BLN's 2011 Best Athlete in Philadelphia: #15 Jeff Carter

Jeff Carter might be the best pure goal scorer on the team but has quietly started to be overlooked by some Flyers fans. During last season, there were rumors of dealing him in a deal to land Ilya Kovalchuk. But the Flyers management quieted all the doubt about Carters future when they signed him to a 11 year $58 million contract extension this past November. The deal will put Carter under contract with Flyers until after the 2021-2022 season. He finds himself at # 15 on our list because of his nasty shot and prolific goal scoring ability. 

---

The Flyers selected Carter with the 11th overall Pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. After being drafted by the Flyers, he continued to play for his Junior Team, the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds in the OHL. He played with the Grey Hounds until after their season ended in 2005. While the OHL season was over, the AHL season was just gearing up for the playoffs. He along with Mike Richards joined the Phantoms as they embarked on their Calder Cup run. During the 2005 Calder Cup Playoffs, Carter recorded 23 points (12 Goals, 11 assists) en route to leading the team to the Championship. The Following season Carter made the team out of training camp and played 81 games during his rookie season. He scored 23 goals , along with scoring his first career goal against the Panthers on October 24th.

During the next few seasons he never seemed to live up to the potential that many thought he had. But he had made his NHL debut at the age of 20, so he had a lot of growing up to do while competing at the highest level. In his first 3 seasons as a pro, he recorded a 42, 37 and 53 points. Then during the 2008-2009 season Carter finally showed the scoring ability that most fans thought he had. He was selected as an all-star and set a career high in goals, assists and points. He lead the team in goals with 46 and had a team high 84 points!

Since Carters all-star season, he has failed to live up to the high expectations that he set for himself. Last season he missed 8 games during the regular season and 11 games in the post-season with a foot injury. He ended the season last year with a respectable 61 points. It was a very good year and it was good enough to lead the team in goals with 33 but most thought he would continue his rise as one of the best players in the NHL. He has had a similar season this year, he currently is tied for the team lead in goals with 28. Carter has had very good seasons over the past 2 years but it wasn’t the type of seasons most fans thought he would have.  After his breakout year in the 2008-2009 season, most thought he was on the verge of becoming a superstar. Since he made the all-Star team in 2008-09, he has failed to garner that honor. He is an explosive scorer with a amazing shot and also is a great skater. Carter is also a key part of the team’s special teams; during his career he has 99 points on the power play and 12 shorthanded goals. Many teams in the NHL would love to have a Center with his overall ability. Despite his great size at 6-3 200 pounds, he isn’t that physical of a player.  He will score goals in bunches but also go silent for long stretches of times. 


But despite the negatives, he is still one of the Flyers best players. Carter has had a very successful NHL career but his inconsistent play at times has led Flyers fans wanting more. Carter is still a very young player at just 26 and should only continue to get better. It doesn’t seem to long ago that he along with Richard were thought to be the future of the team. Now he has been replaced with the likes of Giroux and possibly JVR. Carter is still a key part of the team and one of the team’s best players. Every time he gets the puck there is a chance it will end in the back of the net. His amazing goal scoring ability was good enough to earn him a spot at #15 on our rankings. Carter should only continue to become a more consistent player, if the Flyers want to raise Lord Stanley’s Cup at the end of the season. Jeff Carter will need to be a crucial part of it.

Scott Glick

BrotherlyLoveNation.com Writer

---