsdyk, Zherdev scored his second goal in two nights against the Montreal Canadiens, as the Flyers pulled out a tough 5-3 win against a hungry Canadiens club. Zherdev’s line was responsible for four of the five

Nikolay Zheredev and Flyers Stop Streaking Pens

Claude Giroux and Nikolay Zherdev also scored for the Flyers, who have won five of six games to vault into first place in the Atlantic Division. Philadelphia (20-7-5) also leads the NHL with 45 points. The Dec. 14 date is the earliest that Philadelphia has reached 20 wins in a season since 1986. The Penguins

Nikolay Zherdev Scores Against Sharks

Philadelphia had a flurry of its own in the second period against former Flyers goalie Antero Niittymaki, with Claude Giroux, Ville Leino and Nikolay Zherdev scoring in a 4:44 span to make it 3-1. Giroux started that run by knocking in a rebound when a shot by Braydon Coburn was deflected by Jeff Carter. Niittymaki

Nikolay Zherdev Scores in 8-1 Rout of Canes

The offensive outburst came after a well-placed break in the schedule. Coach Peter Laviolette, who spent five years as Carolina’s coach and is plenty familiar with the local scene, took the Flyers a few hours southwest to famed Pinehurst Resort to play some golf and spend some time together away from the rink. “We should